Bematech — Blog — How to choose the right fabric for roller blinds?

How to choose the right fabric for roller blinds?

13. 06. 2023 Blog

When we think about designing our interior, we don't want to overlook an important element, which is shading. The market offers countless options, and sometimes it's not so easy to choose the right one. Do you enjoy natural light in your home but don't want to give up privacy? Or do you need complete darkness in the bedroom for a restful sleep? And what about color options that would perfectly match your interior? In today's article, we will look at different types of fabrics you can use for fabric roller blinds.

Choosing the right fabric for your shading can significantly impact the appearance and functionality of the product and the entire interior. When deciding which fabric to choose for fabric roller blinds, it is important to first consider what properties we expect from the shading and where it will be placed in the interior. For example, the fabric you choose for the bedroom, where complete blackout is desired, will be different from the one you choose for the dining room or living room, where you want enough privacy, shading, but also a connection with the surrounding environment. Shading choices for some rooms will be subject to specific requirements that may not be relevant in other rooms. For example, bathrooms typically have a lot of heat and moisture, so the fabric used there must be moisture and mold resistant. For most other rooms in your home, these issues don't need to be addressed. Therefore, not every fabric is suitable for every room, even if the "key" requirement for shading (e.g., privacy) is the same.

Let's first introduce the basic types of fabrics from which you can choose - these are transparent, translucent, and blackout fabrics. As their names suggest, this classification is based on the fabric's ability to transmit light - light transmittance. The greater the percentage of light the fabric allows into the room, the higher the transmittance value, also known as the open factor, and the less shading and privacy it provides. If you are looking for shading that serves more of an aesthetic or lightly shading function, choose fabrics with a transmittance of 20% or more. If you need shading for darkening the room, choose fabrics with a transmittance of 0% to 20%.

Other important values we encounter with fabrics include:

Fabric weight - indicates the weight of the fabric in g/m².
Absorption - indicates the percentage of light absorbed by the fabric. The solar energy absorbed by the fabric is usually converted into heat.
Reflection - indicates the percentage of light reflected by the fabric. The more radiation is reflected by the fabric, the less remains in the space.

TRANSPARENT FABRICS: Connection with nature and light comfort

Transparent fabrics are a great choice for those who want to bring natural light into their rooms. These fabrics allow light to enter freely, adding lightness and airiness to your space. This solution is ideal for living rooms, offices, and places where you want to maintain a connection with the outdoor environment.

TRANSLUCENT FABRICS: Gentle shading with a view

Translucent fabrics combine aesthetics with functionality. They provide mild shading while allowing a view of the surrounding landscape. This type of fabric is ideal for children's rooms and dining rooms, where you want to maintain privacy without losing contact with the outside world.

BLACKOUT FABRICS: Absolute privacy and light control

For those who value privacy and complete control over interior light, blackout fabrics are the perfect solution. These fabrics block light, ensuring the darkness needed for a good night's sleep or a home theater. They are ideal for bedrooms or any space where you need to create absolute darkness. Installing shading with blackout fabric is an excellent defense against the intrusion of daylight and light pollution into the room. The material used in blackout fabrics is specially designed to repel light, allowing you to enjoy uninterrupted sleep.

What is the difference between dimout and blackout babrics?

Dimout fabrics have a light transmission rate between 1% and 15%. These fabrics do not allow visibility into the interior even when the light is on, and they block almost all light or allow only a minimal amount to pass through. Blackout fabrics, or complete blackout fabrics, have a light transmission rate of 0%, which means they do not let any light through and provide 100% darkness.

These properties make dimout fabrics valuable even in the summer months, as they help keep the room cool and save on cooling costs. For even better protection against room heating, dimout fabrics with a white exterior side are an ideal choice. White colour is highly reflective, meaning that when sunlight, and the heat it brings, hit the fabric, they are reflected back. Regardless of the color of the interior side of the fabric, a fabric with a white backing will effectively reflect heat, allowing you to maximize the benefits of shading.

Additional fabric properties

Besides the various types of fabrics, it is also important to consider additional properties that can help maintain greater safety and comfort in your interior.

Fire resistance: Safety is our priority, which is why we offer fabrics that are fire-resistant, a feature particularly appreciated by parents of young children.

Noise reduction: Some fabrics also allow for effective noise reduction, which is ideal for noisy urban environments or spacious rooms with high ceilings. These properties are usually found in blackout fabrics, which are thicker, densely woven, and have a higher weight. These acoustic fabrics act as barriers, absorbing sound and preventing it from reflecting within the room and creating echoes.

Antimicrobial properties: Fabrics with antimicrobial surface treatment provide a higher level of product protection by continuously preventing the growth of microbes on the surface for a very long time. They typically use silver or zinc as the active ingredient. Zinc provides excellent protection against the presence of fungi, such as molds, mildew, rust, and yeasts. Antimicrobial and antifungal fabrics can be used in areas prone to moisture, such as outdoor spaces, pools, bathrooms, or kitchens.

BEMATECH Fabric Collection 2023/2024

Have you decided which type of fabric would best suit your needs?
Take a look at our overview of fabric collections for interior shading and feel free to contact our specialists, who will be happy to assist you with your selection.

MASTER COLLECTION

The Master collection is a fundamental and comprehensive collection of fabrics for roller blinds. It includes the Natural, Uni, Block, Transparent & Twintex, Screen, and Fusion collections. This collection features fabrics of all types, patterns, and colors - from timeless, earthy, and elegant uni shades that evoke calm and connection with nature, to diverse patterns and colors that transport you to distant lands. With the help of designers, a selection of top fabrics has been curated from this extensive collection, labeled as S2.

FUSION COLLECTION

The new Fusion fabric collection - a premium print fabric collection for roller blinds that perfectly combines innovation, style, and quality. With three different types of fabrics - transparent, translucent, and blackout - and six unique print patterns in various color combinations, Fusion is an excellent choice for anyone who demands perfection when decorating their home.

TIP: Our fabric collection for curtains and Roman blinds has also been updated with beautiful new fabrics reflecting the latest trends of 2024. Don't hesitate to contact our specialists for more information.

S2 COLLECTION

The S2 collection is a selection of top fabrics chosen in collaboration with designers from the entire MASTER catalog. This collection includes most types of fabrics in trendy and timeless shades.

ZOOMTECH® COLLECTION - Exclusive selection of fabrics for large-format roller blinds

The ZOOMTECH® fabric collection is characterized by elegance and minimalism. It includes approximately 150 fabrics categorized by their properties into translucent, transparent, and fully blackout. The fabrics have been carefully selected and tested for large-format roller blinds ZOOMTECH®. All fabrics are produced in a minimum width of 3 meters, allowing us to create wide roller blinds from a single piece of fabric (without seams). The fabrics are printed on one side, but upon request, double-sided printing is also available. Most of the fabrics feature fire-resistant properties.

Still unsure which fabric to choose for your roller blinds, curtains, drapes, Twintex blinds, Roman shades, or other types of shading, or not sure where to inquire about shading solutions? Whether you are looking for aesthetics, functionality, or both, Bematech has the solution for you.

CONTACT our specialists, who will be happy to assist you.