Sofa

Reply to: Actually mid to highend upholstery manufacturers on the east coast ie: NC Miss. Ohio etc. will use poplar lumber or plywood or a combination of both. Almost never will you see oak or ash inside a upholstery frame, unless its exposed. On the west coast they will use Alder instead of poplar. How well your upholstery furniture will last is more based on design of all the elements: frames, springs, padding, fabric and skills used in assembling. A poorly designed sofa will never last or sit well no matter who makes it. A well designed sofa with sinous (no-sag) wire springs will sit more comfortable and last longer than most 8-way hand tied coil springs. An 8-way hand tied sofa works best when it has a spring edge, which very few manufacturers offer spring edge on their sofas. Only the very high-end custom shops do.You will be lucky to find a salesperson in a furniture store that understands exactly how each manufacturer makes their furniture, let alone each individual style. I suggest when you find something you like, note the manufacturers style number, then call the manufacturer, ask them for this exact style, how is it constructed, is frame hardwood or plywood, they use springs or elastic webbing or?, The density of the foam in the arms and back (should be 1.8 or better). The standard cushions are they a HR foam or marshall unit ( springs) or if you can upgrade to a better cushion. Ulta-cell foam is a good choice, however a 2.0 density HR is much better. Most manufacturers outsource their seat & back cushions, but I doubt they will tell you which company. Back cushions should have atleast 2 separate channels for up to 18" height, 3 channels if taller. Conjugated fiber is most popular filling, next would be a blend of half feathers/down and half of the same type of fiber (blend-down).The higher the ratio of down to feathers will increase the price, comfort and usually last longer. But all will require fluffing. Leather cushions should breath very well if not then the life of the filling will be greatly reduced. I think one of your best resources for information on upholstery is your local reupholstery shop thats been in business for long time 10 years or more. Many furniture stores will have them do repairs instead of shipping back to the manufacturer, and which stores or manufacturers stand behind what they sale based on how they handle the repairs with them. Please dont buy furniture based solely on brand name and how it looks on the outside.

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Reply to: We have one of their couches at our lake house - phenomenal piece of furniture. Had held up to kids, wet bathing suits and two big furry dogs. Liked it so much I ordered a sectional for our home. Also very nice. I ordered the cushions the dealer recommended, but wish I had gotten firmer ones, like the couch. Bought that one off the floor, so didn’t have all the specs.

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Reply to: Fabric Wearability Code How to Tell if a Fabric is Strong Enough By Abe Abbas Furniture Expert Fabric Wearability Code is an intriguing name for standards developed by the government to provide a guideline to tell if a fabric is strong enough for your needs. You can find fabric wearability codes on manufacturersâ swatch samples shown in stores. Ask a salesperson to help if you cannot find the fabric wearability code on your own. Fabric strength is determined by how it rates on the double rub test, which is a back and forth motion that approximates the wear and tear that comes from someone sitting down or getting up from an upholstered seat. 3,000 double rubs equals one year's worth of use. HD or Heavy Duty If a fabric holds up to more than 15,000 double rubs it is classified as heavy duty. It will be stiffer and thicker than most fabrics, but fortunately there are some also some new blends in this rating. They can be supple and soft enough so that it is hard to tell. HD fabric would be a good choice for family room furniture. MD or Medium Duty Medium duty fabric can withstand 9,000 to 15,000 double rubs. Usually, the closer the fabric get to 15,000 the stiffer it is. Medium duty fabrics are versatile and can be used for many purposes, and in family rooms as well as living rooms. LD or Light Duty A fabric that can take anywhere between 3,000 to 9,000 double rubs, is classified as light duty fabric. These fabrics can withstand one to three years of regular use and are generally very delicate. They are suitable for pieces that get only occasional use, such as sofas that only get used when guests arrive, or an occasional chair that is used more for its looks than any functionality. DD or Delicate Duty Delicate duty fabrics with 3,000 double should only be used on furniture that is purely decorative, or in pillows. http://furniture.about.com/od/furnitureterms/a/Wearability.htm This post was edited by chijim on Wed, Oct 22, 14 at 11:30

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Reply to: As a 20-year dealer in Taylor King (now retired), I would encourage high-use pieces to be leather first of all (it will last 4x longer than any fabric), or rub counts above 30,000 if you want to stay with fabric, The issue with a sectional is you have a several pieces, and the primary wear area will be on one or two seating areas. Stay with the 18,000 fabric is you enjoy it, however buy additional yardage that you can store in your home, I would want at least 6 yards which is enough to recover two seat areas and repair an arm, that sort of thing.

