Mark is a master upholster that owns an upholstery business called Craftsman Upholstery. His goal is to help people learn upholstery basics that can help the every day person save money, and reupholster from their own home.
How do you get into cracks? I have a very old table I'm about to do and I can't figure out how to deal with the a large crack? I think it will look odd if it has the old stain/varnish still in the crack when I refurbish it. Not the kind of furniture you do, I know, but I assume this happens on chairs and stuff too?
Wire brushes do well at getting into cracks. If you spray on the stripper that can help it get in and loosen things up. Many cracks are narrow enough that they may not effect your new finish depending on what it is.
incredible video😯 bright and simple to the point. for a back cushion using the same technic yet to have more crown (hope its a good idea) - can i use a block of foam in the middle, leave about 2 inch instead of 1\2 for crowning and fill the rest with dacron? thank you! 😀
Yes you can! all different kinds of crowning are possible and depending on the stretch of your fabric you may need to adjust your crowning for a larger fill in the center. Principles all work the same though.
Thank you for the straightforward video! I am planning on doing patchwork to my fabric daybed, the whole side got obliterated by kittens, but I like the idea of a "boho" patch couch Since cats may do it all over again and I can't afford to keep buying furniture lol. I was trying to see if there's like a stich gun or anything that would do it, but so far this seems like the best method 🤔
Good idea. There are good guides as well that can keep the seam nice and even. The fabric nap always makes it want to crawl one way or the other though.
Very helpful thanks! I reupholstered my entire suite myself teaching myself by taking it apart and reupholstering .....2 chairs need to be done again now but I must replace zigzag springs and sponge etc this time ...how do I calculate the amount of sponge etc needed please....is it the same as the calculation of the fabric? Your help will be much appreciated! 😊
That is really getting into the weeds. You need to know how thick of foam each part of the sofa has (needs) and then to calculate the square footage or overall dimensions using each thickness of foam. For instance most arms are between 1/2" to 3" foam, seat are typically 4-7" foam, backs are 1-3" foam, decks are 1/2" foam, etc. So when you take it apart just be careful to look at the thickness (based on the middle of the foam somewhere instead of an edge and you'll get the right idea.
Do you really need the twine for a chair with the zigzag springs? I’m replacing mine after losing one spring. It’s a Lane chair but it’s a hand me down, but I don’t think they used it.
specifically italian ruby twine. It holds up a lot better than typical bailing twine. I believe it is just a hemp twine but it is durable. If you use something less quality you can double up on the thread to keep the strength up.
Hey great video. Very clear. I'm going to rebuilding some outdoor furniture for six inch thick foam cushions that my friends already have. I want to use the zig zag springs underneath but I am concerned that the pillows won't sit flat on the springs if they have the curve that you show.. Can I stretch the springs out until they are flat?
You wouldn't want to stretch these until they are flat. To eliminate the gap in front you would use edge roll which is a foam, burlap, cotton, bolster that you would attach to the front of the frame and then fill foam or cotton in behind the edge roll so that the sloped portion of the spring is filled in. You could even go without the edge roll if you have a finished wood outside and just fill in with cotton or foam in that sloped region.
Great question. That gets into the guage of steel you use, the spring spacing, the way the frame was built, etc. It all works together in one unit to get the best result. We use 10 guage springs and I would not recommend them on a plywood frame as it would pull it apart. Our sofas are built with 350 lb people in mind so a 12' sofa would need to support 4 people, though you need to look at every piece of the puzzle, not just the springs.
4:38 - If I roll the thread around my finger a few times and then slip it off, I don't have a knot. I have a simple coil shape that immediately unwinds. ???
Would you please share the specific information on the fabric you used on this sofa? Material, brand, style & color? This video was probably the most helpful video I've ever watched on upholstery. Thank you
Hi - this is a great video, thank you - I feel like I want to give this a try! But I'm curious how you compare the zig zag s-springs with nylon webbing, as far as comfort & ease of installation go. I am planning to build the frame of a sectional, and there is shockingly little information comparing them, beyond surface level cost comparisons. I had been planning to just go with nylon webbing, as it seems easier to do -- but springs in my mind jut seem way more comfortable and, based on this video, more accessible to do than I thought they would be!
Interesting that there isn't a good comparison video on them. Ultimately Nylon webbing is a lot stiffer than springs. What springs do really well is they give way a little bit so it doesn't feel like you're sitting on a firm surface. Depending on how tight those springs are it may feel like you mold into the couch or rest on it, where webbing doesn't give that same soft cushy feel. However you can web a sofa and have it be comfortable -- many manufactururs use elastic webbing to get the best of both worlds. The only downside to that is that elastic webbing wears out over time and then you have to fix it or it really feels bad... Hope that helps.
