Drag the old sofa with your own hands. Do-it-yourself upholstering of upholstered furniture

Any thing eventually becomes unusable and upholstered furniture is no exception. But in the case of furniture, it is possible to restore its original appearance and properties. This article will discuss self-upholstery of the sofa. How, what and in what order to do, what materials to use.

Damage and types of repairs

Damage to a sofa or other upholstered furniture can be of different "severity". Depending on the existing injuries, a different set of works is required. Here's what might happen to your furniture:

So the upholstery of the sofa may include different work. From a simple upholstery replacement to a complete refurbishment, including part of the frame. The most troublesome part is with spring blocks. This is a long and painstaking job. If the “historical accuracy” of your furniture is not important to you, it is easier to replace a failed spring block with foam rubber or (better, but more expensive) furniture silicone. If everything is done correctly, the sofa will become even more comfortable: incorrectly tightened springs cause a lot of inconvenience.

Types of "soft part"

In general terms, let's talk about what the seat and back of the sofa can be made of. There are options:

• Without springs:
  • Foam rubber (polyurethane foam, the name PPU is also found) of high density (also called furniture).
  • Foam latex. In terms of quality and convenience, it is better than foam rubber, but also much more expensive.
• With springs:
  • with classic springs connected in one block;
  • serpentine springs that support the foam/latex filling.

These are the most common types of sofa seats. In more expensive models, the spring block can be supplemented with a layer of polyurethane foam or latex, which makes the seat more elastic and comfortable at the same time. When constricting, then they look at the state of both parts, replace or leave - depending on the desire and possibilities.

But these are not all layers. In addition to springs, polyurethane foam / latex, a synthetic winterizer or thermal felt (or ordinary felt) is also laid. This is if the sofa is more or less modern and not too expensive. Older exhibits may contain matting or burlap, batting (or something very similar), horsehair, dried seaweed, and other now almost exotic materials for stuffing a sofa. When repairing a sofa, they will need to be replaced with the same ones (if there is a desire to look) or similar in thickness and properties. So, in order to understand how a sofa upholstery should be done, first figure out what is inside it.

We disassemble the sofa and evaluate the scale of work

The upholstery of the sofa begins with its disassembly. In the process, you will be able to assess the extent of the damage and decide what exactly you will need to do. For this part of the job, you will need:

• a large screwdriver to unscrew the visible bolts (if any);
• a small flathead screwdriver, pliers, or a staple remover to remove the staples that hold the upholstery in place.

The main thing is to remove the old upholstery. Then everything will become clear

Actually, everything. First, remove the individual pillows, if any, remove the sidewalls. It's hard to tell here - there are a lot of designs. Look carefully, you will definitely find something. If there are sliding parts, you can try to start with them.

Separating the upholstery

The next step is to separate the fabric from the frame. It is attached with staples to the wooden bars of the frame. We pry the brackets with a flat screwdriver, pull them out. Some can sit very tightly, it is easier to pull them out by grabbing them by the raised back with pliers or pliers.

We remove the fabric carefully, trying not to damage too much. We then use it as a sample for a new sofa upholstery. There are several layers under the upholstery fabric. Maybe felt, synthetic winterizer, some kind of fabric. If the repair of the sofa was started only for the sake of replacing the upholstery, look at the condition of these materials. If there are signs of wear, it is better to replace. After all, it would be a shame if, in a few months, the sofa would need to be reupholstered again, but already due to the fact that the layers of the lining were worn down.

Once the fabric is off, it's time to evaluate which parts you'll need to change. With upholstery and lining under it, everything is clear. It is desirable to keep the pie in the same composition. If old materials were used that are not currently on sale or they are too expensive, replace them with modern analogues. The main thing for folding sofas is to reach the same height of the seat and back that were before, since folding mechanisms are designed for certain parameters of “pillows”. In order not to make a mistake with the thickness of materials, find unworn (or least worn) areas and measure the thickness.

Assessing the damage

This stage is needed if the sofa seat is uneven, there are humps and depressions, protruding springs (and from below too). In seats that consist only of foam rubber, everything is simple: they usually go under replacement. They can be made from high-density foam rubber, having folded several layers, you can order ready-made foam rubber in a store selling furniture parts. It is reasonable to order a latex mattress according to the exact dimensions (measure after the fabric and all layers have been removed).

If there are springs in the sofa, having removed all the covering layers, we get to them. If there are no broken springs, the frame and its connections are strong, without backlash and cracks, the substrate for the springs is in good condition, you can stop there. We change the covering layers, sew a new cover, stretch and fasten. This completes the upholstery of the sofa.

One of the common defects of spring blocks is a broken spring. There are also such sofas - with spring snakes that are attached to the frame and give elasticity to the foam mattress standing on top

If there is at least one damage listed above, the spring block will have to be separated. It is attached to the frame frame with U-shaped brackets or nails. Now you have completely disassembled your sofa into components. Next is the replacement and repair of damaged parts, and then reassembly.

Classic box spring sofa pie and possible problems

To understand how to repair a sofa at home, you need to know what layers of materials and in what sequence are needed. For example, in a sofa seat with a spring block, the sequence would be like this (from bottom to top):

1. Frame made of plywood or wooden blocks. The plywood frame is more reliable, but it is longer and more difficult to make. Therefore, pine bars are usually used. They are connected according to the tenon-groove principle, gluing the connection with wood glue. If desired, the connections can be reinforced with dowels or corners (aluminum).

