Sofa upholstery at home - what material to choose, the cost of furniture repair, do-it-yourself restoration step by step. Do-it-yourself repair of folding and roll-out sofa mechanisms Do-it-yourself upholstery replacement technology for upholstered furniture

Upholstered furniture is a popular design available in every living space. They are represented by various products with their own purpose, shape and features. They are equipped in the production process with different types of upholstery, for which fabrics or leather, as well as various artificial materials, can be used. It is the upholstery of furniture that is most often exposed to various negative influences, therefore it quickly wears out. If the design itself is still reliable and of high quality, then the best solution is to replace the upholstery of upholstered furniture. This process allows you to update any piece of furniture, and materials are selected for this purpose, ideally suited to the tastes of the owners.

Do-it-yourself furniture upholstery is easily replaced if you understand this process well. It is important to decide what materials will be used. Different materials can be used as a filler, and their choice depends on whether upholstered furniture will be used as a place to sleep, since in this case it is desirable that the filler be sufficiently rigid.

For furniture, fillers can be selected:

foam rubber, which is characterized by low cost, wear rate and not very high quality, therefore its service life is limited to 5 years;
latex, which has good parameters, high elasticity and repetition of the human body, which contributes to an even distribution of the load, but the cost of this material is considered high;
polyurethane retains its shape well and is environmentally friendly, and its cost is at an acceptable level, so it is available to every customer;
synthetic winterizer makes it possible to give old furniture any shape and relief;
holofiber has a high wear resistance, keeps its shape perfectly, is hygienic and environmentally friendly;
coconut tow makes it possible to separate the filler from the springs of a sofa or chair, therefore, the service life of the interior item itself increases.

holofiber

Polyurethane

Sintepon

In addition to the filler, you need to choose the material for upholstering upholstered furniture. For this, different fabrics or leather with different parameters and appearance can be used. A photo of the finished skin can be seen below. The most popular materials for furniture upholstery are:

flock, which has a low cost and not too good strength, and is also characterized by low abrasion resistance;
velor, which ensures the creation of a pleasant upholstery, and it is considered resistant to various influences, which guarantees a long service life with proper care;
the tapestry is pleasant to the touch and has a beautiful appearance, so this upholstery for furniture is chosen quite often;
leather or leatherette are attractive materials that provide presentable furniture, but it is quite difficult to work with them, and high-quality products are also expensive;
jacquard is durable and soft, and it does not require specific care, therefore it is considered an excellent choice for various types of upholstered furniture.

Thus, sofas and armchairs can be sheathed with different types of materials, since they are actually presented in numerous varieties. The selection process should take into account your own preferences, the ease of working with different fabrics, as well as the available funds for these actions.

Calculation of the required amount of material

It is not difficult to change the upholstery of furniture, but for this you need to perform certain stages of work. Before direct work, it is recommended to watch several video tutorials to take into account the numerous nuances of the process, as well as to be aware of specific pitfalls.

Reupholstering furniture can be done with different fabrics, and after choosing them, calculations should be made that provide information on how much fabric or leather you need to buy in order to perform the planned work without interruption.

The calculation can be performed independently or using special computer programs. Additionally, there are quite a few special online calculators that are easy to use. They allow you to quickly get the desired result when you enter certain data. All methods are simple to implement, but if a self-calculation method is chosen, then the following actions are performed:

the master who will be doing the work measures the armrests;
then measurements are taken from the back and seat of upholstered furniture;
10 cm is added to each value obtained, since it is important to purchase material with a margin.

Thus, determining how much material to purchase for furniture upholstery is quite simple. Each person independently decides which method of calculation will be used.

Measuring the seat and back

Required Tools

To perform the work, standard tools will be required, since reupholstery does not require specific products. For the process you will need:

ordinary furniture stapler;
screwdriver;
sharp knife;
pliers, hammer, scissors, round nose pliers, needle and some other small tools.

For more reliable fastening of materials, it is recommended to additionally purchase high-quality PVA glue.

Stages of work

The upholstery of upholstered furniture at home is changed quite quickly and simply, but in order to obtain a high-quality and optimal result, it is recommended that you carefully study the correct instructions beforehand. Photos of the sequential process are located below.

Structural analysis

The process begins with the fact that the furniture is disassembled into separate components with your own hands. The master class of this process is presented in the photo below. The procedure may differ depending on which furniture is being disassembled.

For disassembly, it is necessary to remove all mechanical fasteners, which include various nails or bolts, and significant efforts should not be made during work, as they can contribute to causing significant damage to the frame.

During work, care must be taken to ensure that the old upholstery is not damaged, as it will still need to be used to create blanks from new material.

To pull out the staples, special tools or ordinary screwdrivers are used. Often you have to deal with the fact that it is impossible to pull out any element, and in this case it is simply clogged with a hammer.

We dismantle furniture

Remove all mechanical fasteners

We take out the staples

The old upholstery will certainly be carefully torn apart, as it will still come in handy in subsequent stages of work. This work must be done carefully, and often manufacturers attach the material really securely to the frame of the furniture, so you will have to make significant efforts to release it.

There are many materials for creating upholstery, so different types can be found on furniture. A video of the sequential dismantling of the upholstery is presented below.

cutting material

The next step involves the creation of special blanks from the material selected to create a new upholstery. The whole process is divided into successive stages:

the old parts of the upholstery are laid on the new material;
they are marked with a pencil or chalk;
according to the markings, the necessary blanks are cut out, and it is desirable to add 5 cm on each side to ensure easy and simple bending of the material.

