Tips on How to Remove and Renew Upholstery

Upholstery is anything that is attached to the frame of a piece of furniture. In other words, the cushions inside your couch and the material used to cover the cushions are upholstery. Of course, upholstery is not just the cushions and exterior of your furniture it is everything else as well like the legs, buttons, etc. Basically, anything that is added to the frame of your furniture is upholstery. Knowing this when the exterior of your couch is damaged instead of throwing the couch away you can hire someone to re-upholster it for you or you can try to do the job yourself. It is recommended to at least try to re-upholster you couch because you will learn a new skill which could come in handy in the future. It is always good to learn new skills so try to re-upholster your furniture before you hire anyone. Of course, if you do not have the time for the project it is recommended to hire a professional re-upholsterer. If you decide to try and re-upholster your furniture by yourself you will need several different tools that will make your job much easier.

The first tool that you will need is a good set of pliers. Pliers are especially useful when it comes to re-upholstering furniture. You would not be able to get a grip on threads or portions of material without a good set of pliers. Of course you should not just buy any type of pliers you see lying around; you will need a specific type. You will need to use pliers called needle nosed pliers. The reason that the pliers are called needles nosed is because the jaws stick out sharply which allows you to grab objects that are in tight spots. The next tool that you will need if you are planning on re-upholstering the fabric of your furniture is a good sewing machine. A sewing machine will allow you to sew the fabric without uneven stitches. The alternative to sewing upholstery without a sewing machine would be by hand. You could sew the fabric by hand but chances of you creating uneven stitches are much higher than if you were to use a sewing machine. The last tools that you will need are screwdrivers and perhaps a sharp knife or pair of scissors to slice the fabric where needed. If you have the tools that are required to re-upholster your furniture you can easily finish the job.

Of course if you should first practice on furniture that is not very valuable. You do not want to accidently ruin your antique furniture. If you are dealing with re-upholstering antique furniture it would be recommended to hire a professional to re-upholster the furniture for you. Of course, if your furniture is not considerably valuable you can risk damaging it. It is always better to at least try to re-upholster your furniture yourself because if you succeed you will be rewarded with a feeling of satisfaction. So, it is recommended to fix your furniture?s upholstery by yourself.

Author is well-known interior designer in Malibu. Visit author’s site to view his works displayed on upholstery and shutters in Malibu.
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