How to pull a chair with your own hands: technique, materials, sequence

Furniture, like all other things, gradually becomes unusable: it begins to stagger, creak, the upholstery is wiped. It is not necessary to immediately run to the store – with a certain amount of effort, old furniture can be restored. Moreover, things in the style of the 60-70s are now in trend. This article will discuss how to drag a chair, what materials to use, how and what to do. The technique is also suitable for hauling chairs.

The procedure for constricting a chair

Restoration of chairs can be divided into a sequence of actions. Each of the points requires explanation, but the general algorithm of actions can be put into a few dozen words:

1. Remove the upholstery and soft part.
2. Disassemble the frame into components.
3. Assess the condition of the frame, check the connections. Unstable joints should be dismantled, cleaned, glued again.
   In order for the restored chair to be comfortable, it is necessary to correctly calculate the thickness of the layers
4. If necessary, remove the old coating (paint or varnish) from the legs, backrest, frame and apply a new one.
5. Update the base of the seat.
6. Lay and fasten elastic materials that provide softness.
7. Cover with fabric.

Now you know in general terms how to drag a chair. But there is something to be said for each item – there are many different tricks that will make the job easier and the result more attractive.

Soft cake: materials, thickness

Before you reupholster a chair, you will have to study a certain amount of information about what exactly to use when restoring a chair or chair. Note that you can use not only the materials listed in this paragraph. We have described the most common, synthetic, inexpensive, with acceptable characteristics. If desired or necessary, you can use natural analogues – copra in mats or rolls, batting, dried sea grass, horsehair, burlap and other exotic today and once traditional materials.

What materials are needed for the upholstery of the chair

When restoring a chair or armchair, foam rubber or polyurethane foam (PPU) is used for the upholstered part. We are talking about foamed polyurethane foam, not sheet. There is also furniture latex. He and foamed polyurethane differ from foam rubber to the touch. More like rubber (latex is like rubber in general), when stretched / compressed, they tend to return to their previous shape.

To be soft enough, the density of these materials should be 30-35 kg / m³. Foam rubber and foamed polyurethane are sold in large sheets – the minimum size is 1 * 2 meters. So not enough for one chair. Latex is usually available in some standard sizes, but is most often made to order.

What is better to use for the upholstery of chairs – foam rubber, latex or polyurethane foam (PPU)? If we talk about quality and durability, then latex or PPU is better. They will serve up to ten years or more without signs of wear, better cushioning and less prone. Of this pair, the best is latex, but it is much more expensive than even polyurethane foam, not to mention foam rubber. Therefore, with a limited budget, choose foam rubber. If durability is important – polyurethane foam or latex.

Now for the thickness of these materials. For the backrest, a thickness of 3-5 cm of foam rubber / polyurethane foam / latex is sufficient, depending on the degree of desired softness / rigidity, but for the seat it is better to use materials with a thickness of 7-8 cm or more. If the base is solid – made of plywood, without springs or tapes – a thickness of 10 cm is needed. Otherwise, the base will be felt.

A synthetic winterizer is laid over the foam rubber. Its thickness is small – 1 cm in a free state or so. It is easier to navigate by density: 150-200 g / m². This layer is needed in order to less rub the foam / polyurethane foam / latex. So the restored upholstered furniture will last longer.

If you want the chair or armchair that you pulled over to last longer, another layer of spunbond is stretched over the synthetic winterizer – this is a non-woven material from a polymer melt using a spunbond method. Spunbond costs quite a bit, and extends the life of the seat solidly. This layer is found in expensive furniture, increases durability (foam rubber / synthetic winterizer does not rub) and comfort of use (upholstery fabric does not fidget). A possible disadvantage is the accumulation of static electricity. But this is observed only in the case of natural wool or silk upholstery.

How to cut and pin

The foam is cut to the size of the seat. The easiest way is to make a template at the initial stage: attach a sheet of cardboard to the seat, circle and cut it out. This template will be needed more than once, so it’s better to make it.