New furniture upholstery at home can be made in the form of covers, but this option is only suitable for furniture that is completely disassembled into individual elements.

The old parts of the upholstery are stacked on the new

Create markup

Cut out blanks

Wrapping elements

As soon as all parts of the future new upholstery are prepared, they begin to wrap up upholstered furniture with their own hands. If the structures are equipped with a wooden frame, then pre-lacquering is considered a good solution.

Elements of new upholstery are attached to the main parts of the furniture using a furniture stapler and staples, and it is important to properly straighten the material first. No wrinkles or irregularities are allowed, so they must be eliminated promptly.

While working, it is necessary to stretch the fabric well and carefully, and if it is attached too loosely, it will not last long. Thus, changing the upholstery is actually quite simple, if you approach this process responsibly and with all care.

Assembly

The last stage of work is that the master must assemble the disassembled piece of furniture back. This action is performed only after all the elements are sheathed with new fabric or leather.

The process should be carried out in the same way as the disassembly of the structure, but only in reverse order. During operation, various loose elements can be detected, and they need to be tightened and fixed. In some places, it is allowed to improve the fastening with PVA glue.

It is recommended to take photos of this process when disassembling furniture, since people often have difficulty processing the assembly of the structure, and photographs will help determine the correct actions. Thus, changing the upholstery is actually simple, if you carefully understand this process, use only high-quality materials and perform all actions carefully.

The nuances of work

The stages of repair and upholstery of upholstered furniture are specific actions that allow you to update and improve the condition and appearance of any structure. To save money, often these works are carried out on their own. To get the perfect result, some nuances are taken into account:

it is recommended to use special fabrics or other materials specially designed for furniture upholstery, as they are highly wear-resistant and of good quality, easy to clean and durable;
it is often necessary to replace the padding, and not the upholstery, and in this case, one should focus on the purchase of an elastic and high-quality material that does not lose its shape even under constant and serious loads;
if the work is being done for the first time, it is recommended to use easy-to-use materials to create upholstery, and they should also be inexpensive so that when a mistake is made, it is not necessary to spend a lot of money on correcting it;
for furniture, it is important to choose upholstery that fits perfectly into the interior and suits the taste and preferences of direct users;
taken into account when choosing a material, in what operating conditions it will be used, since if upholstered furniture is installed in the kitchen, then the upholstery should not absorb odors, and should also be easy to clean and resistant to moisture.

Thus, the replacement of furniture upholstery is a rather specific procedure, in the study of which you can carry out the process on your own. For this, different fabrics or leather, as well as other materials, can be used. Simultaneously with the replacement of the upholstery, even the filler can be changed, which will significantly increase the comfort of using the structure, as well as increase its service life. To ensure an excellent result of work, it is recommended that you first carefully study the current instructions, as well as understand the nuances of the procedure in order to avoid mistakes.

During use, upholstered furniture often becomes unusable, which manifests itself in the form of worn upholstery and sagging foam rubber. In this case, hauling furniture saves the situation. Replacing spring blocks and re-upholstering a sofa or chair is not difficult, it is important to have the necessary tools. We offer a closer look at the process of updating furniture.

To begin the first steps of replacing upholstery and other components, it is important to choose the right materials. These include the selection of fabric, the choice of filler: synthetic winterizer and foam rubber, as well as other components. Repair of upholstered furniture is easy to carry out on your own, because this does not require special skills.

Having started the selection of upholstery material, be guided by the existing interior, so that the updated furniture is harmoniously written out in style and design in the environment. Pay attention to the recommendations:

material for furniture upholstery should not shed or be too rough, therefore, in addition to aesthetic options, also consider the practicality of the fabric;
check that the pile on the fabric is firmly fixed, otherwise during operation these areas will wear out faster;
material of increased thickness will help to hide some flaws when fitting a sofa or chair at home, if this is done for the first time.

A private country house is usually equipped with expensive furniture with luxury upholstery. A tapestry is a good option, but it is expensive and is unlikely to be suitable for a first experience in upholstery. It is better to give preference to companion fabrics, which are represented by two variations: plain material, and a fabric with a pattern on the same background.

In order for the restoration of furniture items to be of high quality, it is necessary to choose a good synthetic winterizer. It is placed instead of foam rubber or used simultaneously with it. In addition, it is suitable for upholstering sofa cushions. Below are the criteria that determine the relevance of raw materials in order for the upholstery of furniture to pass without problems, you should take care of the choice of material:

The color of the material indicates its quality. It should be white, and if there are impurities of other colors, then it is recyclable;
the synthetic winterizer should be tight and not torn in the hands at the first attempt to stretch it;
there should be no gaps on the canvases;
the smell of synthetic winterizer is practically absent, but if it exists and has a sharp shade, it is better to refuse to choose such a material - it is necessary to drag the furniture only with high-quality fillers.

Another important component is foam rubber. It has many markings and varieties that differ from each other in the characteristics of density, rigidity and elasticity. Do-it-yourself furniture upholstery involves the use of foam rubber that is suitable for the purpose of the items. For example, for sofas, materials with a thickness of at least 10 cm are used; for chairs, it would be appropriate to use a material of 5 cm.

In addition to the specified raw materials, you will need a special felt that is laid between the layers of foam rubber, as well as batting - when hauling old furniture with your own hands, this material helps to soften the structure of the foam rubber. Sometimes it is used instead of synthetic winterizer.

