Upholstery fabric

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tico

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Time to get the external cushions redone. Looking for a grey/silver fabric type rather than a plain vinyl. Any suggestions would be appreciated as well as someone to do it, as I understand Martin deuce / MJ is no longer in business
 
Are you sure that Martin is no longer in business.
This is his website:-
MJM Boats

Martin suggested to me to use Silvertex which feels about half way between PVC and canvas material.
If I were being practical, I should have gone with Silvertex when Martin recovered our flybridge cushions a little over 2 years ago.

But in the end, we went with a version of an idea that JFM used to push.
JFM referred to it as Sunbrella Plus but in fact that is a product on its own.
The trick JFM was referring to is the process of coating the back of the fabric with a PVC layer.
So, we decided on using a softer Sunbrella cushion fabric and getting it back coated in the same way.
There is a trade supplier called MBS (based in Windsor) who import Sunbrella and supply the trade only.
MBS have a local company that they send the fabrics out to coat the back.
Martin then bought the finished coated fabric from MBS.
We selected the Natta range of Sunbrella cushion fabrics
Using the technique that we used, you can get really comfortable seating but you will have to care for them.
No sitting around in wet swimmies - in fact, I've made some waterproof covers for our cockpit cushions that we put on when people are swimming off the boat.

Anyway, here are some photos of our cushions - covered by Martin (MJM Boats)
Martin took the old cushions and reused the foam/innards from the original cushions.
We have always taken care of our cushions - covering them and putting them away whilst we away from the boat.

20210712_081946.resized.jpg

20190906_154645.resized.jpg

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We also had the cocppit cushions done in a lighter fabric (same range)

20190906_155213.resized.jpg

This pic shows the texture of the Natte Sunbrella fabric.

20190906_155136.resized.jpg
 
M- many thanks for taking the time for that. Really helpful!
Good to know that Martin is still in business, Jfm recommended him and he did a great job on our targa.
What's the difference between silvertex and the sunbrella natte, is the silvertex the quite smooth fabric?
Like the idea a of different colours for the flybridge and cockpit.
What's the problem with wet swimmers on the coated sunbrella?
Will ring him on monday
 
tico said:
M- many thanks for taking the time for that. Really helpful!
Good to know that Martin is still in business, Jfm recommended him and he did a great job on our targa.
What's the difference between silvertex and the sunbrella natte, is the silvertex the quite smooth fabric?
Like the idea a of different colours for the flybridge and cockpit.
What's the problem with wet swimmers on the coated sunbrella?
Will ring him on monday
Click to expand...
Martin will recommend Silvertex which has more of a plastic feel.
Not as plasticy as the old PVC but IMO still sticks to the skin when you sit on it.
Silvertex were very unhelpful about supplying samples but getting Sunbrella swatches was much easier.
I'm sure that Martin will be able to get you some samples of Silvertex.
BTW Princess have been using Silvertex as their base product - they call it Movida.
There is quite a good white colour which has an element of silver about it.

Don't forget you couls do it the JFM way and use Sunbrella Plus (with the back coating)
Martin will know what to do - he has done work for JFM as well.

If I were doing it again, I think I would stick with the Sunbrella that I have - maybe that comment helps.
EDIT
This is the fabric that we chose for the cockpit
Natté Oyster NAT 5030 140 Sunbrella fabric
And this was the one for the flybridge
Natté Stone NAT 5078 140 Sunbrella fabric
But remember it was back coated with PVC.

But in answer to your question, I've never had anyone sit on the Natte fabric in wet swimmies.
I try to avoid getting it wet.
I did the job in two phases - cockpit first and the flybridge about 9 months later.
The white in the cockpit was a good idea at the time but I think it might get dirty over time.
I made a loose fitting cover for the cockpit cushions using my Sailrire machine and some very cheap canvas.

20190906_155421.resized.jpg

The idea worked well - we just put the cover on whenever we were at anchor and people were swimming.
But the cheap fabric that I used was hopeless in the Med UV so this summer, I've made the cover again using some of the Princess PVC used in canopies.
I managed to find it in grey though.

A couple of years ago, I did the same on the flybridge but these covers are designed for overnight so that any morning dew will run off.
We take them off when we use them.

20210707_185131.resized.jpg

In fact, when new, the boat was supplied with a similar flybridge seat cover - I just cut it up and made a new one from it.
I made one major alteration though - a couple of zips to get the beer out of the chiller!!!
 
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I have Sunbrella Natte fabric (light colour, Graumel Chalk) on the exterior cushions of my current boat, and the previous one was upholstered with Silvertex (also in a light stone colour). After 2-3 years experience of both, I would say they each have their pros and cons.