   

2. Base for spring block. There may be options: lamellas (slats of elastic material), fiberboard, plywood. The most budget option is fiberboard, the most expensive is lamellas. The slats are attached to special stops (lat holders). When using plastic stops, there is a possibility of breakage. At the same time, low-quality lamellas can bend (in the normal state they are bent slightly up) or break - to reduce the cost, they are often placed through a large gap. All this leads to the fact that the sofa seat is pressed through. Instead of wooden lamellas, snake springs can still be used. They also have sufficient elasticity, but cost less. The problems with them are the same.
3. The spring block. The block can be with independent or dependent springs. The first is cheaper, the second supports the body well. Such mattresses are also called orthopedic.
4. Felt or thick fabric(Tick, another similar dense fabric will do). This layer is needed so that the springs do not push through the foam rubber above.

   If the fabric is thin, it will tear, then the foam rubber will begin to crumble. But this is not the saddest thing - the lamellas arched in the opposite direction. In the normal state, they should be curved up

5. polyurethane foam(PPU, foam rubber - all names of one material). A special dense foam rubber is used. If you choose, in addition to density, look at such an indicator as the durability coefficient - the higher the number, the better (and more expensive). This indicator displays how long the foam rubber will restore its original shape after the load is removed. Its thickness is taken from the original, factory cake. It is possible to make thicker without restrictions only on upholstered furniture that does not unfold (bench, sofa, armchair).
6. Sintepon. It is necessary so that the fabric does not “wash” PPU. It is usually glued to a layer of foam rubber - so that during operation it does not gather into folds. Glue is taken in a can.
7. upholstery fabric. The best are tapestry, chenille. They do not crumble, it is easy to sew from them. Flock and jacquard are good fabrics, but some of them “creep” at the seams. Therefore, when sewing, the seams must be strengthened. By the way, it is better to sew upholstery for a sofa with special threads of the Tytan brand. Ordinary, even thick ones, will quickly tear.

These are all layers and their features. You can add something (for example, a double layer of synthetic winterizer), remove it - it is highly undesirable.

The device of the sofa on the springs "snake" and options for its restoration

Snake springs in expensive models are used as an additional means to increase elasticity. In budget models, a foam block can be placed on this base. They are attached to a wooden or metal frame across the seat - each spring is separate. The installation step depends on the planned load. If your sofa began to sag, or the springs lost their elasticity, or broke, it is treated by replacement.

To increase elasticity and extend the life of the sofa, the number of "snakes" can be increased when reupholstering the sofa. Another option is transverse reinforcement with hard corsage ribbons (which are used for straps on bags, backpacks).

The tape is nailed on one side to the frame. Professional furniture makers then stretch it with a special tool, but you can replace it with an ordinary bar wrapped around in the middle with coarse-grained sandpaper. You wind a couple of turns of tape on this beam, pull with both hands (make sure that the frame does not bend), fix the tape with staples or nails, release and cut off the excess. The same method is also suitable for increasing the life of a mattress with slats.

An example of sofa repair with step by step photos

The old sofa became quite uncomfortable, began to fail in places and creak. There is no way to buy a new one, it was decided to drag and change the upholstery. As usual, the sofa upholstery begins with disassembly. The legs were removed first. The railing was fastened on two large bolts, they were unscrewed and removed without any problems. Further disassembly is also easy - we unscrew the bolts that appear in turn.

When all the components were separated, the old upholstery was removed. Staples were removed easily - a frame made of pine timber. The spring block itself turned out to be without defects, but there was a crack in the frame, one of the bars of the frame led, the fiberboard sank, although there were no cracks.

Frame repair

Since the frame bears the main load, it is better to replace damaged elements. We carefully measure them, draw them schematically, put down the dimensions in millimeters. With the drawing we go to the carpentry shop. Pay special attention: the wood must be dry, preferably kiln dried. If you know how to work with wood yourself, you can do it yourself.

It was decided to connect the frame, as it was, with a spike / groove, smearing it with carpentry glue. But in order not to loosen up, the connection was reinforced with metal dowels.

First, the joints are glued, clamped in a vise. A hole of small diameter is drilled under the dowel, the dowel is driven in. The frame is in a vice until the glue dries.

We will use plywood 4 mm thick as the basis for the spring block. The sheets are standard, a little more than 1.5 meters, and the length of the sofa is almost two. It turns out two pieces. It is better to make the joint of the pieces on the jumper, it is more reliable. We cut out the rectangles of the desired size, coat the frame with carpentry glue, lay plywood, nail it with small nails. The length of the nails - so that they do not stick out from the outside of the frame. We additionally support the junction with a bar (50 * 20 mm).

The updated sofa will serve in the country, so we are trying to keep the budget to a minimum, we use an old blanket instead of a substrate for springs. We stretch it well, fasten it with staples using a manual one.

The base for the springs is an old fleece blanket

If possible, it is advisable to put thermal felt here. It is more reliable and not so expensive. It is cut to size, straightened and nailed around the perimeter. You can use staples or carnations with large hats.