Necessary tools for the job

To perform the tightening procedure on your own, you need to have a number of tools in your arsenal that are important for obtaining an effective result:

screwdrivers, a screwdriver, wrenches - all of the above devices will be needed in order to dismantle old furniture. Before the hauling, all furniture parts must be twisted and disassembled, because each element is updated separately;
pliers or round-nose pliers, as well as a chisel or a special puller for furniture staples. Having disassembled the furniture, it is necessary to remove the upholstery, which is fixed with staples. Pulling them out of a sofa or chair, you need to help yourself with pliers;
upholstering of upholstered furniture at home is carried out with the help of a furniture stapler and staples of the appropriate length. When choosing this tool, give preference to the mechanical option if you plan to fit a small number of products. If large-scale work will be done, it is better to purchase an electric stapler.

In addition to the listed devices, sharp scissors, a construction knife, a hammer and a tape measure will come in handy. Immediately after selecting the tools, proceed to the repair of furniture - hauling one medium-sized product will not take much time.

Stages of work

Before proceeding with the process of furniture upholstery, the photo sequence of which is presented in our article, it is necessary to carefully inspect the products for wear and tear. It is important to identify the main problems that arose during operation. Answer the question: what made the furniture unusable, and which areas should be given the most attention. All stages can be clearly seen in the video tutorial on the implementation of the waist.

The procedure itself consists of the following steps:

disassembly of furniture items;
removal of old upholstery;
replacement of springs and filler;
pattern of details from fabric;
upholstery details;
final assembly.

Do-it-yourself upholstering of upholstered furniture is carried out according to the specified plan, so each of the steps of work must be considered in more detail.

Furniture disassembly

The process of dismantling old furniture depends on its design. If we are talking about a soft sofa, then the side backs and headrests, as well as additional equipment, are first twisted. Further, wherever you can unscrew the mechanisms, you need to remove them from the sofa. After that, disconnect the main part of the product from its frame.

In the case of chair seats, it won't take long. Here it is necessary to remove only those parts that will be dragged. In order not to get confused in the sequence of work, watch the video posted in this article, it will help you fully understand the order of tasks.

Disassemble carefully and slowly so as not to accidentally damage the mechanisms and fasteners. If the product has not been disassembled before, it will not be superfluous to mark the mounting seats with a pencil. During the final assembly, you don’t have to look for places for fastening parts for a long time.

Foldable side backs and headrests

Unscrew all mechanisms and hardware

Removing old upholstery

A good tip for beginners in this business is to carefully remove the upholstery for later use as patterns for new fabrics. Updated furniture is also refreshed with leatherette, which has a more affordable price than elite leather. During the process, you will need to perform the following steps:

using a screwdriver, thin chisel or file, carefully pry off all the staples;
pull out the staples using wire cutters or pliers.

Make sure that not a single fixing element remains, because it is easy to get hurt about it when repairing furniture with your own hands. In order not to contaminate the floor surface, it would be appropriate to lay a film or old newspapers. Often, unusable foam rubber begins to crumble from under the upholstery, which is difficult to clean in the future.

Before you drag the furniture, check the quality of the old foam rubber: here you can see which places need to be reinforced.

When performing this range of tasks, it is necessary to comply with the technologies that were incorporated into the furniture by the manufacturer. If innovations are used instead, there is a risk of a complete reconfiguration of the product, which may affect its quality in the future.

If the springs are still in good condition, then they are repaired. This is done with the help of improvised tools, by bending the devices in the right direction. When the material is damaged, it is better to purchase a new spring block that pleases all users with its elasticity.

The banner of old furniture is carried out taking into account the replacement of the filler, which is foam rubber, synthetic winterizer, felt or batting. Foam rubber is used constantly, only its elasticity and thickness differ. For armchairs and sofas, thicker material is used, and for chairs and upholstered stools, raw materials of lower density are used.

Structurally, first a spring side is laid, after which foam rubber is placed, sandwiched with felt for reliability. Before upholstering the product, it is covered with batting or synthetic winterizer, which serves to prevent slipping. In order to clearly understand how to drag upholstered furniture, study a special master class that helps you understand all the stages of the procedure.

Pattern of fabric details

For the pattern, use the old upholstery: it will be easier to get the right sizes. Remember to leave 2-3 cm in allowances, in case the fabric does not lie flat.

Before you make an independent pattern, you must thoroughly measure all the dimensions of the fitted part and carefully develop a drawing. Doing it yourself is difficult and time consuming, so it is still recommended to use old material templates. Therefore, do not tear or cut, and even more so do not throw away the canvases that have just been removed, but leave them for the subsequent stages of work.

We measure furniture

We prepare tools and materials

Cut out the details

upholstery details

To upholster furniture with your own hands, you will need a stapler and a new fabric material cut out according to patterns. Start by upholstering the simplest pieces, such as the armrests or square-shaped side panels. Pay attention to the recommendations:

test the stapler with staples on an unnecessary piece of fabric and wood;
correctly select the depth of the staples so that the new upholstery is firmly fixed to the frame;
pull the fabric tighter to avoid warping the pattern;
if upholstery is done for the first time, use materials with ordinary embossed ornaments - it is better to refuse complex patterns that require docking.

If the sofa book is dragged, after updating the main part, check its viability. Fold and unfold the sofa to see if the upholstery is slipping and what places need to be corrected.

In this article: how to choose upholstery; how to choose foam rubber; characteristics of foam rubber; How is the upholstery of upholstered furniture done? what tools and materials will be needed; the sequence of upholstery of the sofa-book; to change or not to change the filler when changing the upholstery; some nuances of upholstery work.

