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Specifying Textiles and Materials It Is Not Just Business As Usual

What is our responsibility to our clients when specifying textiles and materials beyond the de-sign concept? Last year education-works introduced a new course called, "Fibers, Fabrics and the Whole Cloth". It is a 4 hour CEU that looks at textiles and materials in a whole new light. It was my privilege and pleasure to research and write the class. A part of the class concerned current fabric issues and part was devoted to New and Emerging Textiles. Believe me, it was an eye opening research experience. Coupled with the recent ASID National Conference in San Diego with an emphasis on Biomimickry, we thought you might be interested in what issues we must be concerned with regarding textiles and materials today and what solutions may be around the corner.

A recent survey by Kansas State University showed that Interior designers must identify and analyze many variables when they select and specify textiles. Because we have infinite choices today, the specification of the proper textiles for each project is essential. Not only must we consider the proper construction and fabric type for each use, but we must consider dyes and allergens, maintenance and the environment, and fire and toxicity issues. Knowing and understanding these issues can save you much grief after the project is finished. No longer can we specify textile materials with little thought to anything but their color, price and suitability to the design concept. A host of other issues must be considered in the selection of textiles for each project:

* Will the fabric hold up under the conditions in which it will be used? * Is the fabric overly susceptible to the environment surrounding it? * What are our responsibilities to protection from fire, smoke and toxicity for our clients? * What toxins or off gases does the fabric or the dye or printing process cause and will those issues affect any allergies of your client? * Will the specification of these textiles or their disposal further harm our environment?

When considering all these issues, we must understand that we can’t just specify textiles or other materials anymore in the same old “business as usual” way. In other words: “Is it pretty and does it fit the budget?”

Therefore, let’s look at highlights of 4 issues that have become critical in the selection of fabrics: Durability, Flammability, Toxicity and Sustainability.

Durability: How a material looks 6 months to a year in use is eminently important to the success of a project. If the fiber breaks down, the seams slip or it pills, the client is likely to become very unhappy even if the fabric still holds up. Not only should the weave and type of fiber be considered in the selec-tion for type of use, but consider the environmental surroundings of the fiber and will it hold up in those conditions.

Light, both natural and artificial, is a form of energy that can fade color, turn whites to yellow, and cause chemical and physical degradation of textile fibers and even weaken the molecular structure of the individual fibers in some delicate fabrics such as silk. The effect is cumulative and irreversible. The rate of deterioration is determined by the level of illumination and the duration of exposure. In addition, mould and mildew caused from high humidity may irreparably damage fibers. The ideal temperature for textiles is 60-65 degrees and a humidity level below 50%.

Also, consider that airborne soils, oxide of sulfur from burning coal and fuel oil and oxides of nitrogen which are by-products of natural gas and gasoline can weaken fibers and cause noticeable color changes. Ozone, a major component of smog can also cause fading. Even cleaning products used improperly can forever damage a textile.

Flammability: Our responsibilities regarding fire protection are spelled out quite clearly in codes affect-ing public buildings. But, what is our moral or ethical responsibility for residential projects? These are much more nebulous. There are 500,000 residential fires each year. Did you know that fire is the second leading cause of death in the home, over 4000 in the US each year giving the US the highest rate of fire deaths in the world?

Many residential fires ignite in upholstered furniture or bedding. Home fires can also occur when an open flame source is present. Open flame sources include matches, lighters, candles, fireplaces and gas stoves. Fires ignited by open flame sources can spread rapidly

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is deeply concerned about residential fires and small open flame fires responsible for so many deaths in young children. While standards set by this organization are mandated in building codes, they are not required by residential codes except in California. That is possibly about to change.

In October, 2003, the CPSC voted unanimously to expand its regulatory proceeding to develop a possible federal standard for upholstered furniture flammability performance. Ignitions of upholstered furniture account for more fire deaths than any other category of products. Reducing residential fires is a major goal at the Consumer Product Safety Commission. There is a heated debate going on now between furniture manufacturers and the Commission concerning cost vs. protection as well as toxicity issues we will discuss momentarily. But look for national standards in the near future.

It will be mandatory for designers to become intimately aware of flammability issues and all their ramifications as the public is made more aware of our responsibilities.

Toxicity: Far more frightening is the issue of toxicity. It is here that manufacturers balk the most in adding flame retardant chemicals to all fabrics. Carbon monoxide poisoning, resulting from a lack of oxygen is the most likely cause of death in a fire. Smoke and heat and toxins simply overcome victims before they can escape.

