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Cleaning upholstery with asteam cleaneror other cleaning merchandise can only go so far . Sometimes the framework on your old couch has just seen well twenty-four hour period . discover how to restore a sofa allows you to take a breath raw life into a worn or outdated couch .
With just a few materials and a trivial morsel of your time , you’re able to give it a human face - cosmetic surgery with a new cover that will better fit your home interior decoration preferences . Read on to learn how to reupholster a couch .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Tools & Materials
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Project Overview
Working Time:5 to 10 hoursTotal Time:1 to 3 daysSkill Level : ExpertEstimated Cost:$150 to $ 1,200
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
As you ’re getting ready for your DIY upholstery job , keep in creative thinker that every couch is different . You may find that you need to make a few modification to the directions below based on how your couch is plan and how the current upholstery is attached . Theupholstery costwill also vary based on some of these design element along with the cloth you choose for the project .
STEP 1: Closely examine the couch and take measurements.
Before you commence working , take a few minutes to examine the couch . Pay aid to the overall invention , await for the positioning of the staples , and note whether there is any cording , buttons , or other pattern embellishment . crack a few picture that you may bring up back to as you are attaching the fresh upholstery .
Then , take some measure of the couch and the current upholstery fabric to get a good estimation for how much new material you ’ll need to purchase .
STEP 2: Remove the dust cover from the underside of the couch.
Place the couch on a drop cloth . If the couch is very old , you may need to bust a dust mask and baseball glove , as a muckle of junk and rubble particles could be released into the air while taking aside the fabric cover .
Now that you ’re ready to commence the existent piece of work of taking off the existing upholstery and reupholstering the lounge , it ’s fourth dimension to remove the dust cover . The dust cover , which is place on the underside of the lounge , is in the main the concluding piece of fabric give during the product physical process . Taking it off first , therefore , is the just place to start .
To remove the dust cover , turn the couch upside down . Remove the legs , if applicable , and then pull out the staple securing the dust cover using a staple remover . If the dust concealment is in good stipulation , you could reprocess it once you ’re finished , so mold carefully so it does n’t snag as you remove it .
Photo: istockphoto.com
STEP 3: Remove the old upholstery.
It is technically potential to skip slay the old lounge upholstery and jump ahead to recovering the subsist material , but it is n’t usually the best choice . The finished product wo n’t turn out as decent . It may also palpate overly bulky with two layers of material .
To remove the existing fabric , you ’ll demand a staple remover . There will be numerous staples to remove , so set for this whole step to take some sentence . As you work , seek to absent the composition of framework in the opposite fiat that they were seize to the sofa , which will typically start with the upholstery jury . There will in all likelihood be several layers of fabric to remove , and you may also need a pair of needle nose pliers or a screwdriver to help you relax and get rid of them .
Be certain to take pictures and notes as you go about the order in which you polish off the fabric piece . This will make it sluttish when you ’re ready to tie the new upholstery fabric . save the fabric pieces as a guide to decipher when cutting the Modern textile can also be helpful .
Photo: istockphoto.com
STEP 4: Add additional stuffing to the cushions if needed.
Before you stand out powerful into attaching the new couch upholstery textile , evaluate the condition of your couch cushions . If any of them have been feeling a flake savourless , now is the ideal time to lend some fresh stuffing . If they do need some TLC , add up some polyfill or englut to them , taking care not to overfill them .
STEP 5: Measure and cut the new upholstery fabric.
There are several upholstery framework options to look at when you ’re shopping in computer storage or at anonline fabric stock . Cotton , leather , polyester , and microfiber can all form well when upholstering furniture . However , textile such as chenille , silk , and tweed are n’t as well - suited for upholstery labor . Also , verify to see to it therecommendations for make clean the fabricbefore buying , as not every type of textile can be easily cleaned .
lie the fabric out categoric and cut it to cope with the sections of the sofa that need to be covered . If you write the fabric that was removed from the sofa , lay it out over the new cloth can help offer a guide . Using a sharp pair of material scissors will help keep the fabric from snag .
STEP 6: Attach the upholstery fabric to the couch.
When attaching the upholstery textile , check that it is pull closely before staple it down . This step is all important to keep the textile from clump or wrinkling . Use a staple gun with heavy - obligation staples to ensure a secure connection that will hold the fabric taut .
STEP 7: Put the dust cover back on the underside of the couch.
If the dust cover you hit originally is in good shape , you could reattach it to the bottom of the sofa using your staple torpedo to keep all the fabric corners hidden . If the original cover was damage , simply abridge a novel one using a cloth that coordinates with the upholstery material you chose for the sofa . Look for a fabric that is on the thicker side , so it wo n’t be easily damage .
STEP 8: If needed, apply corded trim to cover the staples.
Sometimes staple are still seeable after recovering sofas . For this reason , your lounge may have had some decorative trim along some of the seams . If this was the case , apply some novel trim to terminate off the projection .
Choose a cord that couple the color and design of the fabric you select , and use fabric glue to attach it to the sofa . If you ca n’t encounter a matching cord , make a binding for a unpatterned cord with the upholstery fabric you used .
STEP 9: Sew new covers for any removable cushions.
you may sew a covering fire to reupholster couch cushions that are removable . Remove the live cover from the shock and make a blueprint for your new material . Add zipper to the cushion so you’re able to take away them to lap in the car or clean them using aDIY upholstery cleanser . To run up the cushion covers andadd zippers , it ’s well-heeled to use a sewing political machine .
STEP 10: Take care of any final refinements.
Depending on the design of your sofa and your preferences , there may still be a few final measure to complete . Some of these may let in using a stitching machine to make throw pillow covert to organise with the upholstery fabric and staining or painting the legs of the lounge before reattaching them .
Final Thoughts
While you may pay a professional to reupholster a couch for you , there is something very fulfilling and personal about doing it yourself . The steps above will serve walk you through the cognitive operation of pass on an onetime or outdated lounge a boldness - nip and tuck . Then , once you ’ve completed your lounge upholstery project , you could start tackling other reupholstering projects around your house , such asrecovering your dining room chairs .
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Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
