STAMP OUT SAGGINESS

FINDING A QUALITY SOFA

By Judith Clark

                 In my 25 years as an Interior Designer, it never ceases to amaze me the amount of technology put into producing inferior quality upholstery products.  Think of it this way…remember, years ago, a sofa would have to be reupholstered because the fabric would wear out and give way.  Today, the construction of the sofa wears out long before the fabric wears out.  Is fabric quality improving?  Perhaps, but, more to the point, the construction of much of the upholstery today has become inferior.

                Generally speaking, the price points cannot determine a sofa’s quality.  Fabulous fabric is not the determining factor to quality either.  Beauty is after all, more than skin deep.  Putting expensive fabric on poor quality is throwing your money away.

                How do you find the best quality for the money?  When shopping for a new sofa, stand by the arm and try to lift up the end of the sofa.  Some sofas are so light that it may seem to fly out of your hands due to lightness.  One hand to the front of the arm and one arm to the back, see if the sofa torques.  If so, this shows lack of stability.  A quality sofa will be difficult to lift at one end, and will not torque.

                Much upholstered furniture today is made of fiberboard, staples and very little polyester fiber wrap which adds a soft layer to the arms, sides and back.  Fiberboard does not have the stability to hold up to family use for more than a couple of years.  Some upholstery manufacturers acknowledge the fact that their product will last only a year or two.  This furniture is meant for college students, or for those needing furniture for the short term.  The problem is the retailers do not pass that information on to the buyer.  The consumer expects their sofa to last 10-15 years.

 

What to look for in quality:

1.        Quality upholstered furniture today will stand up to hard use.  8-way hand tied is helpful but not necessary.  This means that the springs in the seat are tied together, like a pinwheel, in 8 places.  A quality no sag spring unit is better however with a hard wood frame, than and 8-way hand tied unit on a fiberboard sofa.

2.        Open the zipper on the seat cushion.  The foam should be dense and not easy to push together with one hand on either side.  The foam should be wrapped with polyester batting.  This will help the cover from moving on the cushion. 

3.        Check the welt cord at the edge of a cushion.  Do this by digging your fingernail into the welt and rubbing back and forth.  If it feels hard, it is nylon wire.   Some upholstery companies are using nylon wire that is covered by the fabric.  Through the years of sliding on this when sitting, the fabric becomes frayed.  Quality upholstery will have welt filled with a fabric cord.  This will prevent fabric wear and will be softer to the touch. 

4.        If you really want a fabulous seat cushion; some manufacturers provide an upgrade to a cushion with individually wrapped steal springs which are wrapped in foam, then wrapped in polyester batting, which is in turn, placed into a down and feather envelope.  The inner springs will give stability for many years to come.

5.        The most important point is the frame should be made of kiln dried hard wood.  Kiln drying prevents warping and cracking.  It should also be hand doweled, not stapled.  The fabric should be sewn not stapled.

6.        Check for plenty of cushioning on the arms and around the sides and back.  This, of course, is more comfortable, and prevents fabric wear.

 

If you keep these tips in mind, you won’t be disappointed in a sofa and chairs that you thought were quality just because you paid a lot.  Stand up for your rights for quality!

 

Judith Clark

Certified Interior Designer