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Reply to: Bostoned, I am wondering if you ended up buying the Taylor Made sofa. We purchased one about a year ago. The one we sat on in the showroom was comfortable in both firmness & cushion depth. However, after less than a year, it seems that the seat cushions have flattened in the center where the most weight is placed and the bottom of the back cushion has lost it’s loft, causing a difference in the seat depth. I rotate and flip all cushions regularly and fluff the back cushions but am experiencing back and neck soreness from lack of support in the cushions. I am contemplating replacing the cushions with high density foam. We paid for a fabric upgrade and are still pleased with that.

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Reply to: I am no upholsterer, but I know the basics and can execute them with skill. HOWEVER, I am able to identify "good lines" and quality construction in spite of a general appearance that can be pretty pathetic. I've pulled several great pieces of furniture off the side of the road! Your piece is about 80 yrs. old and the seat is "sagging badly"? sounds like a PERFECT candidate for "ripping down" and "reworking". But make sure you like the lines before you commit to the project. Call a few upholsterers and get prices; they can vary greatly. Generally though, an 80 yr. old piece that is still "sittable" probably has a great frame, and it's the frame that defines any upholstered piece of furniture. Here's what you need to understand about REupholstery: you are essentially paying to have someone remake your piece. To do it properly, everything must be stripped away, and the basic webbing supports must be replaced. After that, the springs must be resited and then stitched into place and then TIED to each other to maintain vertical and lateral stability. All that takes TIME. After that, the layers of padding and muslin must be applied and lastly, the decorative fabric is stretched into place. It's a step by step, layer by layer process. It takes time and you will pay for TIME and the fabric you select. I have had several pieces completely reupholstered over the years. I've NEVER regretted the decision and if you are thoughtful I doubt you will be! I love rehabbing old furniture... can you tell?

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Reply to: As a designer, this is a bugaboo topic. I for example, bought a sofa 18 years ago. I paid 1900.00 my cost, which would translate to much more for a retail client. I have slipcovered it three times, and it looks, and "sits" brand new. It is comfy and classic. I get totally frustrated in today's market, which includes a plethora of ready made sofas from the likes of major catalogue folks... claiming quality at 1900.00. NOT! It is simply impossible, as costs of labor, fabric, cushioning, springs etc have risen. What you are getting at that price is unfortunately not terribly comfy, and is mostly....junk. Manufacturers are lowering the quality to hit a price point. What comes out? The longevity of the cushions, the pitch, the springs which are unfortunately usually sinuous versus hand tied. Hand tied can mean many levels of quality as well. Spring down cushions vary greatly as well. The coil strength makes a huge difference in whether your cushioning will hold a crown, or pancake in two months. Most frustrating is the client with a ninety thousand dollar automobile, balking at a six or seven thousand dollar sofa. They will spend more time by far on the sofa, own it for a much longer time... but balk they do. Beyond that, is the fact that anything moderately priced will have a good looking life of no more than a few years. After that, it's looks and comfort are a downhill ride. Comfort is personal, but the only manufacturer who even mentions the word "pitch" is Baker. You will pay dearly for a Baker sofa, but you will likely be rewarded in comfort and style choice. Having said that.....even theirs are not the sofas of twenty years ago. For all the same reasons mentioned above. Truth is, a to-die--for sofa is a very expensive proposition, so divide the price, by the number of nights you plan on sitting in front of the tv. And no... it isn't better to get the cheap one and just start over. Furniture comes in your home, and it tends to stay nearly forever.... nice if it is comfy and good looking while it is there.

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Reply to: wmsimon85 - If you're looking for a high quality sofa, contact Duane Collie at The Keeping room. https://keepingroom.com/ Or better yet, you can browse/join a forum he runs specifically regarding well constructed, quality furniture. http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/ If you email Duane or post to the forum with the type of sofa you're looking and your budget, he will for sure point you in the right direction. He guided me into buying a sofa made by Taylor King. It's part of their Taylor Made program (pick the arms, pick the cushions, etc.) I did not pick the lowest grade fabric and it came in well under $2000. (construction details: http://taylorking.com/made-to-last.asp) Duane is amazing and I will never buy furniture from anyone else. If you're not near his store, he will have fabric swatches mailed to you, etc. Top notch products and superior customer service. Good luck!

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