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THE WORLD OF RATTAN AND WICKER
Rattan is a vine that grows to lengths
of up to 500 feet in the mountain regions of the Philippines and
Southeast Asia, where the rainfall averages 80 inches annually.
It is the trunk of a climbing palm that is very long and thin, like
a vine and rarely grows thicker than 2 inches in diameter. It is not
hollow, but is filled with fibers running lengthwise, which make it
very strong. It is pliable and easily bent and curved to form
the many shapes of rattan furniture.
Rattan is usually harvested when the
vines are between 7-15 years old, where the vines are pruned away
from the plant by hand, allowing it to continue growing. The
vines are cut into 15-20 ft lengths, stripped of thorns, and washed,
dried, and bundled, where they are transported to furniture
factories
Wicker is not a material, but rather an
overall classification of furniture woven from one of a variety of
materials. Many people think of wicker and rattan as the same
thing, but the wicker family can be willow, rattan, cane, reed and
any other pliable material. Wicker furnishings are made of
weaving coarse fibers loosely together around a frame, a process
dating back to early Egypt.
Cane usually refers to the outer peel of
rattan. After this skin is peeled off the vine, it is
fashioned into strips which are woven into
seats or decorative accents.
Bamboo, which is technically a giant
cane grass, grows naturally in the warm regions of temperate
climates. These bushy plants commonly grow to over 100 feet,
and there are approximately 500-1000 varieties of bamboo.
Bamboo grows between 2 to 3 inches a day and can be harvested every
four years. It is easily identified by its nodular growth and hollow
stem. Similar to rattan, bamboo is much stronger, having a
tensile strength greater than concrete and bricks, and almost as
strong as steel. Often bamboo is used in furniture and
although bamboo poles will split, these splits do not affect the
structural integrity of the furniture.
Sea grass is wrapped and twisted around
wire into ropes and is used in making furniture.
Caring for Wicker- Wicker is easy to
clean; the best method being to dust regularly with a soft cloth, a
soft brush, or vacuuming the piece with the brush attachment of a
vacuum cleaner. A soft bristled toot brush is ideal for those
hard to get places.
To maintain your wicker furniture, periodically
wipe it down with a soft damp cloth followed by a light application
of a good furniture polish for sheen and protection. If your
wicker has become badly soiled, use water and a mild soap solution.
Rinse and dry the frames. Bring wicker indoors or cover when
not in use.
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Why use VIRO™?
PRODUCT WISE
• Environmentally-friendly (non-toxic & recyclable
). VIRO does not contain PVC, it is 100% HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene).
• Highly customizable (wide range of profiles, colors,
textures, surface effects). At the moment we have over than 5.000 unique items. We can color
match based on Pantone or RAL color book.
• Three years warranty
• Easy maintenance
• Leader in the industry, used by top brands in Europe &
USA.
• Specially designed and engineered for outdoor use, UV
stabilized HDPE. We perform several tests to ensure our product's durability, such as
accelerating weathering test in Q Lab, Arizona - where our products are exposed to direct sunlight.
Every 1 year of testing is equivalent to 5 years normal exposure to real sunlight.
• Different grades available;
- Permanent Fire Retardant ( FR
)grade that passes International Maritime Organization
(IMO)standards IMO A652 (16)
- Anti Odor grade. By law we are not
permitted to claim antimicrobial without FDA approval. However we use the same additives
that is used for antimicrobial products, such as hand cleaners.
- Permanent Anti Static / Anti Dust
grade.
- Anti Chlorine grade, for specific
high chlorine exposure application.
CUSTOMER WISE
Being the largest in the industry, we provide
CERTAINTY to our customers;
• CERTAINTY in QUALITY - We are an ISO 9001 company,
running SAP software as our ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning ). We also use high
quality materials for our basic ingredients. For that reason, recently VIRO has been inducted into
the prestigious Material ConneXion library.
Unlike natural rattan and ordinary plastic cords VIRO® has
unique attributes and
performance such as::
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- UV
and weather resistance - Non toxic and
environmental friendly
- The texture has a natural
look and feel |
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Strong and durable to extremely
high and low temperature |
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- 100%
recyclable
- Washable - Maintenance free
- Pest and fungus free |
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VIRO™ Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
Is VIRO™ suitable for year-round outdoor use?
A: Yes. VIRO™ is designed to be insensitive to
temperature differences ranging from -70° to 80° C.
Q:
Won’t the color of VIRO™ fade?
A: No. VIRO™ fiber won’t fade, even if it’s exposed to
extreme weather conditions during summer and winter.
Q:
Is VIRO™ safe for the environment?
A: Yes. VIRO™ fiber is made from polyethylene, which is
non-toxic (even when burned, no toxic substances are
generated) and 100% recyclable.
Q:
What about rain, salt water and chlorine?
A: VIRO™ is resistant to all of them, so it’s safe to be
used at the beach and by the pool- even suntan lotions
and creams aren’t a problem!
Q:
Does VIRO™ require special cleaning and maintenance?
A: No special maintenance is required. Simply clean
using a wet cloth. An occasional cleaning using soap or
a mild detergent is also recommended.
Q:
Is VIRO™ capable of creating different fiber colors and
sizes?
A: Yes. Almost any size and color specification can be
manufactured by us. |
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