Repair and fix the spring block

To fasten the spring block, you can use powerful U-shaped brackets, and it is better if their legs are sharpened. But the stapler does not work with such, therefore, staples were cut from steel wire with a diameter of 1.5 mm, hammered.

In addition to fastening to the frame, the springs are also fixed with nylon constrictions. Twine was taken, folded in two layers, fixed with the same wire staples. We tighten the constriction so that it does not press down on the springs, but the tension should be sufficient so that the block does not “ride”.

Some dense material should be placed on top of the springs, usually felt. In this case, the old flooring was used. Something like felt. It is quite dense and durable. Fold in two layers, cut to size. This layer must be attached to the spring block. The coating is dense, you can’t pierce it with a needle, even a gypsy one. An awl of a large diameter will do, but it is not. We pierce the coating with a nail, which we push with the handle of a screwdriver. We thread a thick thread into the holes made. The stitch pitch is about 3.5 cm. To speed up the process, we use several nails at once.

Further, “according to the plan”, foam rubber should go, on top of which a synthetic winterizer is placed. In this project, it was replaced with two layers of densely elastic material that had been stored in the attic for a long time. Instead of a synthetic winterizer, another old blanket was used. To prevent the blanket from moving, it was grabbed around the perimeter with threads (in the usual technology, the synthetic winterizer is glued to polyurethane foam or latex using glue from a spray can).

Case and cover

Sheathing this sofa turned out to be easy: the shape is simple, without decorations. The old cover was torn open, and a pattern was made from a new, not very expensive upholstery fabric. In the place that falls on the corner of the sofa cushion / seat, a thick tape was sewn from the inside - so that the fabric would not be rubbed. The fabric is inexpensive, so the edges had to be tucked up so as not to fray. Often they are left untreated.

The finished cover was laid out on the floor, the restored part of the sofa was placed in it. At this stage, it is important that the fabric is stretched evenly and does not wrinkle. We began to nail the cover from the middle, moving towards the edges. Staples with thick backs are used so as not to damage the fabric.

The back of the sofa was restored in a similar way, the armrests were fitted, then all the parts were screwed to the folding mechanism. The thickness of the pillows matched, so there were no problems.

Sofa upholstery completed. Result checked 🙂

According to the test results: the seat turned out to be harsh, but for a tired back it is the very thing. For the house, of course, it is better to put foam rubber, and for lovers of comfort - latex.

The sofa is considered the most necessary and important piece of furniture in any house, apartment or office. Upholstered furniture gives you the opportunity to relax after a hard day, watch an interesting movie with your best friends or sit over a cup of delicious tea with your loved one. It is worth noting that even the highest quality and most expensive sofas eventually need to be replaced.

When carrying out the hauling of the sofa with your own hands, you must first disassemble it in order to remove the old upholstery.

If you do not want to part with your favorite sofa or your budget does not include the purchase of a new one, this piece of furniture can be easily restored.

You can update the appearance of upholstered furniture by replacing its upholstery; in some cases, you will have to replace parts of the wooden frame.

It should be noted that a frame made of wood will creak, and from chipboard it will emit toxic substances, in addition, dust mites can be found in the upholstery of an old sofa. You can reupholster upholstered furniture by contacting specialists or by reupholstery at home.

In order to properly fit the sofa, it is advisable to adhere to the methods and advice of professionals. If everything is done correctly, you will get a comfortable, modern and beautiful sofa that will be a great addition to your interior.

Before you start upholstery of the soft part, you need to purchase the necessary tools and materials: pliers, a set of screwdrivers and wrenches, a stapler (you can also fix the upholstery with a hammer and small nails), upholstery fabric. Buying fabric is an important step, you should choose a high-quality, dense and practical material, pay attention to color, texture and pattern so that the sofa fits into the interior of the room.

Depending on the filler and the number of layers of fabric, it is possible to change the design of the sofa, which is the main advantage of the restoration of upholstered furniture. The very choice of material for upholstery of the sofa depends on the fillers, which include: coconut fiber, cotton wool, horse hair, fluff, batting, foam rubber and synthetic winterizer.

For example, if the filler of the sofa is cotton wool or fluff, the tension force of the fabric should be moderate, and if the foam rubber is medium. It is best to reupholster upholstered furniture with popular and common options: velor, tapestry and jacquard, which have the most practical characteristics. The upholstered furniture itself should be elastic, not sag or deform.

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Furniture assembly

So how to reupholster furniture at home? If you intend to drag an entire headset, it is best to start with small items, which will give you the opportunity to get the hang of it. It would be reasonable to disassemble the furniture into separate parts: seats, backs and sides for ease of work.

The general condition of the frame should be assessed, for this you need to remove the old upholstery. If you find damage to wooden parts, they should be replaced immediately, all joints should be carefully glued, and the joints reinforced. After repairing the frame, you need to bandage the springs (about 1/5 of the compression).

After repair, plywood is attached to the wooden frame, to which foam rubber is glued. For the back of the sofa, the thickness of the foam rubber should be about 40 mm, and for the sidewalls - 20 mm. The density of the filler for the back should not exceed 30 units, and for the rest of the parts it should start from 46 units.

Foam rubber should not be too soft, this will lead to rapid deformation, and too hard foam rubber will be hard and uncomfortable. The best option is to lay the 1st layer with hard foam rubber, and all subsequent ones with softer ones. It is worth remembering that the 2nd layer of filler is bent in the front to the base of the frame.

