WHAT EXACTLY IS SATURA YARN? Satura™ is Unifi’s family of solution dyed yarns, produced in a wide array of saturated colors. Perfect for a variety of end-uses, Satura has superior color consistency, light fastness characteristics and is bleach cleanable. The color process used to create Satura saves several gallons of water per pound of yarn produced, making it environmentally friendly.

 WHAT IS AN OTTOMAN WEAVE AND HOW DOES IT IMPROVE THE FABRIC DURABILITY? An Ottoman weave is a combination of Plain weave and basket weave to give WeatherMax the best combination of durability and stability. It gives a firm feel and a very subtle ribbed texture, refined to the eye and luxurious to the hand.

WHY DO YOU HAVE A WEATHERMAX 80 AND A WEATHERMAX 65? The number after WeatherMax indicates the weight. For example 80 is 8.0 oz/sqyd and 65 is 6.5 oz/sqyd. The reason for both weights is to provide our customers the best product for their application. Typically, WeatherMax 80 would be used in application where strength and durability are the main concern (Marine, Awning) and WeatherMax 65 would be used where protection from the environment is the main concern (Covers, cushions, Umbrellas). (We use 80 in all of our products)

 WHAT DOES SOLUTION DYED YARN MEAN AND HOW DOES IT MAKE AN OUTDOOR FABRIC BETTER? A solution dyed yarn is a yarn where the color has been added into the polymer before it is extruded into a yarn form. Because the color is part of the polymer, the fade resistance of a solution dyed yarn is superior to the fade resistance of the package dyed yarn and a piece dyed fabric. The solution dyed polymers in WeatherMax have been especially chosen for their ability to resist fading and retain fabric strength.

WHAT IS THE HYDROMAX FINISH? The HydroMax finish is a highly water repellent finish that gives WeatherMax the ability to protect against heavy rain while keeping its breatheability and dimensional stability. An anti-microbial component is added to the finish to prevent mildew growth on top of the fabric. In fact, the HydroMax finish is so good, we don’t have to add coating to one side, which provides many positive benefits, such as breatheability, resistance to mildew and it is cooler.

WHY DOESN'T WEATHERMAX HAVE A BACK COATING? WeatherMax does not have a coating to allow the fabric to breathe, so heat and water vapor can evacuate and also to prevent mildew growth.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT IS GUARANTEED TO 1500 HOURS UV? HOW LONG WILL THIS LAST? WeatherMax 80 comes with a limited warranty of 5 years (1500 hours). WeatherMax 65 comes with a limited warranty of 3 years (1000 hours).

HOW DO YOU TEST TO 1500 HOURS? The fabric is exposed to UV rays for 1500 hours and the resulting color is compared to the initial color and rated.

WHAT IS THE COLOR RATING AFTER 1500 HOURS AND HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO ACRYLIC? After 1500 hours, on a scale from 1 to 5, the color rating is 4.5, the same as Acrylic.

 IS WEATHERMAX AVAILABLE IN A FIRE RESISTANT STATE? WeatherMax FR passes the Horizontal Flame Test FMVSS 302 (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 302). We are currently developing a finish on, WeatherMax to pass Vertical Flame Test such as CPAI-84 and NFPA 701.

HOW DOES THE STRENGTH OF WEATHERMAX COMPARE TO ACRYLIC OVER TIME? WeatherMax has been tested in the South Florida Everglades with a year round constant exposure with maximum UV exposure, and the color has resisted as well as acrylic fabrics on color retention and strength retention.

CAN YOU CLEAN WEATHERMAX WITH BLEACH OR WILL IT HURT THE COLOR OR DWR TREATMENT? You can clean WeatherMax with a solution of 50% Bleach and 50% Water and it will not hurt the color or the DWR finish.

WHY IS FABRIC BREATHEABILITY IMPORTANT? DO ANY COATED FABRICS, INCLUDING SURLAST, BREATHE? Fabric breatheability is important because it allows water vapor to go through, preventing mildew growth and heat build up. By definition, coated fabrics do not breathe because of the coated layer put on the fabric.

DOES WEATHERMAX SAG LIKE ACRYLIC? WHY? Because WeatherMax is made with filament yarns, it is elastic and recovers completely after stress to the fabric is removed. On the other hand, fabrics made of spun yarns such as acrylics, have little elasticity and will stretch under stress but will not recover completely, therefore producing the unsightly effect of sagging.

WHY DOESN'T WEATHERMAX CRACK LIKE COATED FABRICS? HOW DO YOU CHECK FOR CRACK RESISTANCE? We measure WeatherMax cracking resistance by folding the fabric on itself and putting it in a deep freezer at -45°F for 5 days. It is then removed, unfolded and inspected for any cracks or breakdown at the fold. After this difficult test, some coated fabrics will show some cracks and discoloration of the coating whereas WeatherMax remains unchanged. Some coating materials are degraded by saltwater.

 HAVE YOU TESTED AGAINST WEATHERMAX IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT FOR COLOR FADE COMPARISON? WHERE? HOW LONG? WeatherMax has been tested in the South Florida Everglades with a year round constant exposure and the color has resisted as well as acrylic fabrics.

 CAN YOU PRINT ON WEATHERMAX? WeatherMax lends itself to most printing techniques like screen printing and heat transfer printing.

WHAT IS DWR? HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? DWR stands for Durable Water Repellent. The exclusive HydroMax finish applied to the fabric is very durable, even after 5 laundry cycles and sun exposure.

WHAT IS THE HYDROSTAT TEST? The Hydrostat test measures the maximum water pressure a fabric can hold before it starts leaking. For example, a fabric with a 39 Hydrostat, like most acrylics, will hold 39 cm (15 Inches) of water. On the other a fabric with 65 Hydrostat like WeatherMax will hold 65 cm (25 Inches) of water.