We cut the foam rubber and synthetic winterizer strictly according to the pattern. In some cases, it is worth making it wider and longer by 3-5 mm – so as not to feel the edges of the base. The cut foam rubber is glued to the base with furniture glue. There is a special glue in a can – for foam rubber. It is more convenient to use, but not easy to find everywhere.

The synthetic winterizer is laid on top – one side of it is more “rough”, so we put it on the foam rubber / polyurethane foam / latex, level it and smooth it with our hands. After that, it is problematic to separate the stacked layers (you can try). If this method seems to you not reliable enough, you can glue the connection by applying a mesh of suitable universal glue or the same glue for foam rubber.

One point: if the base of the chair is not rigid – springs, ribbons, snake – the glue should not be used the one that, after drying, is taken with a hard crust, but which remains elastic.

If you decide to use spunbond as well, you need to cut it out with a margin, attach it with brackets to the base, evenly straightening and pulling it. It is not worth pulling strongly – the material is non-woven and is easily damaged. It just has to lie without folds. Carefully cut the excess to the level of the frame of the chair / armchair.

How to sheathe a chair: fabrics, stretch

Before you can reupholster the chair, you will have to find a fabric. And it’s not as easy as it seems: there are not just a lot of upholstery fabrics, but a lot. Moreover, it is often problematic to outwardly distinguish one material from another: not every professional will distinguish artificial suede and some types of microvelour, chenille and jacquard are similar, sometimes velor is very similar to flock. Nevertheless, one must have at least the slightest idea of ​​which upholstery fabric is best for hauling a chair or armchair.

First of all, decide on the color scheme and the type of surface of the fabric (fluffy or smooth). Otherwise, you get lost. Otherwise, you will have to choose “by touch”. Tactile sensations should be pleasant – you need to drag the chair so that it is pleasant to use it. In summer, you will have to touch the upholstery with leather. So this is an important selection criterion. Well, then, let’s talk about the types of fabrics and their areas of application:

• In the presence of pets, it is best to drag upholstered furniture:
  • Flock. It is smooth, without loops. So the claws are hard to catch on and the damage is usually minimal. But not everyone likes it to the touch.
  • Micro velor and velour. Also smooth fabrics with a small pile (not loops), the claws just glide.
    

  • For animals with long hair, micro-velour is better – it is easier to clean.
• If there are small children in the house, fabrics should be easy to clean. These are flock, microvelor, artificial leather.
• Tapestry and jacquard are also good. They differ in weaving. Usually they have a plain or colored pattern. If you need to drag the chair under the classic interior – your choice is tapestry or jacquard.

Other fabrics can also be used if you like. But they are less practical than those listed above. In any case, you need to pay attention to the density of the fabric. Normal upholstery fabric should have a density of at least 200-250 g/m², as well as high abrasion resistance (15-20 thousand abrasion cycles). These characteristics can be found in the fabric specification or check with the seller.

How to pull a chair: we stretch the straps

For the back or seat of a chair, you usually do not need to sew anything. All that is needed is to cut a piece of fabric of a suitable shape with allowances for stretching. Next, we act like this:

1. We fix in front, stretch and fasten in the back. Both fasteners are installed in the center.
2. We stretch and fasten on the right and left – in the center.
3. Then we stretch the fabric evenly, fix it alternately on the right and left.
4. Also alternately in front, behind.
   

The main thing is uniform tension without wrinkles. The fabric is usually fastened with staples, placing them at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other. The staples hold the fabric well enough, do not pierce it. If there are signs that they will break through the surface, it is necessary to reduce the force of impact.

The second option is to use small cloves. Under them, you need a dense tape – just so as not to break through the fabric. Nails are a good solution, but they take more time to reupholster the chair. When using nails, they should not be too long so that they do not stick out from the back and tear the foam.