After repairing the frame and attaching the filler, you can begin to manufacture the cover. About eight meters of material will be needed to cover the sofa. You can calculate the fabric consumption per sofa by measuring two lengths and two widths of the sofa, which, in the end, must be added.

If you choose a fabric with a stripe or a large pattern, the consumption of fabric will increase significantly, since the fabric is cut in one direction. It is best to choose a material that is plain or with a small pattern; in any case, the fabric is bought with a margin of 1 m.

Before sewing covers, you should make patterns. To do this, you will have to measure every detail of the sofa and transfer the measurements to paper, taking into account the direction of the cut. Then place the pattern on the wrong side of the fabric and circle with chalk. When cutting fabric, it is important not to forget about seam allowances and hemming.

No need to try to exactly repeat the shape of upholstered furniture: it is better that the cover is free. Before sewing a cover from an expensive fabric, you can practice on a cheaper one. The threads for sewing the cover should be chosen strong, as the seams will withstand a large load, and, ideally, it is better to stitch the fabric 2 times.

If you do not have the time and desire to sew a cover, you can drag upholstered furniture with a cloth using an ordinary stapler. The main advantage of a construction stapler is simplicity and ease of use.

If you decide to drag the furniture yourself, you should remember that the hauling should start from the middle of the sofa and move smoothly to the sides. Upholstery fabric is nailed with staples at a distance of 3 cm from each other. If long excess fabric remains, they must be cut off or wrapped inward. should be tight enough.

Using simple and practical tips, you will not have to part with your favorite sofa, it will become more durable and resilient. In addition, choosing a beautiful fabric for upholstery, giving upholstered furniture an interesting shape, the sofa will become more modern and decorate the interior of your room.

No matter how hard we try to maintain the comfort in the apartment at the proper level, sometimes you just need to look around and admit to yourself that you need to change or fix something in the design. Over time, every piece of furniture becomes unusable. Sofas are no exception.

A place where we spend a fairly large amount of time with our families, or simply receiving guests, or reading a book, I would like to see in good condition. How often we use the sofa, so quickly it can take on an unpleasant appearance.

Scuffs, aging, a stain from spilled coffee, which cannot be completely removed, no matter how hard you try, and children in the heat of play do not always understand what their actions can lead to. Here is just a small part of what can affect the outer skin of the sofa.

Now ask yourself the question: “Is it possible to do something with all this yourself, at home?” Answer: Yes, you can.

In the article, we will consider the process of step-by-step upholstery of the sofa upholstery, without resorting to outside help. Of course, it is worth mentioning that the call to the house of specialists who will show the master class will be less time-consuming, but at the same time more costly. You choose.

What will we face

First of all, it is worth pointing out cases when it is not worth doing the restoration of a piece of furniture on your own:

• very complex process of disassembling and assembling furniture;
• upholstery elements contain such details, the configuration of which is not possible, or their implementation is difficult, due to the use of a material different from the original;
• not only the upholstery needs restoration, but also the frame itself, or the filler;
• the material to be sheathed is difficult to use;
• lack of basic skills and experience.

So, we decided to carry out the process of restoring our sofa ourselves. All of the above options are not about us. So, we are moving towards the intended goal.

Preparation work

First of all, it is worth deciding on the material and equipment that we will use in the process of work.

The choice of upholstery material should also be based not only on your personal preferences, but should take into account, for example, the design of the room as a whole. Moreover, there is a large amount of information on sheathing and it is worth consulting before choosing.

The photo in the catalogs of any sewing store presents a wide range of materials that can be used to upholster a sofa and sew pillows. Leather, leatherette, velor, flock, tapestry and jacquard are in demand.

Here are some tips for choosing fabric:

• do not use synthetic or coarse fabric;
• it is worth taking the upholstery on the cover, which is pleasant to the touch;
• to reduce the cost of the material used, you need to use a plain material or with a small pattern;
• you can achieve any contrast or a pronounced style if you combine a plain material with any multi-colored fabric;
• in order to give the necessary softness to furniture, materials such as foam rubber or synthetic winterizer are used.

The synthetic winterizer will add airiness to upholstered furniture. A pronounced smell of chemistry can serve as a wake-up call to a poor-quality origin.

The synthetic winterizer is a durable material, and therefore it changes very little if everything is done technologically correctly. When applying, pay attention to the thickness of the material and its strength. It is extremely important that it be the same throughout the area of ​​\u200b\u200bapplication.

With the use of foam rubber, everything is a little easier. Its structure is responsible for the quality of the material. High quality material, when compressed, will immediately restore its original shape, while low quality will take time. It is worth mentioning that in high-quality furniture, batting pads, etc. are used between the human body and foam rubber.

Advice: pay attention to the smell of future upholstery, it should not repel.

Preparing the tool also takes a separate place, here is a part of what is needed:

• scissors;
• threads, durable;
• spanners;
• sewing machine;
• an anti-stapler or a screwdriver, whichever is more convenient for you;
• stapler.

Furniture disassembly

Of course, before we start work, it is worth taking apart a piece of our furniture (the keys will help us).