A sofa, an easy chair, some kind of sofa or ottoman are indispensable items in any apartment or house. They decorate living rooms, where you can comfortably sit and watch TV, read the latest press or your favorite book. Two problems usually arise with upholstered furniture: how best to arrange it and how to replace the upholstery. Brainstorming at a family council will help solve the first problem, and this article will help to cope with the second problem.

Despite the desire of the owners to keep the perfect look of their favorite piece of furniture for as long as possible, many factors intervene in this desire: restless children, pets, hot drinks (it is difficult to hold them in your hands), neighbors from above (periodically pour), cosmetic repairs (and how cement got under the film on the chair?), etc. In other words, the upholstery takes on an unpresentable look and something needs to be done about it. The solution to the problem is do-it-yourself furniture hauling. Doubt that you will succeed? How else will it turn out - after all, the work of the master is afraid!

Foam mats used for furniture upholstery differ in three parameters: mat thickness, density and stiffness. The optimal thickness of the foam mat should be: for the seat and backrest - at least 40 mm, to add volume to the sidewalls of the sofa (chair), 20 mm thickness is enough. Repair of upholstered furniture is carried out with foam rubber with a density of 25 to 30 units. (or kg / m3) - for backrests and more than 30 units. - for seats, with stiffness up to 46 units.

Its service life depends on the indicators of density and rigidity of the foam rubber - the lower the density, the higher the tendency of the foam rubber to crumble and deform during physical exertion. Greater rigidity increases the wear resistance of the filler, but reduces its elasticity. This is why seating upholstery often uses foam rubber of two different hardness types: a stiffer first layer, then a layer with less stiffness.

In addition to foam rubber and upholstery fabric, you will need a coarse cotton fabric or canvas - the foam rubber is covered with it and only after that the upholstery fabric is attached. This creates a double barrier to dust.

How to calculate the right amount of material for furniture upholstery

The required amount of foam rubber is determined after measuring the places for its installation on the sidewalls, back and seat. Upholstery fabric and canvas are required in the same quantity, the total footage is determined after measurements of the old upholstery. It is necessary to purchase materials in larger quantities than actually required - by about 10-15%. So you can protect yourself from the mistakes made in the calculations and the drawing can be adjusted.

Stage one

We disassemble the sofa-book into its constituent elements. To do this, disconnect the sidewalls by unscrewing the fasteners between them and the frame. We remove the sidewalls to the side and disconnect the seat and back from the frame. We remove the locking mechanism from the back and seat, separating them from each other. In the process of disassembling the sofa into elements, a digital camera is useful - before dismantling, take a picture of the attachment procedure, this will greatly facilitate reassembly after the upholstery is completed.

Unfasten the upholstery on the sides - it is usually fastened with staples at the bottom, facing the floor. To remove the brackets, use a negative (flat) screwdriver and round-nose pliers - you need to pry off the bracket and remove it with round-nose pliers. Do not cut the old upholstery - unfasten and pull it off the side of the sofa. Under the old upholstery there will be either a layer of foam rubber, or cotton batting or synthetic winterizer, connected to the wooden (plywood) base of the sidewall with glue or staples. If you are satisfied with the state of this layer, you can not change it. Nevertheless, if the sofa has been in your family for a long time (more than 7-10 years), then its filler is unlikely to be in good condition and various insects could well have settled in its contents.

Suppose that you still decide to replace the sofa filler - it must be completely removed from the sidewalls. There is no need to be careful here - rip it off without ceremony. Inspect each sidewall: remove the remaining brackets and fragments of the filler, without touching the fastening of the screws that connect the sidewalls to the base of the sofa.

So, you have completely exposed the base of the sidewalls - it's time to think about whether you want to change their appearance, for example, to give them volume. To get voluminous (rounded) sidewalls of the sofa, you will need foam rubber 20-40 mm thick. Do not lay foam rubber on the inner, invisible from above part of the sidewalls, otherwise it will be difficult to connect them to the frame.

Lay the sidewall on the sheet of foam rubber with its outer (outer) side and with a wallpaper knife make a pattern so that the foam rubber covers the entire outer side of the sidewall and 45-50% of the inner side (i.e., the section of the sidewall from the top to the sofa seat). On the left and right, make an allowance of about 70-80 mm to wrap the sidewall from the ends. Then stretch and wrap the foam rubber along the ends of the sidewall, securing it with staples using a construction stapler. Next, fix the foam rubber in the lower part of the front side and, wrapping it around the top of the sidewall and pulling it, fix it from the inside. Now it's the turn of the canvas - put the foam-covered sidewall on the unfolded canvas and cut it with scissors. The canvas should completely cover the entire layer of foam rubber, it must be fastened from the bottom, then pulled, wrapped on top and secured with staples. Next, pull and fasten on the sides - first one side, then we stretch and fasten the other.

If you have decided not to add volume to the sidewalls with foam rubber, lay cotton batting or synthetic winterizer on them in one layer, followed by covering them with canvas. The line of upholstery fabric - it needs to be cut out using the old upholstery as a template, then sewn and put on the sidewalls, tightly pulled and secured with staples from the bottom. When cutting a new upholstery, make sure that the pattern on both sides matches, do not confuse the wrong side and the front side of the upholstery fabric. Larger, due to the laid foam, the volume of the sidewalls must be taken into account when cutting the material, slightly increasing the size of the patterns.

