Ripstop fabric question

[mkelley]

Folks,

Bear with me -- this isn't a hammock question but I suspect you hammock experts will have the knowledge I need.

My wife and I are making curtains for our lanai here in Florida (to give us privacy around the pool) and I'm using Sunbrella upholstery fabric which seems to be fine. My only concern is where the grommets will go into them at the top. We get heavy winds (not to mention hurricanes, but when those come the curtains will be tied up) and I want to avoid tearing as much as possible. My thought was to use a strip of ripstop fabric sewn into the top curtain seam, and then the grommet will go through it as well as the doubled Sunbrella fabric.

Does anyone have any advice about what specific type of ripstop fabric I should use for this purpose? Or even if this is a good idea?

TIA for any possible help.

[Browny]

I am by no means experienced in this field, however, I do know that nylon and UV are a bad combination.

If you use ripstop, I would try to use polyester as it is a lot more UV stable.

Or maybe insert a heavy layer of canvas/fabric/plastic in a roll top hem type deal first the grommet?

[QChan]

Okay, I'm curious, why are nylon and uv bad together?

[oldgringo]

If you feel like you need to reinforce that area, add more Sunbrella.

You might want to take a tip from the tarp makers, and use webbing loops instead of grommets. Experience has shown that grommets will tear out...they weaken the fabric, webbing reinforces it. If the curtains need to slide, put rings in the loops.

[Redoleary]

Okay, I'm curious, why are nylon and uv bad together?

UV degrades the strength and structural integrity of nylon over time. An item such as a nylon curtain, with constant exposure to the sun would prematurely fail, compared to say an all acrylic (I believe sunbrella is acrylic) or polyester fabric.

[Redoleary]

To answer the OP's question, I say +1 to Old Gringo's idea of more sunbrella, and or webbing tabs. If you're dead set on grommets, you could even put grommets in the webbing and if they pulled out you could just sew on a new tab w/o damaging your curtain.

[Ramblinrev]

The major issue you face is the age old one faced by banner hangers the world over. Cut some slits in the panel to allow the wind to pass through. That way the billow factor of the panel is reduced. The privacy is not compromised and the panel does not act like a sail.


Sunbrella is a fantastic fabric made of this kind of application. I see no reason to introduce a weaker, more unstable fabric (ripstop) into the construction. However, avoid metal grommets like the plague. They slice and dice every thread they come in contact with. You would be better off channeling the top and bottom and using something like amsteel to string the panels between the supports. The slits and channels would give you a solid construction base with the durability of the materials uncompromised.

[mkelley]

I also asked this question on a site that actually makes lanai and boat curtains of this sort, and they suggested today I use polypro webbing in a Sunbrella seam.

I do appreciate all the comments here and I understand about the slits -- our tennis court windscreens have those as well (as do the panels at the Disney hotel I used to work at) but I'm not really worried about tearing during the "normal" winds (when the panels will be closed) as much as I worry about the curtains blowing away during the hurricanes we sometimes have (when the curtains will be shut). So slits aren't going to be an answer (although I may still add them if the normal winds worry and/or blow the panels around too much).

However -- when old Gringo talks about webbing loops, are you talking about the polypro webbing? And then just sewing that as a loop to the Sunbrella? What would keep that seam (where it joins the Sunbrella) from tearing? IOW, if I either create a loop with or put a grommet in the webbing to use with a ring (it has to be a ring, because I have to be able to remove the curtain from the rod and there is no way the rod can be removed) and the wind blows why won't that just rip the webbing away from the Sunbrella? Or are we saying that it's okay if it does because I just sew it on again? Again, to state it differently (so I'm clear here) are you saying that if the seam gives way it won't tear the Sunbrella fabric? (Thinking about it that seems to make some sense, but I'm a real novice when it comes to sewing here).

The real problem with creating the webbing "tabs" or "loops" is it won't match the curtains (since the webbing doesn't come in any color that's even close) but I suspect I could live with that if you guys think this is the way to go (convincing my wife might be another matter entirely, but I'm sure you all understand how that is :>). I may have to do the grommets through the Sunbrella/webbing seam just to keep her happy.

[oldgringo]

Yes, polypro, or polyester webbing. Go to strapworksdot...for a good selection of colors.

Grommets concentrate stress (stress risers), and at the same time, weaken the fabric. Webbing does a better job of distrbuting stress, and reinforces the fabric. You can also make a vee with the webbing, distributing stress over a wider area. I can't predict how or where failure will occur, because there are too many variables. If you want to control that, build in a weak link.

[mkelley]

Okay, thanks, good info.

As I suspected, my wife is pretty adamant the webbing be hidden (even strapworks has nothing that comes close) but at least the polypro will give us a good chance of keeping the grommets in place. As you say, no way of knowing what will happen but we'll keep an eye on it and worst case scenario we'll revisit this by redoing the top (we'll have enough material in both top and bottom hems to undo and start again if need be).