Do not forget about some notes for yourself in this process, otherwise we will disassemble it - we will analyze it, but putting it back together - problems may arise. The process requires accuracy on our part, which means that you should not barbarously tear off the fasteners if it didn’t work out with a run.

Elements such as sidewalls, backs are subject to disassembly in the first place. Step by step disassembly process:

• seats;
• fasteners are subject to designation and storage in a certain place;
• there are staples - use an anti-stapler or a screwdriver;
• we handle the old upholstery carefully, this is our stencil for the new one;
• if it is necessary to replace foam rubber or other material, and we will see it, then we boldly do it;
• we look at the elements of the exposed structure (if necessary, we replace the springs, tighten the structural elements, glue them where necessary);
• we eliminate defects that are visible.

It is not necessary to follow these instructions strictly, but it is definitely worth paying attention to.

Upholstery

Here is the finish line. In order not to delay the process of constriction, on the hands, after disassembling the sofa, there should be an old upholstery material.

This is the best option, which will reduce the time for restoration. Especially for corner sofas or furniture with a complex design.

We take a new upholstery fabric and cut out details from it, using the contours of the old one. You can pre-mark this contour with chalk or soap, applying the old upholstery as a stencil and adding a margin of 3-5 centimeters.

For most of the sofa, such actions are enough, but with pillows, the situation is not so rosy. You can’t do without a master at hand, but we don’t have one, so we’re arranging our own master class:

• we take a tape measure and make the necessary measurements (length, width, height to help us);
• we take upholstery fabric and apply the appropriate measurements, adding approximately another 3-5 cm to each (additional dimensions will be used for bending the fabric);
• there is a figure - cut it out;
• place the pillow in the center of the resulting figure (don't forget that the fabric has a back side so that you don't have to redo it);
• we wrap the material and fix it with staples, for the most part the staples are located at a distance of 3-4 cm;
• if there is a pattern, we stretch the material evenly so that the pattern does not warp;
• then we repeat the constriction method for the rest of the pillow.

Note: when buying material, pay attention to the shade, it may not match.

This method will allow us to cover the remaining parts of the sofa with our own hands. Do not forget that the material that is taken "back to back" may not be enough, be careful.

Buying upholstery material with a margin will save you from unnecessary expenses. The remaining material can be used for re-upholstery of something else, since there is enough imagination.

And finally. You should not jump above your own head, if you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to contact specialists. They will help transform the sofa. You can also watch a special video below to better imagine the whole process of re-tightening:

Your upholstered furniture will serve faithfully for many more years, however, its appearance is no longer aesthetically pleasing?

To remedy the situation, it is enough to change the upholstery, which you can do yourself, saving on the services of furniture makers.

We offer a simple algorithm and some useful tips that will help make the process of reupholstering a sofa or chair quick and productive.

A bright sofa is in perfect harmony with the intense shades of fuchsia in a bright room.

When might upholstering of upholstered furniture be needed?

During operation, the upholstery loses its attractiveness, brightness, smoothness, and, possibly, integrity. However, the furniture frame is still strong and reliable. It is irrational to purchase a new piece of furniture, because you can only change the upholstery.

It happens that the furniture is in almost perfect condition, but you have made repairs, and the color scheme of the upholstery now does not fit into the interior. Perhaps you have long dreamed of a particular sofa model, but it comes in a modest range of colors. This is where changing upholstery comes in handy.

It is certainly profitable to make these manipulations with furniture with your own hands, but the result will not always be ideal.

In what cases can not do without the help of professionals?

• If the service life of the product exceeds 5 years. Surely, in addition to worn upholstery, there are damage to the frame elements. When hauling furniture, all defects must be corrected, and the necessary tools or spare parts may not be at hand.

Classic sofa, in a new velor "wrap"

• If the furniture has a non-standard design, and its elements have a complex shape. Inexperienced, you may not be able to reassemble a disassembled item of intricate design. And unusual details require certain knowledge in the field of cutting in order to correctly determine the shape and size of a fragment of future upholstery.

• If you are going to cover the furniture with leather or leatherette. This is a difficult material to work with, and at home it is not always possible to do quality work.

Dismantling furniture

The upholstery process begins with the stage of disassembling the furniture product into individual parts. Here, the procedure depends on the configuration of the furniture, usually the armrests (if any) are first disconnected, then the backrest and mattress. Most likely, you will need several screwdrivers of different sizes. Place all mounting hardware in a pre-designated container so that during assembly you do not encounter the problem of a lack of fasteners. Number all the parts and sketch a diagram on paper so that later you will know exactly how to assemble.

Advice:record the disassembly process on video or make a photo report, so you will receive visual instructions for assembly.

Removing the upholstery

To do this, use a flat screwdriver to lift the staples that secure the upholstery, and then remove the staples with the help of wire cutters. We work carefully so as not to damage the upholstery - it will still come in handy.

Advice:before starting this stage, lay polyethylene or newspapers on the floor. The fact is that when removing the upholstery from old furniture, crumbled foam rubber and various debris will fall.

Cutting upholstery material

This is where the old upholstery comes in handy - we use it as a pattern. When cutting, make additional allowances - 1-2 cm, so that it would be easier for you, as a non-professional, to mount the material. When purchasing upholstery fabric, always take with a margin. If in the course of work you find that there is not enough fabric, it is not a fact that the store still has it. Perhaps they brought another batch, and the shade differs by several tones.