Furniture restoration - the turn of the back and seat of the sofa-book

Move the finished sidewalls to the side so as not to interfere, placing them vertically. Start from the seat - carefully remove the old upholstery, remove the filler, exposing the spring block. Inspect the springs: if they are damaged, replace them. If the wooden frame of the seat is loose or has defective parts, replace them and strengthen the frame using furniture screws of sufficient length.

Lay a thick fabric on the spring block, attaching it in several places to the block with a harsh thread and a needle. Lay the foam - first a layer of hard foam, then softer - across the frame and the spring block mounted on it. Attach the foam to the wood frame from the front, pull it through the spring block and secure it to the back of the frame, then to the sides. Next, you need to cover the foam rubber with canvas, attaching it to the front of the frame, pulling it and fixing it on the back side - pull it with some force, avoiding wrinkles. Attach the canvas to one end of the frame, stretch and secure to the other end. Having cut out a new upholstery based on the old one, take into account the larger volume of filler. Upholstery solution - without cutting the old upholstery, fasten and stretch the new upholstery fabric in the same way as the previous canvas, i.e. fastening it in front of the wooden frame, and then pulling it hard and fastening it at the back, fasten it on the sides in the same way.

sofa back upholstery

It is performed similarly to the upholstery of the seat, but with some reservations. When laying the filler, hard foam rubber is not used, only soft foam. The foam rubber layer is attached only to the upper part of the wooden frame and is not displayed on the bottom - it must be cut off along the edge of the spring block. Why is this done - if you remove the back foam from edge to edge of the wooden frame, then it will either not be possible to expand / fold the sofa book after collection, or it will be extremely difficult - the volumetric foam rubber will completely block the gap between the seat and back sashes.

If you bring a layer of foam rubber from edge to edge of the wooden frame only on the seat of the sofa, then the remaining gap will be sufficient to unfold / fold the sofa. Doing the upholstery of furniture with your own hands, be sure to pay attention to this nuance. Let me remind you again - make sure that the upholstery pattern on the seat and backrest match!

Upholstery of furniture - the final stage

All elements of the sofa-book are upholstered and ready for assembly. Inspect the main frame of the sofa, replacing damaged parts and reinforcing loose parts using furniture screws and PVA glue (it is better to use PVA dispersion - it is more saturated). In the process of do-it-yourself furniture upholstery, the final assembly of a piece of upholstered furniture is one of the most difficult stages.

It is necessary to install and fix the locking mechanism, making sure that it is stable - if necessary, bore the holes in it for larger diameter screws and fasten the frames of the locking mechanism to them. When connecting the back and seat of the sofa together, the application of force is required. If you can’t connect, then the foam layer between them is too large - carefully unfasten the upholstery and canvas on the inside of the seat frame and cut off part of the foam rubber with a wallpaper knife, i.e. reduce its size. Again, tighten and secure the canvas and upholstery alternately, then try to connect the back and seat with the locking mechanism - everything should work out.

Install the back and seat of the sofa, interconnected, on the main frame, make sure the fastening is good. Then attach first one, then the other sidewall. Check the sofa-book for folding / unfolding, if necessary, slightly loosen / tighten the fasteners.

That's all, the work is finished, the sofa hauling is completed - we put it in its proper place and use it along with other pieces of upholstered furniture.

This article shows the process of reupholstering a sofa-book, as one of the most difficult objects of work to change the upholstery and filler. The upholstery of an armchair, sofa and any other piece of upholstered furniture is carried out according to almost the same scheme.

Abdyuzhanov Rustam, especially for rmnt.ru

It happens that after several years of use, the sofa needs to replace the spring. What to do: send it to a landfill or try to fix the situation? Let's talk further about how do-it-yourself sofa repairs are done at home, replacing springs, their specific characteristics and much more.

When to Replace

The sofa has several structural elements that provide its user with high comfort, comfortable rest, relaxation of the muscles of the musculoskeletal system: springs, frame, upholstery. When choosing a particular model, you need to pay attention to their quality so that the product does not need repairs for a long time.

If upholstered furniture is made of quality materials, it will have a long service life. But sometimes even first-class models need repair after some time of operation.

Diagram of the sofa device

Replacing the spring system of sofas of different sizes, colors and configurations is required in a number of cases:

the model has served for a very long time, so the springs have weakened their action. As a result, there are dents and bulges on the sitting surface, and it is not very comfortable to use the product, especially when unfolded;
it is necessary to repair the furniture if the spring structure used in the manufacturing process had a factory defect, poor quality, and so on, but this fact became clear only after some time of operation of the furniture;
repairs may be needed when the level of stiffness of the spring elements was chosen irrationally, that is, they do not suit its owners in terms of comfort and stiffness. But, unfortunately, such a characteristic as the level of rigidity cannot be adjusted in a significant way. You can either replace the spring system with a different model, softer or more rigid, or slightly soften the mattress with foam rubber.

Dents on the sofa

Spring types

One of the most important criteria in terms of the comfort of such furniture is a unit with practical springs. Repairing sofas at home may require replacing all the elements, but before you start work, you need to determine what kind of these elements the sofa has. Modern manufacturers use these types of springs.

Types of springs	pros	Minuses
	Simple design, high comfort, long service life, affordable price.	High softness, the ability to sag (hammock effect), which is why they are rarely used for the manufacture of folding model seats.
One piece Bonnel block	Affordable cost, wide distribution, durability, high comfort.	It can creak over time, if individual springs are damaged, the entire unit will need to be replaced.
Block of independent springs	Each spring is isolated from the rest, so this option provides the person sitting on the sofa with the maximum level of comfort.	High price. If one or two elements are damaged, you can only replace them.

