Any upholstery Gurus ?

[Tim Frank]

I have a couple of 25+ year old lazee-Boy recliner/rockers at the cottage.
The upholstery is...well...25+ years old, and pretty grungy.

Over the years I have had to take the chairs apart a time or 2 to adjust or repair mechanisms.
Once the chair is apart, the upholstery removal and replacement seems very straightforward.

I realise that i need a few specialised tools, but few things beat an opportunity to justify buying some new toys by doing a DIY project.

Given that these are at a cottage....and that I am fully aware that I'll be spending at least 3-4 x the hours that a pro would, and I will not be attempting the piping part of the job....cushion will look OK without it...AND, the construction of the frame is hardwood, not pressboard...is this an insane DIY to attempt?

Thanks in advance for advice and comments.

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Any upholstery Gurus ?

Not insane,I'm shure you will figure it out. Worst case,you sit on hardwood. Best case,you sit on nuce new padding.....

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Any upholstery Gurus ?

I realise that i need a few specialised tools,

One being a sewing machine!

You guys up north sure spell words weird!

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Any upholstery Gurus ?

One being a sewing machine!

You guys up north sure spell words weird!

Belated congratulations on realiSing the 5000 post mark.

Not sure about the sewing machine....if that is a requirement, it will be a show stopper.....unless you can buy a 5 HP "Bidford Turbo-drive MegaStitch" unit that is as loud as a chainsaw. That might be fun.

Seriously, if I don't bother with the piping on the cushions, it appears to be all stretch and staple....no stitching that i can see.

But I am hoping to get a few other opinions in here.
I may be overlooking something obvious.

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Any upholstery Gurus ?

Haven't done any upholstering but I have gone after the wood backing. Talk about staples! Had to be thousands, probably done with a "power" stapler. A squeeze per staple stapler would be out the window.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Any upholstery Gurus ?

Post a picture of your cushion. Bet it has stitching on it doesn't it? There have been a few guys on here that make boat cushions that way. They look like SH|T!

 

[Cofe]

Re: Any upholstery Gurus ?

Years ago one of my jobs was a furniture mover at a top of the line furniture store. I do not know about now, but back then some people would bring in their old lazee-Boy recliners to have them recovered. At that time, Lazee-Boy made replacement covers and such for their chairs. I remember that the new covers fit on real tight, and there was some stapling involved. Other than that, they would look like a new chair after the repair.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Any upholstery Gurus ?

Belated congratulations on realiSing the 5000 post mark.
.

....ummmm....15,000.... :facepalm::embarassed:

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Any upholstery Gurus ?

Years ago one of my jobs was a furniture mover at a top of the line furniture store. I do not know about now, but back then some people would bring in their old lazee-Boy recliners to have them recovered. At that time, Lazee-Boy made replacement covers and such for their chairs. I remember that the new covers fit on real tight, and there was some stapling involved. Other than that, they would look like a new chair after the repair.

Wow...an option that I hadn't considered....heck, didn't even realise they were available.
Great tip....thanks much!

Sure Fit - Stretch Pique Lift Recliners

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Any upholstery Gurus ?

Post a picture of your cushion. Bet it has stitching on it doesn't it? There have been a few guys on here that make boat cushions that way. They look like SH|T!

Pic will have to be after the W/E when I'll have got to the cottage.
At present, the cushions aren't sewn except for the "piping" on each side. Other than that, the fabric is stretched and stapled to the hardwood frame.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Any upholstery Gurus ?

The piping is normally at the seam where the side panels of the cushion are sewn on.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Any upholstery Gurus ?

Upholstering guru here.....

Stitching is a requirement, but if you don't care about looks, then you can always go with the fold and pleat look, but it will look like a DIY job.

There is a lot more in there than you may thing. there are metal as well as cardboard tacking strips (maintains straight lines and keeps material edges in place), bendable and molded metal tab retainers (pli-grip), and additional padding to go under the outer layers of material to give it a finished look. Most of this stuff you could get on the cheap from a local upholstery shop. they will know what you have and how much of what you'll need.

Get a pneumatic staple gun. If you try this with a manual gun, you'll quit after an hour, or as soon as you lose the feeling in your hand. plan on removing and installing 2000 staples.

Or invest in a $25 slip cover and spend the time saved out on your boat........