How long will the topical treatment last?

GORE™ Seating Protection provides a durable topical treatment. All surface treatments may eventually appear to lose some effectiveness. If dirt and surfactants (soap residue) are left on the textile, the topical chemistry is intact but is masked. Cleaning with a water flush is the best way to maintain the life of the fabric and the topical treatment. An actual timeframe will depend on the use and the care and cleaning.

Will the product delaminate in field use?

Lifecycle testing has been conducted to determine the optimal bond strength necessary between the fabric and the GORE™ moisture barrier to achieve durability and a soft hand. There has been no sign of the fabric pulling away from the membrane after durability testing to simulate wear of five to 10 years. Refer to the Superior Abrasion Resistance section of the GORE™ Seating Protection "Information and Product Demonstration CD" for a visual representation of one such lifecycle test.

There appears to be an occasional marking or discoloring of the white membrane on the back of GORE™ Seating Protection. Is this normal?

Yes. Pressure may compress the micro pores on the surface of the membrane, causing the area to reflect light differently. A mark will usually manifest as a darkened area. This compression of the pores will not affect the performance of the membrane. Once a product is upholstered, these marks are not visible.

Can GORE™ Seating Protection be extraction cleaned?

Yes. Extraction cleaning, where a soap solution is sprayed into the stained fabric and suctioned out, is a very effective method for cleaning fabric with GORE™ Seating Protection. However, we do not recommend extraction cleaning that uses steam or extremely high water temperatures. Please refer to the "Recommended Care and Cleaning Guidelines for Fabrics with GORE™ Seating Protection."

Some polyurethane coatings have been known to become gummy due to the heat generated by various cutting technologies in manufacturing processes. Is this a problem for GORE™ Seating Protection?

No. The membrane is very thermally stable and the heat generated by the cutting blades will not affect it. The ePTFE membrane does not melt but rather chars at extremely high temperatures (500° F).

What happens to the moisture barrier at the seams?

Moisture barrier performance cannot be guaranteed where there are seams, much like in vinyl products today. Recommend appropriate seating designs which minimize seams where continuous moisture barrier performance is critical to the customer.

Are there different levels of initial repellency in soil resistant products?

Repellency is measured by placing a drop of alcohol/water mixture on the surface of the treated fabric. After 5 minutes, a grading is taken as to how well the liquid beads on the surface (AATCC method 118). GORE™ Seating Protection has received excellent results with this methodology. Some topical treatment suppliers use a splash test to demonstrate their initial repellency. This involves dropping the water or liquid from a height and measuring the runoff. Certain products will do well in the splash test, making for an impressive demonstration. Often, however, these products do not clean well over the long run. Once stains penetrate that splash barrier, they are trapped and do not release easily, resulting in lower long term cleanability ratings. GORE™ Seating Protection was not designed to perform to the splash test, but was instead designed for optimal stain release and ease of cleanability.

Does the product emit VOCs or contain any formaldehyde?

No. The technology applied to the textiles does not.

What type of chemistry is used in the soil and stain protection? Is the product “green?”

While the soil and stain protection is a proprietary chemical technology, it meets GREENGUARD emission levels and is listed as a low emitting product in the GREENGUARD Product Guide™.

GORE™ Seating Protection is perceived to be a higher price than other products. How do I respond to that?

GORE™ Seating Protection provides superior performance and is available on virtually any textiles with only a 5 yard minimum. This is an incredible value to most specifiers. While markups vary, the end user pays on average only $1-$3 per yard more for GORE™ Seating Protection when compared to the lesser performing, most common polyurethane-coated products. GORE™ Seating Protection can be specified on a wide range of products to meet broad cost targets. GORE™ Seating Protection can extend the life of your furniture investment. (Refer to the GORE™ Seating Protection Return on Investment worksheet for more details.)

What type of shade shift can we expect?

Every finish will affect a fabric to some degree depending on the construction and fiber content. Some can not be perceived by the human eye. The superior topical treatment for GORE™ Seating Protection shows no to little change and is similar to the change seen when a Teflon® finish is applied to a fabric. During our fabric qualification process, shade is evaluated to ensure the aesthetics are maintained.

Will the treatment cause any shrinkage?

Working loss is estimated to be less than 18 inches on small yardage orders and not more than 1 percent on rolls over 35 yards.

Will the finishing process affect bow & skew?

It will neither improve nor diminish bow & skew from the condition in which it was received. The product is inspected prior to shipment to ensure that industry standards are maintained.

How does ordering GORE™ Seating Protection affect my lead times?

For initial approvals, test results are available in 72 hours (large quantities may require additional qualifying time). For processing, add one week to standard lead times.