Silvertex looks fantastic when new, but seems to stretch and sag a little more over time. It needs to be really well fitted and taut over the foam beneath to stay looking good. Because its a vinyl, it's easy to keep clean but the textured surface can still trap dirt and some things will cause stains. Also because its a vinyl, it is not breathable, can be hot to sit on and will stick to your skin.

Sunbrella Natte looks better and has a much softer more comfortable feel because its a real fabric with a woven surface texture. Its more breathable and much more comfortable in hot weather. The fibres have some kind of coating, so its quite stain resistant although perhaps not as good as the vinyl. Marks and stains can be removed and made to disappear by lightly washing the whole cushion with a soft brush and mild soap. It seems very hard wearing and less prone to nicks and cuts than the vinyl.

The major downside of the Sunbrella is you have to put the covers on when you leave the boat. With the Silvertex cushions, I would occasionally leave the boat overnight (or even for a few days) without the covers and just wash everything down next time I was on the boat. With the Sunbrella you can't do this as the dirt would get into the woven surface and fibres of the fabric and you will never get it out.

We don't have any rules about sitting in wet swimsuits on the seats or sunpads. You can get water marks on the Sunbrella fabric as it dries, but these are easily removed by wetting the whole surface and allowing it to dry in the sun. After three years of fairly hard use in the Med, the Sunbrella still looks almost as good as new.
 
DAW said:
I have Sunbrella Natte fabric (light colour, Graumel Chalk) on the exterior cushions of my current boat, and the previous one was upholstered with Silvertex (also in a light stone colour). After 2-3 years experience of both, I would say they each have their pros and cons.

Silvertex looks fantastic when new, but seems to stretch and sag a little more over time. It needs to be really well fitted and taut over the foam beneath to stay looking good. Because its a vinyl, it's easy to keep clean but the textured surface can still trap dirt and some things will cause stains. Also because its a vinyl, it is not breathable, can be hot to sit on and will stick to your skin.

Sunbrella Natte looks better and has a much softer more comfortable feel because its a real fabric with a woven surface texture. Its more breathable and much more comfortable in hot weather. The fibres have some kind of coating, so its quite stain resistant although perhaps not as good as the vinyl. Marks and stains can be removed and made to disappear by lightly washing the whole cushion with a soft brush and mild soap. It seems very hard wearing and less prone to nicks and cuts than the vinyl.

The major downside of the Sunbrella is you have to put the covers on when you leave the boat. With the Silvertex cushions, I would occasionally leave the boat overnight (or even for a few days) without the covers and just wash everything down next time I was on the boat. With the Sunbrella you can't do this as the dirt would get into the woven surface and fibres of the fabric and you will never get it out.

We don't have any rules about sitting in wet swimsuits on the seats or sunpads. You can get water marks on the Sunbrella fabric as it dries, but these are easily removed by wetting the whole surface and allowing it to dry in the sun. After three years of fairly hard use in the Med, the Sunbrella still looks almost as good as new.
Click to expand...
As I say, I have no experience of Silvertex but I agree 100% with your comments on the Sunbrella Natte fabric.
I also have a couple of very small water stains on the Natte fabric but not in visible areas.
I was just going to brush them out but will try your suggestion to clean them.
 
Here is the guidance on cleaning from the Sunbrella website:

Outdoor Upholstery
Cleaning Removable Fabric
Hand Washing
Soak fabric in a solution of 1/4 cup mild soap per gallon of lukewarm water. Use a sponge or very soft bristle brush to lightly agitate the spill. Then rinse thoroughly to remove all soap residue, and allow fabric to air dry.

It's an acrylic fabric, so should be inherently water resistant and fast drying. I've used household washing-up liquid, boat wash (but not the type that includes wax) and marine upholstery cleaner ... all seem to work OK. The important thing is to use mostly water with only a very small quantity of soap (you don't want much foam as it leaves a residue), a very soft brush or a microfibre cloth so you don't damage the surface texture, get the surface damp all over but not soaking wet and then allow plenty of time for it dry before covering.
 
We've got silvertex on our new boat, I havent had it long enough to comment on how well it wears over the years, but It seems pretty decent to me so far . It seems to be made out of fibres of Vinyl, so it feels like a woven fabric, but has the practicality of vinyl from a cleaning perspective. Ours is a light grey colour (similar in colour to hurricanes photos) and it does get hot. Its been easy enough to keep clean so far, just using soapy water to clean, and it dries quickly.

Our boat constantly has wet people on it, and there has been no issues with people sitting on it in wet swimwear.
 
It´time for a new upholstery on our T38. And it seems that Sunbrella is the choice and perhaps the Sunbrella Natte. We never sit with wet clothes on our cushions and they are relatively save from dirt or salty spray. But the cushions at the aft would sometimes get wet while having a shower or during the night. Would anyone see there any problems?
 
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