Advice:if you bought a lot more fabric than you used up, sew additional decor elements from it - sofa cushions, lampshades. So you create a harmonious and stylish interior.

Fitting furniture pieces

Before stretching the fabric, you need to carefully prepare the base. On top of the foam rubber or “sandwich” with a spring block, be sure to lay a synthetic winterizer, batting or interlining. This gasket will protect the upholstery fabric from abrasion from the inside, facilitate the process of stretching the upholstery and extend its life. If you use a fairly thick layer of synthetic winterizer, the furniture will be noticeably softer.

You need to stretch the material carefully, it’s good if you have an assistant. The fabric should be stretched equally in all places, on all sides and in each of the directions. Then the product will look neat, the upholstery will not deform over time. It is easiest to fix the upholstery with a furniture stapler, but you can also do it the old fashioned way - with the help of carnations and a hammer.

Advice:in those places where you need to sew fragments of upholstery, use special threads for furniture fabrics - they are stronger and more durable than ordinary sewing.

We assemble furniture

We act strictly according to the photo or video instructions, which we prudently made when disassembling the furniture. If you limited yourself to the numbering of parts, it is also easy to assemble a product with a plan.

Furniture upholstery at home: choice of fabric

The fabric base with a small pile glued to it is a flock, a popular upholstery fabric. Flock has high decorative properties and a wide range of colors, it is soft and easy to clean. To prevent abrasion of the flock, it is coated with Teflon, such a material is called courtisan.

The most beautiful velor is sometimes called furniture velvet because of its high decorative properties. This material is practical and wear-resistant, but shrinkage, lint loss, and abrasion during active use are possible.

Simple, but at the same time practical chenille will last for many years

Jacquard and tapestry have very unusual textures, unless, of course, you have a fake in front of you. The fabrics are strong enough, but prone to deformation and do not tolerate contact with moisture.

The most practical upholstery will be microfiber. The fabric has dust-repellent properties, resistance to pollution. Microfiber is easy to wash, does not change color and does not deform. The only downside is the hefty price.

Turn an old and boring piece of furniture into a brand new and stylish piece of furniture! Do-it-yourself furniture upholstery can save you money and gain new skills.

Sadly, over time, the upholstery of your favorite chair or sofa can deteriorate. This is most often faced by pet owners, because pets love to use furniture as a scratching post. Quite quickly, the upholstery loses its original appearance even if there are small children in the house. They can not only dine on the sofa, but also use it as a canvas for their creativity. Someone, faced with such a problem, solves it simply - old furniture is sent to a landfill. But someone is unable to part with such a beloved and comfortable chair, besides, buying new furniture is not a cheap pleasure. Therefore, in our article we will consider such a question as hauling furniture with our own hands.

Is it worth taking on the job yourself?

Now, even in the smallest city, you can find companies that provide furniture upholstery services. Right at your home. But this service is quite expensive. And let's see how difficult it is to do the upholstery of upholstered furniture with your own hands:

• If your sofa and chairs are a simple design, without curly elements, then the task becomes easier initially.
• If the surface of the set is decorated with quilted fabric or piping, folds or draperies, get ready for a difficult job. You will need to repeat all this decor exactly.
• Difficulties with self-upholstery can also arise if the upholstery is made of leather or some other complex material that is extremely difficult to work with.

Important! If you have an expensive antique chair, then it’s better to give up the idea of ​​​​upholstering furniture with your own hands. By repairing it yourself, you can significantly reduce the cost of a rarity. In this case, it is wiser to call a professional restorer for help.

Instruments

Restoration of upholstered furniture with your own hands is impossible without tools. Therefore, before starting work, prepare:

• Phillips screwdrivers and tools with a flat sting of various calibers;
• hex keys (if you are repairing fairly new furniture that does not come from the Soviet past);
• wire cutters;
• side cutters;
• special furniture stapler;
• furniture glue;
• upholstery nails (regular and with decorative caps);
• accessories for sewing.

Important! Please note that the restoration of upholstered furniture with your own hands is not an easy task. Schedule 2 days for this job. In addition, if you will carry out the processing of the upholstery with special means, then you need to wait until the surface is completely dry.

materials

To reupholster furniture with your own hands, you will need several types of materials. The first is the actual material of your upholstery. Then you need to choose the required thickness of the foam rubber layer, since, most likely, you will also have to change it. You can’t do without a rough rough fabric, which fits the filler and serves as a kind of understudy for the main fabric.

Let's see how to deal with all this:

• As the main fabric, it is better to opt for dense materials - velor, tapestry, jacquard are suitable. You can also consider the option of flock upholstery.

Important! It is desirable that the fabric be plain, without a complex pattern and patterns - this way the upholstery will look better and it will be easier to sew.

• If the fabric has any pattern or ornament, then it should be correctly placed on the upholstery in such a way as to look good on the furniture.
• If you chose such a fabric, then you will need to take into account the direction of the pile when stitching, so that later the left armrest is not darker than the right one due to the fact that the piles look in different directions.
• Fabric understudy when hauling upholstered furniture with your own hands can be any, the main thing is that it be dense and a little rough. Usually, an inexpensive tweed or greta is taken as the basis, which will last quite a long time.