Note that the service life of the described types of modern systems is different, which also affects the final cost of the sofa. The most durable and expensive are designs with a block of independent springs, and the most affordable options are on a flat spring snake.

Block Bonnel

Independent springs

snake

Required Tools

Self-repair of a sofa in the living room or kitchen allows you to save a lot, because the services of professionals in this area can be expensive, and the springs they offer to replace old ones can be more expensive than their counterparts in the store. Do-it-yourself sofa springs are not difficult to replace if you carefully prepare for the work: purchase new structural elements, acquire up-to-date tools, and draw up detailed instructions for performing operations.

To repair the sofa spring block with your own hands, you will need to have the following tools at your disposal:

yardstick;
wrench for disassembling the sofa frame;
flat screwdriver for dismantling the staples on the upholstery;
pliers for replacing metal products;
stationery knife or scissors for cutting the underlying layer;
construction stapler for fixing the upholstery on the frame.

Tools

How is the replacement

If you want to renovate your sofa without using the services of professional furniture makers, you should carefully study the procedure. You need to start by disassembling the sofa, or rather, by detaching its side parts with a wrench. Do not allow these structural elements to fall freely after dismantling, mark each of them so as not to confuse the left and right parts during subsequent assembly. Next, the mechanisms are dismantled, the seat, backrest and, if available, the pallet are disconnected in turn.

To remove the covers, you will need to use pliers. With their help, carefully, without jerking, pull out the fastening brackets. Otherwise, the upholstery may be damaged.

Parsing the sofa should begin with the removal of the side elements

Sofa in disassembled form

Pull out the mattress, proceed to repair the springs. Using a damp rag, it is worth removing dust from the surface of the structure, and then carefully inspect all the springs. Remove damaged springs with pliers and replace with new ones. Next, cover the spring block with a pad of foam rubber or other material to increase its life.

Carefully remove upholstery

Damaged spring

Spring attachment options

The fact is that during the operation of the sofa, differences are created between those springs, which are pressured by the weight of a person, and those springs that remain in an unused form. This leads to deformation of the spring block and the need for its repair. If you fill the gaps between the springs with foam rubber, and also cover the entire mattress with a similar material, this can somewhat smooth out the load difference. Ultimately, the sofa mattress will last longer.

Good furniture has always been expensive. And, despite the fact that it is, unlike, more durable than its cheap counterparts, it also becomes unusable. Especially upholstered furniture, such as a sofa, because it is constantly used. And when this happens, the question arises before us, what to do with it? What to do with a sofa in which the upholstery has lost its aesthetic appearance or the springs have broken free? There are three ways to solve this issue: throw it away and buy a new one (the most expensive option), call a furniture repairman or, armed with a tool, repair the sofa yourself.

We note right away that the last two solutions are for an “old”, but high-quality wooden sofa. Cheap sofas, the frame of which is made of chipboard, are very difficult to repair and in most cases it is easier to purchase a new one. But if the frame is intact, you can try to restore it too. So, to repair the sofa with our own hands, we need, in addition to desire, to know the structure of the sofa, the materials that are used and the sequence of work. Our article will try to answer all this.

sofa design

Before proceeding with the repair, let's look at the elements of the sofa and their purpose. And although your sofa may differ from the one shown in the picture, nevertheless, the purpose of the main elements is identical. The sofa consists of:

The armrest can be made of wood, chipboard, MDF, metal, it can be soft (upholstered).
Upholstery fabric or leather, there is a fairly large variety of upholstery materials, both natural and synthetic.
A layer of synthetic winterizer or batting.
Foam rubber, in high-quality sofas, furniture with a density of 35 mm is used.
Polyurethane foam pads are not used in all models. It serves for additional cushioning and weight distribution, thanks to such inserts, the surface of the sofa has orthopedic properties.
Spring block, the main shock-absorbing structural element.
Burlap or felt prevents unpleasant sounds from rubbing metal against plywood.
Fiberboard, serves as the base of the sofa mattress.
The frame of the sofa can be made of wood, metal and chipboard.
Flazelin.
Rail for rollers, can be located at the bottom of the box for the bed and be either wooden or metal.
Box or niche for bedding.

Design and construction features may differ from the presented version, but all these items will be available. Therefore, when you disassemble your sofa, you will know the purpose of certain parts of it.

Let us consider in more detail those parts of the sofa that affect its main characteristics.

Frame - the main supporting structure. Production material: wood, metal, chipboard or combined. The durability of the entire sofa depends on the quality of the selected materials and its assembly. Chipboard, fiberboard are used as panel elements and parts of the frame filling.

Sofa filling. This includes all materials between the frame and the upholstery fabric. Not only the service life of the sofa, its convenience, but also its environmental safety depend on the layout, types and quality of these materials. In more detail about the materials that are used to fill the sofas, we will talk in the second part of the article.

Transformation mechanism. The type and design of your sofa depends on the design of this mechanism. That is, if the mechanism of your sofa is, say, “click-clack”, then it will not work to make a “Eurobook” out of the sofa. Is it possible to change the elements of the frame, and this is tantamount to creating furniture with your own hands. In addition, the comfort of using such furniture depends on the quality of manufacture of such mechanisms. Not to mention the time of operation before the first repair.

