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Any sofa upholstery experts here?

Does what it says on the tin
Mike4
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Any sofa upholstery experts here?

#380699

Postby Mike4 » January 25th, 2021, 7:21 pm

I have a big old comfy-looking sofa, leather and damask, that sort of thing.

Trouble is, it actually isn't comfy at all to sit on, because the seat cushions are stuffed with what seems to be feathers. These are comfy for about 1 minute then all the stuffing migrates away from your butt and you find yourself sitting in a shapeless hole.

So basically, I need to re-stuff the cushions with something that works. A bit of googling just turns up suggestions to use foam and all the photos are always of tightly fitted seat cushions looking smart, tight and like they are fresh from DFS. So my question is, what are old comfy sofa cushions normally stuffed with? I'm pretty certain they are not foam but does anybody here know about this sort of thing and have any advice to offer please?

Much obliged....

GrahamPlatt
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Re: Any sofa upholstery experts here?

#380720

Postby GrahamPlatt » January 25th, 2021, 8:18 pm

Well, I found this... https://www.cushionsupplier.co.uk/repla ... -cushions/ if it’s any help.

88V8
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Re: Any sofa upholstery experts here?

#380755

Postby 88V8 » January 25th, 2021, 10:48 pm

We had a Chesterfield of c1860 reupholstered in tapestry, deep button. 1977 it was.
Foolishly we had not asked the price.
It was delivered, looking magnificent, along with a bill for £550. A horrifying bill, near half a year's mortgage. I remember the sinking feeling to this day.

We kept that Chesterfield until 2012 when we had to sell it pre-house move. It still looked exactly as the day it arrived 45 years previous.
The cushions were done with foam.

I always felt one sat on it rather than in it, certainly no sinking feeling.

Not all foam is equal.

V8

GrahamPlatt
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Re: Any sofa upholstery experts here?

#380814

Postby GrahamPlatt » January 26th, 2021, 8:50 am

I’ve just plucked at what I thought was a loose thread on our leather sofa... and pulled out a feather! Really surprised me, as I’d thought it would have been foam-filled.

bungeejumper
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Re: Any sofa upholstery experts here?

#380957

Postby bungeejumper » January 26th, 2021, 3:48 pm

There are different grades of foam available, but the firmer ones won't be comfortable around your nether regions and the squishier ones won't be firm enough to support you. The trick my wife used was to combine the two, by taking a firm one and wrapping it in a sandwich of thinner, softer stuff. (Oi, no giggling at the back there. :lol: ) It did the job nicely, though, and 25 years later the sofa is still really good.

It might be worth asking a specialist foam supplier - they stock dozens of grades in various thicknesses, and they won't think it's a silly question, honestly. Upholstery foam might not be as cheap as you expect, but heck, it's worth it.

BJ

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Re: Any sofa upholstery experts here?

#381468

Postby DrFfybes » January 28th, 2021, 11:03 am

bungeejumper wrote:There are different grades of foam available, but the firmer ones won't be comfortable around your nether regions and the squishier ones won't be firm enough to support you. The trick my wife used was to combine the two, by taking a firm one and wrapping it in a sandwich of thinner, softer stuff. (Oi, no giggling at the back there. :lol: ) It did the job nicely, though, and 25 years later the sofa is still really good.

BJ


Once lockdown lifts any chance she can get to Shrewsbury and sort out my saggy seat?

The sofa is 20 years old.

Paul

bungeejumper
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Re: Any sofa upholstery experts here?

#381481

Postby bungeejumper » January 28th, 2021, 11:29 am

DrFfybes wrote:Once lockdown lifts any chance she can get to Shrewsbury and sort out my saggy seat?

Your saggy seat is a strictly private matter, for discussion between you and your wife. What to do about it? Well, if you share my view that an ab crunch is a kind of biscuit, or that squats are something you might go to the doctor with, then we're both in trouble. ;)

Long, long ago, there used to be something called Pirelli webbing which was excellent for putting the spring back into a soggy bottom. And whaddaya know, it's still out there. Brilliant stuff.

BJ

Mike4
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Re: Any sofa upholstery experts here?

#381502

Postby Mike4 » January 28th, 2021, 12:08 pm

bungeejumper wrote:There are different grades of foam available, but the firmer ones won't be comfortable around your nether regions and the squishier ones won't be firm enough to support you. The trick my wife used was to combine the two, by taking a firm one and wrapping it in a sandwich of thinner, softer stuff. (Oi, no giggling at the back there. :lol: ) It did the job nicely, though, and 25 years later the sofa is still really good.

It might be worth asking a specialist foam supplier - they stock dozens of grades in various thicknesses, and they won't think it's a silly question, honestly. Upholstery foam might not be as cheap as you expect, but heck, it's worth it.

BJ


Thanks, yes this had crossed my mind already. And yes I am fully aware of the nosebleed price of foam once you start getting picky about it so I'm quite keen to get it right first time! Also, all the foam shops seem to be closed due to COVID.

I'm leaning towards paying a professional upholsterer to do it, provided I can find one I think understands what I want. I.E. not a tightly stuffed solid bouncy seat cushion!

GrahamPlatt
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Re: Any sofa upholstery experts here?

#381507

Postby GrahamPlatt » January 28th, 2021, 12:19 pm

I once, oh some thirty years ago, had need of a quantity of foam. I found a local (to me, then) supplier with the rather wonderful name of Sherlock Foams. It’s still there I see: http://www.sherlockfoams.co.uk/


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