Change the upholstery of the sofa: the technology of replacing the upholstery, the choice of material, the advice of the masters

Sofas have always been and will be the main subject of interior design for an apartment and a house. It is cozy and comfortable with him. Unfortunately, over time, its appearance deteriorates. Therefore, it is important to know how to change the upholstery of the sofa with your own hands. Such work, although time-consuming, but accessible to everyone. This process is described in the article below.

Fabric selection

Before changing the upholstery of the sofa, you must select the appropriate material. Now many types of fabrics are offered, so choosing the perfect option is not so simple. What to do? It is necessary to determine how often and in what conditions the sofa is used. When there are children, they are likely to get dirty upholstery. There may also be pets that scratch the material and leave hair on the couch. This is an important factor when choosing a fabric.

There are 3 groups of materials used in the upholstery of sofas:

• non-woven - flocked material;
• textile - jacquard, velor, tapestry;
• natural and fabrics of animal origin - leather, fur.

Each material has its own characteristics, allowing you to make a choice. The highest quality include genuine leather - a luxurious and expensive fabric for furniture upholstery. Such a coating can last a long time, but only if it is not scratched. When using leather, experts advise trusting professionals to change the sofa upholstery, as there are many nuances of this work.

Eco-leather is also for sale. This is a substitute for natural fabric, but according to its characteristics it is no worse than the main material. If flocked material is interesting, then you need to know that if there are pets, the furniture will be in wool. And if the sofa is their favorite place, then there will be sand and mud on it. In this case, you will often have to clean the furniture, and this is done with a stiff brush and a soapy solution or a washing vacuum cleaner.

Practical and convenient to use is the textile material. It is perfectly cut, stretched and attached to the fragments of the sofa. It is important that the upholstery material meets the requirements of the owner of the furniture, as in the next 5-7 years you will need to be content with your choice.

Benefits of doing it yourself

It’s good if the sofa has a quality base. Old furniture is much better than new. But still, the upholstery is losing its appearance. Benefits of restoring the sofa yourself:

1. The constriction is carried out by any fabric that you like, and you can add picturesque details to your taste.
2. Carrying out replacement work, you can repair the frame or spring unit.
3. Outdated sofas are usually the strongest and most benign, and with the replacement of the upholstery it will be possible to extend their life.
4. With independent work you do not have to spend a lot of money, and new furniture is much more expensive.
5. No need to throw away your favorite furniture.

The appearance of the sofa depends on the upholstery of the sofa. It deteriorates from various factors, so a replacement may be required. Qualitatively, only specialists are able to do the job, but you can do it yourself if you have experience.

Design

To change the design of the sofa, you can sew a cover, make pillows, wraps. Furniture will have an updated look. Moreover, you can make accessories from the same fabric as the main upholstery. But contrast is also used, which also looks no less beneficial. If a constriction is needed, then it can be partially implemented, replacing only some parts of the upholstery. There are many types - from standard to creative.

The cape using the patchwork technique looks unusual. You can make an unusual applique and stick on the upholstery. Denim is also used for hauling, which will make the sofa original. From materials for clothes sew and removable covers.

It is important that the upholstery material is not only beautiful and suitable for the interior, but also high-quality. Then it will be resistant to various damages. This is especially important to consider when having small children and pets at home. Durable material eliminates frequent furniture repairs.

Types of damage

Damage to furniture varies in severity. Depending on the “injuries”, a different set of work may be required. Types of damage can be as follows:

1. Only the fabric became unusable, i.e. there are no dips in the soft part and protruding parts. Then you need to replace the upholstery.
2. In some areas, there are bulging places. Damage is due to wear on the components of the soft part. Sometimes you need a replacement sintepon, other underlying layers. In difficult cases, repair of spring blocks, if any, or foam rubber, if the furniture is spring, is needed. If the upholstery is decent, then it is washed and used again.
3. There may be a dip in the bottom of the seat. Sometimes, due to heavy loads, springs break through the bottom of the frame. This usually happens if it is made of fiberboard. Then it will be necessary to disassemble everything, remove the spring block, replace the fiberboard, preferably plywood.
4. Sometimes damage to the frame appears. A common problem is cracks in the bars of the frame. The furniture will need to be completely disassembled, replaced with broken bars, and then restored. This is an absolute constriction of the sofa.

These are only the main types of damage. Therefore, the hauling of the sofa can consist of different works, which require certain skills. Both upholstery replacement and a full upgrade, including the frame, may be required. The work becomes more complicated if spring blocks are provided in the furniture. They can be replaced with foam rubber or furniture silicone. If everything is done correctly, the furniture will be even more convenient: poorly-tensioned springs bring a lot of inconvenience.