Base with straps or serpentine spring: features

Chairs and armchairs can be made with a wooden frame to which ribbons or a serpentine spring are attached. On very old chairs/armchairs, the bands may be inelastic – just a thick strip of canvas or similar material, new chairs are made with bands of synthetic material with “elastic bands”. They are attached to the frame with nails (old furniture) or staples (modern). When fastening with nails, a strip of dense fabric is laid under the fasteners; usually nothing is placed under the staples.

When restoring a chair or armchair, it is advisable to use a tape of the same width or close to it. So it will be possible to save the number of transverse and longitudinal stripes. This is if the previous “carrying” capacity of the seat suited you. If it was uncomfortable, you can either increase the width of the belts, or put more bands. Or you can do both at the same time.

The distance between the tapes is about 30 mm. Maybe a little more/less, but not much more.

You can use it as an elastic furniture tape, or just a dense one, such as slings or towing tapes. Elastic will “win back” when landing, hard – no. But this does not mean that sitting will be uncomfortable. Softness is provided by foam rubber and related materials, and tapes / springs only soften the fit. Therefore, if you have an old chair or armchair with springs and need to be restored, it is easier and cheaper to replace them with ribbons.

In terms of softness of landing, they will be a little stiffer, but not so much that it is worth fiddling with the constriction of the springs. If desired, snake springs can be installed. They also give elasticity, albeit less than traditional ones.

How to fasten and with what force to pull

The straps are attached to the frame, approximately in the middle of the bar. They take the tape, fasten it with three or four staples in the opposite direction, wrap it and fasten it again. Then stretch and fasten on the other side. This is a reliable way. And do not be embarrassed that the attachment point is thick. Foam rubber will be laid on top, it levels all these little things.

Now about how much force to pull the elastic bands. On the seat, the tensile force should be 12 kg, on the back – 9 kg. In practice, the specified tension can be set using the steelyard:

1. We fasten one side of the tape.
2. We hook the hook of the steelyard to the second side of the tape and pull it until the desired number is on the dial.
3. Mark with a marker.
4. Now we know how long the tape must be stretched to get the desired tension.

This procedure will have to be repeated with transverse and longitudinal stripes. And if the shape of the seat or back is uneven, then you will have to calibrate each strip separately in this way. And one more thing: when you cut it off, do not forget that the tape still needs to be tucked up and fastened. That is, it is required to leave 3-5 cm from the mark – for the collar.

If you think that you can stretch the tape just by holding it with your hands, you are mistaken. Men with strong fingers can still do it, but women are unlikely to succeed. Professionals use a special tool, but it’s hardly worth buying it for the upholstery of a pair of chairs. In specialized stores there are grippers for tapes with holes. It is much more convenient with them, and you can hook a steelyard hook into the hole.

The second option is to take a wooden block with a section of 40 * 40 mm or so, 40-50 cm long. Fix medium or fine grit sandpaper on the central part. We glue the emery and additionally fix it with staples (or nails). The edges of the bar – 15 centimeters each – are left free. These will be the handles. We wind the tape on this device (a couple of turns), take it with both hands and pull.

Snake springs

There are different types of flat snake springs – in the form of a spiral of thinner wire or actually in the form of a “snake” of thicker steel. You can drag the chair with their help. In armchairs and chairs, they are usually attached along the seat. They are fixed to the frame with the help of special fasteners, and they are with nails or staples with long legs. In the normal state, the snake is slightly curved towards the future load (as in the photo).

According to its properties, the chair “with snakes” turns out to be slightly more elastic when planted than with ribbons. Otherwise, there are almost no differences.

Features of a cake with ribbons or springs

If you need to drag a chair with ribbons or snakes at the base, a layer of fabric is laid between them and the foam rubber. Fabric – any dense. Teak or similar material will do. This layer protects the foam/PUF/latex from premature chafing. It has no other functions.

A layer of this fabric is glued from below to the foam rubber. The dimensions of the fabric can be slightly larger – so that the edges do not wrap. Otherwise, the layers of the soft part of the stool are similar.