Modern buildings are full of materials which off-gas toxic materials when heated and/or burnt. Many of these chemicals are released from furnishings. Toxins from chemicals, fire retardants, dyes and even cellulosic fibers themselves produce carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Although carbon dioxide can cause suffocation, the dangerous material is carbon monoxide, which poisons the bloodstream in much the same way as cyanide.

And consider the effect of these chemical toxins when not burning. Many cause lethargy, runny noses, burning eyes, shallow breathing, itching skin, rashes and many other side effects for sensitive clients. Many of these toxins are in the chemicals we use to treat textiles and building materials and many have already been banned in Europe. Even the chemicals we feel are doing so much good such as fire retardant and antimicrobial chemicals are highly toxic. What is our obligation in this issue?

Sustainability: Not only are we polluting our projects unwittingly, but we are polluting our environ-ment in the growth, manufacture and transportation of textiles and building materials. That’s a far more serious charge from our future clients. Suffice it to say, that sustainable textiles and building ma-terials are the number one issue in manufacturing production today.

Consider this. What hurts us in many cases also hurts the environment. Beyond the release of toxins into the environment, there are other considerations with sustainability in textile production.

The production of wool, cotton and manmade fibers causes serious damage to the environment. From the excessive use of water and chemicals in their growth and production to the use of non re-newable resources in the production of non cellulosic fibers, the manufacturing of these products is destroying the environment. It is also important to remember that the production of textiles is one of the largest industries in the world.

Companies and professionals who do not recognize this issue as grave do so at their peril. But, we only use them, we say. We have no control over their production. How can we make a difference?

Becoming aware is the first step. Looking for alternative solutions is another. Recycling is a third. All are steps that will eventually lead to a safer and more sustainable future.

New and Emerging Textiles and Materials

To that end, let’s look briefly at some of the solutions we see emerging, not only from a sustainable but also technically superior standpoint. Imagine items of clothing that clean themselves, fabrics that change colors and glow in the dark, or an anti-bacterial bed sheet containing silver fibers. The future holds more of the same inventive gear, much of which builds on familiar materials. Creators and devel-opers are driven by the thrill of turning out something new that has both practical and aesthetic bene-fits and often is ecologically sound.

Currently textiles are being made from sustainable products such as soybeans, corn (developed by Cargill Dow) and crab and mussel shells (a Japanese product called Crabyon). Not only is crabyon biodegradable but it is made essentially from waste products.

An architectural fabric, GORE™ TENARA® offers new possibilities for both retractable and perma-nent structures.

Amicor Pure is genuinely anti-allergenic. Providing a healthy refreshing sleep system, it benefits asthma and allergy sufferers and it gives protection against fungal infections of the skin such as ex-zema by preventing odors and staining due to bacteria.

Silver is being used as an antimicrobial and moisture barrier in textiles such as 'Delcron Hydrotec'. Silver is safe for human contact and inhibits growth across a broad spectrum of microorganisms. It is also being used along with nickel and copper in Shieldex, a state-of-the-art shielding against noise. Alloy, a new panel fabric combines polyester crepe and aluminum rods heated to 1200 degrees F under pressure to produce a virtually indestructible material.

Wooly Carpet from C & A is wool felt tiles resembling men’s suiting and is 100% recyclable. Looolo Textiles is offering a biodegradable blanket.

And, what of other materials? Architectural Systems “Aqua Glass”, Veluna translucent cast glass, absorbs light during the day and glows for hours at night.

Can we learn to make smart, ecologically friendly materials? ASID National Conference Keynote speaker, Janine Benyus, author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired By Nature, was truly inspirational in her presentation. From creating adhesives that do not off gas like the mussel, surfaces that repel bacteria like the sea kelp, colorful walls without toxic pigments like the morpho butterfly to growing ceramics like oysters, developing cool buildings like the termite and stick-to-surfaces like the gecko, she spent over an hour and gave dozens of potential solutions that are currently being developed to our most pressing issues.

Can we learn to make smart, ecologically friendly materials? It is possible. We have only to change our thinking to look at the problems as challenges; and like the true creative professionals we are, find the solutions.

Joan Gaulden, FASID is co-founder of designerEsources. She also develops courses and teaches for education-works in Dallas Texas. The CEU, “Fibers, Fabric and the Whole Cloth” is being offered by education-works in 7 cities over the next 3 months. Click here to see where. If you are interested in holding the seminar in your area, contact Kathy Ford Montgomery at Kathy@education-works.com. Because of the extreme popularity of the Emerging Textiles part of the course, a new course on New and Emerging Materials will be completed in the late Fall of this year. Also watch for “Fibers, Fabric and the Whole Cloth” online soon at http://www.education-works.com.