Because you don't get your sofa restored every other day, you need to make sure you know whether you are making the right decisions. So we break down for you all the elements you need to take care of.
The Fabric
With a huge variety of yarns, weaves and finishes, you could find it overwhelming to decide which fabric is right for you. Do bear in mind that all fabrics fall under two broad categories-natural, like cottons, linens or silks, and artificial or man-made, like polyesters, satins, jacquards and velvets. While new techniques do allow blends of both, you can see the composition of fabric mentioned behind the swatch of fabric when you go through the catalogue. We always guide our clients with the correct information on what kind of fabrics would suit their requirements and taste. We have a video tutorial coming up to help you with reading and understanding the same.. Watch this space for the video next....
The Foam
When choosing foam for your sofa, make sure you know how hard or soft you want your sofa to be. There is a good variety of foam to pick from, ranging from super soft, medium hard, to hard and graduating to very hard. While the supersoft variety is extremely soft to sit on, the foam gets harder as its density increases, the softest being a 28 density foam, increasing to 32 and then 40. We usually study our clients’ requirements when we suggest which foam is appropriate for them to use, however you too should know that there’s a huge variety to choose from. We usually take samples to our clients and let them feel and see what suits them best.
The Filling
Want to know what decides the shape of your sofa? How rounded or how stiff the back and the arms would be? How soft or hard the cushioning would be? It all depends on the filling that you choose and it is mainly of two types-sheet polyfill and loose polyfill. While sheet polyfill is in the form of a sheet like its name suggests, loose polyfill is the same that we use for making fillers for your cushions and pillows. When you get your sofa remade, do bear in mind that the same old filling can be fluffed up and reused, so you don't need to spend on it every time you get your sofa done.
See you tomorrow with more such tips….!!
The Elastic/Springs
The base of your sofa set and the back, elastic provides the main support. Some old pieces still have metal springs laid, however new age furniture uses elastic in its place. When getting your sofa repaired, make sure you ask your service provider to tighten the elastics even if they look good to go. With regular usage, elastics tend to become loose, however they don't need to change every time. While some of our clients still prefer using the good old springs, we always make sure we begin working from the base and tighten any loose elastics as we work up the sofa.
The Frame
The basic structure of the sofa, the frame, is generally made up of a combination of wood, plywood and metal or anyone or two of these. Framing is the basic element that decides how strong your furniture still is to take all that weight and whether it can endure a refurbishing round. Furniture pieces that have been reworked on a number of times develop holes and cracks from enduring all the work that has been done. When we open up our clients’ sofas, we take a good look at the frame and check each and every nook of the structure to find out whether any of the parts need reinforcement or replacement. Do bear in mind that even some parts of the frame can be dealt with, to make it durable once again. The frames are so strongly made that we can bear up to 150 years of life. So next time you get your sofa repaired, have a good look at the frame if your service provider says the frame is completely rotten. Chances are high it isn't..!!!
The Hardware
Hardware holds all joints in place. When getting your furniture redone, take special care to check the screw holes, and if wood is broken do make sure screws are not put in the same holes since this will not hold durably. Also, do bear in mind to check the quality of hardware being used, specially hinges, bolts and screws. Good quality hardware goes a long way.
The Piping
Piping has more aesthetic value rather than structural value. However one of the few things to be kept in mind is the place where the piping is put. One that when piping is put on the edge of the seas, it becomes itchy on the skin. Second, that care has to be taken while piping on the back as well, since it itches your skin there too. Too thick a piping makes it difficult to use the sofa at all specially, if put on the seat
The Underlining
Underlining is the fabric that is put at the bottom of the sofa, if you've ever noticed an upside down sofa, you’ll see a fabric lining done to cover up the insides. When you get your sofa redone, that's the first fabric to be removed to be able to see the insides. When we open up a sofa, we carefully preserve that fabric, which can be reused and the costs can be brought down. When you get your sofa done, make sure you ask your service provider to put pure cotton fabric only. Non-woven fabrics used these days get damaged fast and leave permanent spots on the upholstery, spoiling it forever.
