Down & Feather Information | serradesign-online

DOWN AND FEATHER BASIC KNOWLEDGE

This is where we excel. Custom Upholstered Furniture Designer

Custom Upholstery Manufacturer

ALL Custom Upholstered Furniture Designer (s) or Custom Upholstery Manufacturer (s) do not provide their own in house cushioning. This separated us from the others. Our knowledge of down and feathers blending is broad and comprehensive. The results is a product that is very luxurious to sit upon. Serra Design Inc. regards this part of the business with great devotion. We want your seating experience to be something you love to sit on. We feel that most of this comfort is the result of the down and feather blending and filling. We will only provide the finest California State allowed product available for this purpose.

Fill Blend: All fill blends are designated with the down content first. When ordering 25/75 fill, the first number 25 indicate the percent of Down content and the second number 75 represents the percentage of feather content. By the very physical nature of its biology, higher down content products, especially in seating usually require attention "fluffing" by the user given everyday use. We recommend using a 25/75 over a HR-23 Polyurethane foam core seat cushion, with a 50/50 solid back cushion configuration as being the basic seating arrangement. This seems to satisfy most "average" individuals. The higher the down contents the more expensive and more luxurious the finished product.

Duck vs. Goose? While we can provide both, your choice depends on the application: Duck, being generally a smaller bird produces smaller down clusters and smaller feathers. The blends produced from duck are a cost-effective choice for applications like furniture, throw pillows and other uses where insulation is not a big factor. Goose down and feathers are usually larger than those similarly raised ducks. The larger clusters of down produced by these geese make for a higher insulation factor. To that end, goose blends are usually the choice for clothing and bedding.

White vs. Grey? We feel there is no qualitative difference. Like white eggs or brown eggs, here it is a matter of preference. Both are available. The choice depends on the application. The only obvious advantage of white is that it can be used with lighter, sheerer fabrics without showing through. Expensive for sure, but nowhere in the neighborhood of Elder down, a special blend from the Elder duck starting at about $500/lb. Yes, that is not a typo that is $500.00 per pound! It's complex properties provide extreme warmth with little weight.

Fill Power: This is the new buzzword we see in the retail down garment, bed pillow and comforter industry. The importance of fill power relates to the amount of "insulated air" the down and feather capture. Measuring the number of cubic inches one ounce of a given quality of down and feather will occupy will give us the quality of that down. The higher the fill power the softer, warmer, and as a rule the more expensive the down and feather. For instance a 700 fill power down will "trap" 700 cubic inches of air and a 550 power down fill will "trap" 550 cubic inches of air. For practical purposes, to achieve the same softness and warmth of a 700 power fill with 550 power fill material, will require considerable more quantity of the lesser power fill, resulting in a heavier end product.

Cleanliness: A very important topic is cleanliness. Raw down and feather is composed of organic matter, it contains blood, skin, vegetable and other inorganic matters. The matter is removed by a series of high-tech washings and rinsing. If not properly cleansed the end product, when exposed to changes in temperature and climate, or moderate levels of moisture can develop a rude odor. Even the best quality down and feather bed pillow when continuously exposed to sea air will eventually take on a musty smell.

Feather Size: The size and shape of a feather are directly related to its value. A small curly feather with no quill will provide resilience and longevity. Larger feathers more than 2 inches that are flat or quill provide little resilience and are more prone crumbling and breaking. These larger feathers also quicken the indication of its quality. The more cubic inches one ounce occupies the better deterioration of any surrounding down clusters.

European vs. Asian Down: Again both are available. What we have discovered over the years is that each of these has there own fine qualities. European down from the northern countries has a large plume and has excellent fill power and is preferred by many. While European is more expensive than it's Asian counterpart, Asian down is valued for it's high insulation factor.