Important! As practice shows, about 5 meters of material will be needed for upholstery of a chair, 2-3 meters for a chair. The exact consumption of fabric can be calculated after drawing up patterns.

A little more nuances when choosing foam mats, which will be covered with upholstery:

• Thicker options are suitable for the seat - 35-46 units.
• For sidewalls, you can purchase thin ones - 25-30 units.
• High-quality foam rubber should have a porous and elastic structure. The bubbles in it are small, and when pressed with a finger, such material straightens out quickly, the dent disappears without a trace.

Important! If you want to give a more rigid base when restoring upholstered furniture with your own hands, then get not one thick sheet of softener, but 2 thinner ones. And during installation, lay them with a layer of felt. Seats with this base last much longer.

• Typically, the softener is sold in a vacuum package, which reduces its thickness by several times. Before starting work on the upholstery of furniture, free the foam rubber from polyethylene and let it rest for 1-2 days.
• When choosing foam rubber, pay attention to characteristics such as stiffness and density. It is better to choose average values. It will be uncomfortable to sit on a very dense one, too thin - it will quickly take over and require replacement.

Important! Buy all materials for the restoration of upholstered furniture with your own hands with a margin. This will be needed in order not to sew separate patches or run to the store in the midst of work and face the fact that the fabric you need is over.

Furniture disassembly

Before you start upholstering upholstered furniture with your own hands, it is recommended that you first take a picture of the disassembly process in order to assemble all the parts back correctly. Moreover, it is better to use this advice at each stage, in total there will be several of them:

1. Disassembly into component parts, removal of side and rear backrests, legs, pillows.
2. Dismantling of worn-out elements (upholstery and softening pads).
3. Cutting and preparation of new parts.
4. Mounting new upholstery on individual pieces of furniture.
5. Final assembly of the finished structure.

All connections must be dismantled very carefully, trying not to damage the frame:

• If the bolts or screws are rusted, then do not try to rip them off, but use a special liquid to remove corrosion.
• To remove the old staples, pry the plywood sheet with a flathead screwdriver and pry it up, being careful not to break the plywood. After the fasteners are loosened, you can remove them.
• Try to unscrew the screws, and not pull them out of the wood.

Important! If the fasteners are suitable for further use, then collect them in a box specially designed for this. But in any case, when hauling upholstered furniture with your own hands, it is more reasonable to replace old fasteners with new ones.

• Use a flathead screwdriver or the tip of a utility knife to pry up the staples holding the old upholstery to the furniture frame. Loosen the leg fastening, and only then remove the bracket. Try not to damage the upholstery, as it will later serve as a template for a new blank.

Important! Do not just cut off the upholstery, leaving staples with a strip of fabric on the furniture. They will prevent you from firmly fixing the new material and can ruin the updated look of the chair or sofa. In addition, rust on old fasteners can show through new upholstery in indelible stains.

Frame repair and damage repair

When you remove old, worn upholstery, you may find more serious signs of age. Parts of a sofa or chair can also be deformed or broken. Do not rush to give up and throw away furniture. To get started, carefully study our tips for repairing upholstered furniture at home with your own hands.

Cracked frame beams

Most of the furniture is made on frames fastened with locks and glue. The design is strong and reliable, but over time it can also become unusable. Frame corners can loosen and crack. In this case, it is worth changing the beams entirely. For these purposes:

• Take dried material, without knots and bark - bast or middle with an even straight structure, strong and solid. Only in this case the beam will withstand a large load, otherwise it will quickly burst again.
• Drying of the material should be carried out in special chambers in production. At home, where there are no necessary conditions, a raw tree will simply dry out and deform.
• It is better not to change the lock saw, but to remove it and take it to the nearest workshop so that it can be made exactly according to the model.
• When joining beams when installing new parts, impregnate the joints with PVA glue - this will increase the strength of the entire structure.

Broken fiberboard parts

When restoring upholstered furniture with your own hands, you can find another common defect. Large loads can not withstand the jumper pads of the frame of the seat and back. If you find such breakdowns, you should not be upset either:

1. Make accurate measurements of worn out parts.
2. You order them in the workshop or cut out new ones with a jigsaw.
3. Put the parts in place with nails or a stapler.

Springs

A sore spot is the middle of the seat, where children love to jump and guests sit. Some craftsmen manage to “twist” the spring blocks, replacing the burst ones with new ones. However, there is no guarantee that after some time some other old spring will not break, and for the sake of it you will not have to start all the work again. Therefore, it is more rational to replace the spring blocks completely.

Important! Usually, the frames of the seats and backs of old chairs are pulled together by interlaced wide belts, on which foam rubber is laid. Belts are very rarely torn - most often the junction of the belt and the frame is wiped. Any belts that you consider durable will work as a replacement. The main thing is that they should be tightly woven, preferably from synthetic materials and at least 5-7 cm wide.

Clumped foam

Any grade of foam rubber has such a technical characteristic as the number of compressions. This is an indicator of how many times the material can withstand compression and be able to restore its original shape and elasticity.

Almost always, in old furniture, foam rubber has long outlived its usefulness in this parameter and has turned into dust or a viscous substance resembling sticky plasticine. Therefore, when hauling furniture with your own hands, throw away such material without regret and lay new foam rubber.