Types of materials and accessories

We have come to the second part of the article, where we will take a closer look at the materials for filling sofas and the transformation mechanisms. You need to know this at least in general terms, since in addition to disassembly and assembly, you will also have to go to the store for the appropriate elements and materials. And since the choice in modern stores is very diverse, and sellers are not always eager to help the buyer make a reasonable purchase, it remains to rely on your own head and intuition.

Let's start with an overview of the main mechanisms of transformation. To date, the following options are usually common:

Book, the most common option and the most reliable. The seat rises to a click and falls - the sofa is laid out.
Eurobook, the design of such a sofa is transformed as follows - the back cushions are removed, the seat rolls out and the back is lowered in its place.

Eurobook "tick - so", unlike the previous mechanism, the seat does not roll out, but moves in a semicircle.
Accordion, the sofa layout mechanism is implemented according to the accordion principle. Consists of three parts. When the seat is slightly raised until it clicks, the mechanism moves forward, spreading the sofa. Repairing the accordion sofa mechanism makes almost no sense if the elements are bent, they can be leveled, but since the transformation takes place with effort, the mechanism will bend again in that place.

Click - klyak, allows the sofa to have three positions of the sofa, "relax" (half-folded) and the actual bed. It should be noted that such sofas have a metal frame.

Dolphin is used, as a rule, in corner sofas, in the lower part of the sofa there is a strap, by pulling which the transformation mechanism is activated, the second part of the bed leaves and rises to the height of the seat.

If the transformation mechanism is faulty and needs to be replaced, buy the type that was originally. Other types of mechanisms are not interchangeable, they simply will not work. So, for example, when repairing a sofa “click-clack”, the mechanism for transforming a sofa-book will not work, despite the fact that the difference is only in one position - “relax”. They are different both in size and in the principle of operation. And the frames of such sofas are different.

Consider the materials that are used in filling the sofa. The best option was and still is the spring block, which is lined with burlap and covered with burlap and batting. But this is one of the most expensive options. Therefore, to reduce the cost, foam rubber and calico are used. In the cheapest versions of sofas, the spring block is generally abandoned and replaced with several layers of polyurethane foam, comfort, etc.

Since we do everything for ourselves, we need sufficiently high-quality materials. These include:

Polyurethane foam (PPU) is an environmentally friendly material with increased wear resistance. To repair the sofa, we need special furniture foam rubber, as a rule, it has a thickness of 40 mm or more. It provides maximum seating comfort.
Hollofiber is a material that perfectly retains its shape over a long service life. Environmentally friendly and safe. Refers to the "breathable" materials, allows wet cleaning of the sofa.
The synthetic winterizer - elastic - elastic material, is ecologically safe. It has a high resistance to fungal contamination, does not absorb water and gives softness and relief to upholstered furniture.
The quilted jacket is a kind of sandwich - two layers of coarse fabric with a 5 cm layer of cotton wool. Excellent material for covering the spring block.
Periotek - has a high resistance to deformation, holds its shape well. Hypoallergenic, durable and heat-resistant material.

And the last necessary material for repairing a sofa is upholstery fabric or leather. Leather is a very troublesome business, and it is better to entrust the repair of leather sofas to professional furniture makers. But with fabric it is much easier and you can replace such upholstery yourself. All upholstery fabrics are divided into woven and non-woven textiles. In this case, non-woven, as a rule, have a synthetic base and a synthetic coating. The most common upholstery fabrics are:

Flock is a soft, pleasant to the touch material. Strong, durable, does not fade. Good for cleaning with neutral detergents. Composition: approximately 65% synthetics and 35% cotton.

Velor - pile fabric. Unlike flock, it is woven, not glued. Accordingly, it is more durable and natural, but the price is higher. The basis of two types: cotton and wool.
Jacquard - artificial silk, very durable material with high resistance to fading. The fabric is made in two layers, so either side can be used in furniture upholstery.
Chenille - strong and durable, velvet fabric. They produce two options: adhesive and woven, the latter are more natural and, accordingly, more expensive. High-quality chenille is prone to the formation of pile on the surface.
Tapestry is a natural upholstery fabric, one might say "elite" among upholstery materials. Easy to clean with detergents. The most expensive material

sofa repair

We got acquainted with the structural elements of the sofa, selected and purchased the materials, it's time to take the tool and repair it. For this work we need:

Screwdrivers, flat and Phillips;
Pliers;
A set of open end wrenches for 8/10 and 12/14;
Stapler with a set of staples 10 and 16 mm;
Joiner's glue or, at worst, PVA;
Scissors, a fitter's knife and a hammer;
Self-tapping screws 35 - 45 mm long;
If there is a screwdriver or a drill, we put a bed in the access zone.

Upholstery replacement

All repairs will require complete or partial disassembly of the sofa. It is advisable to carry out these works in two persons, but if it is not possible, you can use wooden blocks as a backup. Before disassembly, prepare a camera (mobile with a camera) or a piece of paper and a pen. This is necessary in order to mark the installation locations of some elements and their correct position (right / left, etc.).

Dismantling the sofa begins with the armrests. In some models, they can be combined with legs, in others separate. In the first case, place a wooden beam under the base of the sofa, so that it “hangs” from one end. So you will not pinch the bolts of the side elements. The "sides" are fastened with two bolts, in order to get to them it is necessary to raise the seat of the sofa, or pull out the retractable part, it depends on the design of the sofa.

