Upholstery, Fabric, and Cleaning
Upholstery is the art of covering basic furniture frames with padding and a textile covering. There are a variety of materials that are used to cover the padding, but they all start with a basic wooden frame. The quality of the chair or couch depends entirely on how well the frame is built. Soft woods have a tendency to break at the joints and are most often found in low quality furniture. The best furniture is fashioned from hard woods such as oak, maple, pine, mahogany, alder and other woods with a tight grain. This allows them to be secured with joints, blocks and dowels that will last longer than nails, tacks and screws.
Once the frame is built springs have to be attached before any padding is added. The type of springs used determines how comfortable the couch, chair or ottoman will be. The most common springs are called standard springs. They are easy to install, but only flex in an up and down direction giving them a very firm and flat sitting experience. The best spring system uses eight way hand tied springs. These offer flex in every direction giving the person sitting a very custom formed and comfortable seat. The only disadvantage is that they have to be tied by hand which is time consuming and thus increases the cost of the furniture.
Other spring systems used are sinuous springs, which are shaped in a continuously repeating “s” shape and are attached piece by piece to the frame. Drop in springs are also used on the cheapest of furniture designs. Both of these types of springs are very cheap, easy to install, but don’t offer very much comfort. Once the spring set is installed it is time to pad the furniture.
There are many different types of padding that can be used in furniture upholstery. On the higher end down is used, most often with a dense foam core to provide consistent shape. Other fill materials are polyester, feathers, or buckwheat hulls. Down and feather fills have to be fluffed to retain their softness and prevent sagging, but they last much longer than high density foam and polyester padding. Buckwheat hulls are a good alternative to down if allergies are a problem.
After the padding is in place, a textile has to be chosen to cover it. Fabric is the most common covering because it is cheap, comes in many different colors, designs and weaves and can even be printed on. A tighter weave with a durable material such as cotton or hemp will last the longest, but sacrifices comfort. Loose weaves are comfortable but have a tendency to wear out unevenly. Leather is also commonly used to upholster couches, car seats and chairs. It last longer, ages well, actually getting more comfortable with age and cleaning is much easier than fabric. Leather can be tanned to produce many different colors and textures to match any interior décor. A reputable leather supplier is often the best place to find high quality leather and the trimmers who can wrap it around anything.
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