Replacing locks

Also, a common problem encountered when repairing upholstered furniture at home with your own hands is locks that have become unusable:

• Over time, the steel mechanism of the lock becomes loose, a play appears in it or the springs fly off, snapping the lock into the “sitting” or “lying” position.
• If this is the reason, then simply change the screw or fit a new latch spring.
• If the matter is in the castle itself, then it is better to change it. Today this is not a problem, in furniture fittings stores you will be offered a large selection of modern locks.

patterns

Before you do your own upholstery of furniture, store fabric must be washed and ironed. After wet-heat treatment, it will shrink and lie flat on the surface. And we don’t throw out the old fabric - on its basis we will make a pattern:

1. We pass the upholstery that has become unusable with an iron to smooth out all the creases and folds. This will allow you to accurately repeat the dimensions.
2. Then we apply the details to the new material and circle with chalk or a thin bar of soap.
3. We add another 1 or 3 cm to the already existing seam allowances. This value depends on the thickness of your new upholstery.
4. We cut the blanks, cutting the fabric exactly along the lines.

It is worth sewing new parts in the same order in which the old ones were dissolved in order to exactly repeat all the contours:

• It is desirable to process the resulting seams on an overlock or a zigzag stitch so that the fabric does not crumble and does not bloom.
• Upholstery fabric with a large nap in the process of upholstery of upholstered furniture with your own hands before machine stitching must be manually swept in order to avoid displacement of parts and so that the lint does not get into the seam, otherwise you will end up with ugly joints.
• If leather substitute, artificial or genuine leather is chosen for upholstery, then use a special roller as a presser foot of a sewing machine when making facial finishing seams. In extreme cases, you can coat the surface of the fabric under the foot with a thin layer of machine oil. Only then will your seams turn out to be even and the same.
• In the case of sewing decorative overlays into the case, all folds must first be sewn manually.
• Try on as often as possible during the sewing process. Foam rubber is a very voluminous material. If you neglect this advice, then your new case may not fit.

Often, when restoring upholstered furniture with your own hands, you have to stretch the fabric not only on the frame, but also on the pillows. So let's take a closer look at this point:

1. Measure the height, width and length of the pillows. These parameters will be needed for the pattern.
2. Repeat the contours on paper or immediately on a new fabric. The main thing - do not forget to add 5 cm for allowances. Then cut out the details.
3. Then straighten the old upholstery, turn it right side down, place a pillow on top of it, and tuck the fabric on all sides so that it sits flat against the pillow.
4. After that, fix the result - fix it with furniture nails to the sofa frame. The distance between the sofa brackets in this case should not be more than 4 cm. To make things easier, it is recommended to fix the fabric in several places, then you should fix the opposite edge of the fabric, which is not processed.

Important! Remember that the fabric must be pulled tightly and gradually, otherwise the result will be worse than you expected. In addition, the fabric deteriorates from poor-quality pulling.

In the same way, do-it-yourself upholstery of upholstered furniture is done on other pillows. By the way, it can be applied to the remaining parts of the sofa, armchair or other furniture.

Do-it-yourself furniture upholstery - master class

Consider a few more options for updating furniture so that you can accurately imagine the entire amount of work in different situations.

Chair restoration

Professionals advise you to start your journey as a restorer with something smaller than a sofa. For example, from a dining chair or pouffe. They require less time and materials. And the fear of spoiling something is not so great:

1. First, we disassemble our chair or stool for details. If you want to change the upholstery and the seats and backs, then first unfasten them from the base. Don't forget to remove the staples from the old upholstery.
2. Then we get down to drawings. This will require 3 measurements - height, width and length. We measure the back separately, the seat separately.
3. If the seat of your chair has an oval shape, then we take measurements at the maximum protruding points.
4. On a sheet of paper we build a pattern that will follow the contours of your furniture.

When the pattern is ready, we do the hauling of furniture with our own hands according to the following instructions:

• We lay the part on the foam rubber, outline its contours, carefully cut it out.
• Next, cut out the same part from the main and draft materials.

Important! It is better to apply markings on the wrong side. Do not forget to make allowances for the hem - as a rule, it equals the height of the seat + 7-9 cm.

• First, we take a piece of foam rubber, apply it to the back or to the seat, if necessary, align the edges. Then we attach it to the base with glue.
• Next, apply a layer of rough fabric. We wrap the edges inward, ensuring a snug fit to the foam rubber, and also fix it with glue.
• All work is done from the center to the edges. So the material will be stretched sufficiently and the surface will be perfect.
• We work in the same way with the main material.

Important! The same algorithm for repairing upholstered furniture at home with your own hands should be repeated already for the finishing fabric, but staples from a large stapler become the fastener. At the end, they are knocked out with a hammer so that they do not fly out by accident. Excess material, if any, must be cut off.

To facilitate the process of fixing the finishing fabric with staples, you can use a simpler algorithm:

• First stretch the material and fasten it in the center on each opposite side, working crosswise - top and bottom, and then on the sides.
• After that, moving away from the center, add 1 staple on each side, constantly keeping the fabric tension under control. This scheme of work allows you to avoid distortions of the fabric and get a flat surface.

As you can see, such a task as hauling upholstered furniture with your own hands, well enough for everyone. The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions and take into account the nuances that professionals willingly share. And do not forget to “rehearse” on smaller furniture to avoid mistakes.