How to Find the Best Upholstery Repairs

Whether you own a family heirloom or a casual sofa, your furniture is subject to wear and tear. It can be a tough decision when a piece is damaged and needs repair.

Often, it’s more affordable and less time-consuming to have a professional upholsterer complete the repair. But there are a few things you should consider before making that call.

Repairing Tears

Tears in upholstery can be easily mended with the right tools and a little patience. A good repair will prevent the tear from getting bigger and keep your fabric looking new.

Depending on the severity of the tear, you can fix your upholstery repairs with a do-it-yourself cloth upholstery patching kit that comes with neutral-colored fabrics and a clear adhesive. These kits can be found at Walmart and Michael’s for under a dollar.

When repairing leather or vinyl, it’s critical to use a patch material that is slightly larger than the tear in all directions. This will help the glue more fully adhere to the patch.

For smaller tears, a special fabric glue can seal the tear almost invisibly, which will also protect your fabric from water damage. However, these products cannot be used on synthetic fabrics like polyester or nylon.

Repairing Holes

Furniture upholstery is a great way to add value and style to your home, but it can quickly become damaged. A cigarette burn or dog chew can leave small holes that need repair.

Fortunately, these small holes can be fixed without a lot of extra work on your part. The key to successful repairs is matching the fabric color as closely as possible.

A small piece of fabric patching material and a strong fabric adhesive can be used to fix most small holes in furniture upholstery. These are available in kits with a variety of adhesives, applicators, and fabric patches for various types of materials.

Using a curved upholstery needle and thread that matches the couch’s fabric color, stitch your patch to the fabric where it won’t be seen. Afterward, use a no-fray edge to hide the knot under your new patch. This will prevent the new patch from coming apart over time.

Repairing Sagging

Sagging in upholstery is a common problem that can affect your sofa, chair or loveseat. It may be caused by old cushions or broken springs.

The simplest way to fix sagging cushions is to replace them with new ones. To do this, remove the covers and take measurements of the width, length, and depth of the cushions.

Another option is to re-stuff them. This is an inexpensive way to repair sagging couch cushions and give them a more comfortable feel.

It’s important to identify the cause of the sagging in order to get the best results. This could be old or damaged cushions, broken springs, or a broken frame.

Repairing Stains

When a stain occurs on your furniture, you have a few options for removing it. Some stains are easy to fix, while others require more work.

Water stains and grease are two of the most common stains on upholstery. While there are many methods for removing these types of stains, you should always check with your manufacturer before trying any type of cleaning on your upholstered furniture.

Grease Stains: To remove grease stains on your upholstery, use a solution of equal parts water and ammonia and then blot the area several times. Once the stain is removed, rinse your furniture with a bit of soap and water and then dry it thoroughly.

Ink stains can be tricky to remove and should only be dealt with by a professional residential upholstery repair service. Generally speaking, ballpoint pen ink should be easy to remove but permanent marker ink can be harder to remove.

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