You have a good eye. This is an apprentice upholsterer who did all this work start to finish and you're right-- there is a lot of room for improvement. However the principles are still good.
Here is a link to a kit. www.etsy.com/your/shops/me/listing-editor/edit/1660069671#details It is a heavy weight (roughly 300 weight) braided polyester thread
Excellent question! Ideally you would take the fabric off and then replace the EK clip and springs and then put it back together-- being very careful when removing and re-applying the leather. That would be the ideal situation. If you can't remove the leather because the leather may rip or other constraints I would suggest taking off the dust cover from underneather and applying the spring back to the inside of the frame using clips and screws. That is not quite as good a repair because it puts a lot of strain on the clip to pull directly out of the frame-- but it is not an ideal situation to begin with. Be careful to have plenty of support but not to split the wood with screws too close together (more a concern with hardwood where we would suggest pre-drilling for the screws that close together).
You absolutely can! When re-attaching a cushion that has torn away just keep using the old holes if it is just the thread that broke, or if they are compromised then try to pin or staple the cover in a couple places temporarily to hold it in the right place as you're putting it back together. Good luck!
Im not gonna lie but im pretty sure a good cheat for string is probably just using heavy duty zip ties~ Granted it prob doesnt have the fatigue life or as eco friendly, but it seems like it would do the trick all the same.
It would also do the trick if you have an abundance of zip ties, though a little give is nice so that the springs can have a little more give where the impact zone is.
I'm trying to figure out how to fix a sofa that has a hole, but the fabric is from like 1979 it's orange it's almost like a yarn woven sofa. I don't even know what to call this upholstery.
To fix a hole you can use the ladder stitch, it will just add a pucker when pulled tight. You will need to gather the fabric together to see if it has enough stretch left to do the stitch without straining the fabric and ripping in another place later.
Very informative video! I do furniture repairs in home and do some sagging furniture repair, but typically I don't replace the the springs, but I had one the other day, the cushion seemed fine and not sinking in too much and they were coming back normally to shape and I didn't see any broken wood or Springs coming off when I checked it out from underneath, but my question is will these metal Springs need replacement, do they wear down after so many years even if they look good? What I did was put some webbing horizontally weaving through the Springs horizontally, it seemed to help a little bit but not too much, would you have done something differently? Like replace the springs? Or the cushions? Thanks for your reply!
That is an excellent question. Springs come in different guages and depending on how thick the spring is depends on how much it can handle. No sag springs by design can take a pretty good beating and still function well (as long as they still have zig zag to them they can still stretch) but they can stretch past the point they were designed for. In that case webbing in line with them is not a bad fix or applying burlap to assist the springs. Ultimately if you have a good thick guage spring it won't wear out but that is not always what a sofa comes with.
Sure thing. Check out our chair video-- should be similar for an entire sofa and it goes through each step. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kNkr3kCxnRA.html&ab_channel=CreatewithCraftsman
Great question, the longevity of the spring system will ultimately come down to the quality of the springs and other materials used. We use high quality springs, twine, and FLW (the white synthetic burlap used to cover the springs). If you have good springs and you put them too close together, they can warp or break the frame. The way we install them, they should last for decades.
Great points. I am quite happy with my Lee Industries sofa and chairs. Worked my way through Architecture School in the 70’s working as a draftsman and reupholstering nights and weekends. Cheers
Vinyl is the best waterproof option. There are textured marine vinyls that are waterproof and may be able to hide minor cat damage. Cat claws will generally damage any kind of fabric or upholstery material. A woven fabric will be able to hide minor cat damage better than most, but a cat can still destroy it. There are also some performance woven fabrics that are stain resistant and water may bead up and roll off but it will still absorb some. The fabric brand AVANT GARDE has a line of Splash fabrics with Alta coating that may be the best option for you!
Soy una ama de casa Nicaraguense que ha aprendido el arte del tapizado viendo videos en RU-vid como el tuyo. Aunque no entiendo el idioma, tu video es lo suficientemente visual para poder entender a la perfección. Gracias por compartirlo.
I'm recovering my dining chairs from the ground up. I'm struggling finding a burlap to cover the springs that isn't cost-prohibitive to order. Think I can get away with a strong utility twill that is easy for me to get at my local fabric store?