Page 67 - OHS, June 2020

coating can start to separate. You should be able to see that and know the suit needs to be replaced. You may notice the coating flaking or peeling off the fabric. This can be a bigger problem on a breathable rain suit than a non-breathable one. Remember, a breathable coating is passing moisture through it from the warm side to the cooler side.
But what happens if that fabric is soaking in water to clean off some dirt? When it is soaking, the environment is the same on both sides of the fabric, so the coating cannot pass moisture from one side to the other and it absorbs the water and begins to swell. If the coat- ing swells enough, that will cause it to separate from the fabric itself. This means that breathable products are not going to have a long life if they must be laundered or soaked with much frequency. It is important to consider the application before you purchase any suit.
Condition. This being said, if a suit is in good shape, most fail- ures will be very minor and will not allow much water to seep in. If you are getting very wet, it is most likely from the perspiration that your body emits or condensation collecting on the interior of the suit. If this is an issue you have experienced many times in the past, there are options available for you.
Many manufacturers offer products with an outer shell fabric that is waterproof with a coating on the inside and another layer of mesh or taffeta to line the suit and sit against your skin. This creates a buffer and allows for more airflow so that you do not feel the moisture inside the suit as much. Some manufacturers go a
step further and offer removable liners that can be zipped in and out to add additional flexibility and comfort depending on the season or environment.
Another factor to keep in mind for products that have the coat- ing on the inside is a treatment on the exterior of the fabric called DWR, or Durable Water Repellency. This is not what makes the suit waterproof, but it does help moisture to run off and not ab- sorb into the fabric. Durable Water Repellency is a treatment that is normally applied when the fabric is made but will wear off over time with use and laundering. Purchasing a DWR spray or wash treatment can help to restore some of the properties and make the exterior of the fabric more water and stain repellant.
Unfortunately, there is no perfect rain suit; many are designed for specific climates or applications, and at a wide array of price points. If it is hot enough, it may not even be worth wearing one at all. But like everything else, if you do your research and choose a quality manufacturer you should be able to find a rain suit to fit your needs that will last you a long time.
Brian Nutt is the Product Director for Protective Clothing at Tingley Rubber Corporation, a leading provider of quality, protective clothing, and footwear products since 1896. Brian has over 20 years’ experience in designing and marketing the protective clothing line at Tingley, he has also authored numerous white papers on High Visibility and Flame-Resistant Rainwear Products.
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