Soft part

The seat and back of the sofa are made:

• without springs;
• with high density foam rubber;
• with foamed latex;
• with springs;
• with classic springs that are connected in one block;
• with snake springs supporting the base of foam rubber or latex.

These are the most common types of sofa seats. In expensive models, the spring block is supplemented with a layer of PPU or latex, so that the seat becomes elastic and comfortable. A synthetic winterizer or thermal felt is also laid. They are used in inexpensive sofas. In the old "exhibits" there is matting or burlap, batting, horse hair, dried seaweed. During the repair of furniture, the filling must be replaced with the same or similar materials.

What is needed?

Such work is painstaking, so everything you need to be prepared in advance. To change the upholstery of the sofa, you will need:

1. Wrenches, screwdrivers and pliers. Disassembly of furniture will be required.
2. Bocoreza and anti-stapler. Such devices easily remove the old sofa upholstery. But if there is no way to buy these tools, then an ordinary knife and scissors will do.
3. Large scissors, a small bar of soap, thread and a sewing machine. It is advisable to choose scissors tailoring, because it is easier to cut dense material. Soap will allow you to perfectly perform markings along the line of the future cut.

With the help of such devices, it will turn out to change the upholstery of the sofa at home. In order for all the work to be done clearly, it is necessary to adhere to simple instructions. With its strict observance, success is guaranteed.

Stage number 1. Start

To change the upholstery of the sofa yourself, you need to disassemble the furniture. If it is presented in the form of a complex structure, which has numerous repeating elements, then you need to number them - this simplifies assembly.

All fasteners should be folded into a box or jar so as not to lose anything. So, all bolts and nuts will be intact until the sofa is assembled after upholstery.

Stage number 2. Removing the old upholstery

To change the upholstery of the sofa, you need to remove the old material. This must be done carefully, as the upholstery will be a pattern for cutting. Be sure to unstitch the seams so that there is no error in determining the dimensions. Upholstery is usually fixed with studs.

Do not tear the material without first removing the fasteners. An inaccuracy in the pattern of the new upholstery can lead to a poor-quality result.

Stage number 3. Elimination of deficiencies

It is necessary to examine the mechanisms and fragments of the sofa. This will allow you to fix the problems and fix them - when the furniture is disassembled, it is not difficult to accomplish this.

Many items are sold as spare parts in furniture stores. It is advisable to bring a broken part with you in order to choose a suitable option for it. If all the parts work fine, then you just need to lubricate them with engine oil so that the creak does not appear.

Stage number 4. Preparation of matter

You can start working with upholstery. It should be steamed to remove a clear pattern. This is done quickly and simply - the fabric is ironed, but sprayed with water in advance. It is necessary to ensure that all seams, bends and corners are smoothed out - every millimeter of material is important in the matter of replacing upholstery.

Stage number 5. The main work

Before you pull the sofa, a pattern is performed. To do this, the material is spread on a flat surface, preferably on the floor. It also needs to be fixed. The steamed old upholstery is superimposed on top, and noticeable 2 layers of matter are chipped with pins.

Then soap should outline the contour of the upholstery. It is necessary to cut the material along the intended lines, then remove the pins and sew all the seams on the sewing machine.

Completion

Now you can drag the sofa. The material is pulled on the furniture. To do this, use a stapler, while it is necessary to monitor the uniformity of stretch and the absence of distortion of the pattern on the fabric. To carry out such work, it is advisable to attract an assistant - one person will pull and hold the material, and the other will fix it. After that, you need to collect all the elements of the sofa. That's all, you can evaluate the result.

When is specialist help needed?

Although you can change the upholstery of the sofa yourself, it’s better to do it if you have experience and skill. You need to contact specialists in the following cases:

1. The furniture has a complex structure, which complicates the assembly.
2. The upholstery is complex - it includes various structural elements, since you need to repeat all of them, which is unlikely to succeed without experience.
3. The old upholstery is worn out - you probably need to replace the filler, the spring, which is why specific knowledge and experience are needed.
4. The sofa is very expensive.
5. If the sofa will be trimmed with genuine leather or eco-leather. After all, to work with such tissues you need experience.

If you entrust the work to a specialist, you will get an excellent result. High-quality fitting of furniture will make it comfortable. It is only necessary to properly care for the matter, and then its appearance will always be attractive.

Where can I change the upholstery of the sofa? Such work is carried out by many firms that are in every city. Specialists upholstery quickly and efficiently. Properly performed work will allow you to get a sofa that will serve for a long time.