After having dealt with the armrests, it is necessary to remove the transformation mechanism. To do this, use a screwdriver or screwdriver / drill. It is attached with one part to the frame, and the other to the seat and backrest. In an ordinary sofa - a book, this is not difficult, it is enough to turn the seat and backs with a soft part to the floor - access to the mechanism is free. When repairing corner sofas with a dolphin mechanism, there are no special problems either. In other models, it is not so free, nor should there be insurmountable difficulties. Accordion sofa repair is similar. We take pictures or write down which mechanism, where it stood.

After that, depending on the design of the sofa, it is necessary to disassemble the rest of the sofa, back and seat, so that the frame remains. All these elements either freely “sit” in their places, or are bolted.

This is followed by the removal of the upholstery, since we have to replace it, then we remove it from all parts of the sofa. This is easy enough to do with a regular flathead screwdriver and pliers. At the same time, we take out all the metal parts, whether it be screws, nails or staples. Make sure not to miss anything, if they stay in the future they can break through the new upholstery, and this is very disappointing.

After removing the upholstery, take a closer look at the mattress, if its condition is suspicious, disassemble it as well. Read more about mattress repair below. In this case, we need to replace the upholstery. We removed the old one and now we have two ways to solve the replacement problem. The first is to try, as in workshops, to sew a cover. To do this, you must have a sewing machine capable of sewing coarse fabric and sewing skills. You can use the services of a tailoring studio. And the second is to upholster by hand. If the design of the sofa is not intricate, it will turn out easily. But in the case of complex design decisions, you still have to sew a cover. With a cover, changing the upholstery is much easier, because. You just need to pull it and fix it with staples, the dimensions are already adjusted.

If the cover is sewn, we stretch and fasten it with a stapler with 10 mm staples around the entire perimeter. In the case of manual stretching, the procedure is as follows: we measure the exact length and width of the sofa element that we plan to upholster, cut it out, it is possible with a small margin, the main thing is to have enough tension. We always start fastening the fabric from the front side, you never know, it will suddenly be a stretch. It is better to fold the edge of the fabric in half, so there is less chance that the fabric will break through at the place where the staple is attached. Fasten the entire front side with staples. After that, we do the same procedure on the opposite side. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the fabric is as stretched as possible around the entire perimeter. Creases or tissue separation from paralon or silicone are not allowed, it must be tightly pressed against it. After that, we move on to fastening on the sides, fastening in the center. Then you need to lay the fabric in the corners, the excess can be cut or wrapped. We sew up.

Thus, we change the upholstery on all elements of the sofa. It is important to ensure that all the staples fit tightly into the tree, we finish it off with a hammer. If some staples do not “fit” - remove them, in the future they may cause damage to the new upholstery.

After the change - proceed to the assembly. Assemble in reverse order of disassembly. We put all the elements in their places, twist them with bolts, install the transformation mechanism with the help of new self-tapping screws. Don't confuse right with left. We put the armrests, twist and admire the work done.

Foam rubber replacement

This repair is almost the same as replacing the upholstery, with the only difference being that we keep the upholstery and do not change it. Usually these two works are combined, but the situations are different, and if the “skin” of the sofa is in good condition, why is it also spent on fabric.

The disassembly procedure is similar, we need to get to the foam rubber. We delete the old one. As we already know, we need special furniture foam rubber, with a density of 35-40 mm, this is a guarantee of the durability of your repair. If the springs have broken through the foam rubber, it means that the replacement of the spring block cover will also be required. We cut out the burlap, tarpaulin or batting, which is available, in size and cover the block in two layers. Cut out the foam and lay on top. With the help of staples we fasten the foam rubber to the frame, it is also possible to glue it to the burlap. The main thing is that it is fixed. We put a synthetic winterizer on the foam rubber, it is not necessary, but it will greatly facilitate the stretching of the fabric. You don't need to fix it. We stretch the weave, fasten it with staples and assemble the sofa.

Repair of the frame and transformation mechanism

Disassembly is similar. To repair the sofa mechanism, remove it and determine the degree of damage. If the fittings are intact, it may be enough to lubricate the nodes with engine oil and develop them. You can replace the spring if it is damaged, if it is overstretched, try shortening it. The transformation mechanism itself is deformed or burst - we acquire an identical one and install it.

It will be more difficult to repair the frame, but you can do it quite well. If there are cracked or broken frame elements, they must be replaced. To do this, measure their exact dimensions, sketch their appearance and, taking the money, go to the nearest carpentry shop or construction hypermarket, there is a department that will cut out the necessary frame element. Change the element, twist and glue the remaining joints. In this case, pay special attention to the plywood under the spring block. If she "walks" fasten with screws instead of nails and glue the PVA, the unpleasant creak will disappear when you sit on the sofa. Collect and use to your heart's content.

Restoration of the spring block

Disassembly - assembly is identical. There are two types of springs:

- "old" - height about 20 cm, diameter - 15 cm, thickness - 5 mm;

- "modern" - height - 12, diameter - 10 cm, thickness 2.2 mm.

All modern springs are interconnected by a spiral. To replace damaged elements, if there are not many of them, it is necessary to dissolve the fixation of the spiral from one end, and unscrew it like a screw with the help of the other end. We release the spring on both sides, change it, twist the spiral and then proceed as when replacing foam rubber.

If there are a lot of such damaged elements in the spring block, it is easier to buy a new block, because. the rest of the elements will also begin to break down, and disassembling the sofa once every six months is below average pleasure.

It was not possible and will not be possible to mention all the nuances, but we hope that the basic procedure for repairing a sofa is clear. The main thing is to start, and over time, all the necessary skills will appear.

Do-it-yourself sofa repair video