Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/Sagging cushions

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Expert: - 3/15/2010


Question

Sagging cushions
Hi.  Stumbled onto this site & noticed someone asked this ? but did not reply to your answer. Here goes. I have sagging seat cushions on my 2 month old leather sofa.  The cushions are PUFFY.  They have 2 inches of foam & dacron on top.  They are ATTACHED,but have zippers on the back. I want to correct the sagging, but don't want firm cushions. What is the best way to correct this ? Add more dacron,  or try to add foam under the existing foam ?  If so what method , techniques.  Thanks.

Answer
Hi Joe,

Well if the sofa is only two months old you should not have to do anything.  With that said, adding additional foam under the existing foam will raise the cushions and they will sit too high - so that is not a solution.  Wrapping the cushion with more Dacron (quilted Dacron - not bonded Dacron) would be a better solution.  However, giving access in order to add padding materials is not the purpose of the zippers,  they are there to save labor in closing the cushions in the manufacturing process,  not so that filling material can be added at a later date, although it is possible to do that -  with great difficulty.  

As I see it the problem is not insufficient filling or sagging but design, a loose and puffy look is the style of the sofa and not a defect in upholstering,  an unfortunate consequence is that in a few years the leather may fold as you sit on it and then crack - the nature of the beast and not necessarily a defect - as you have begun using the sofa the leather is stretching and that too is normal - if the manufacturer is willing to add more Dacron let them - just make certain they don't use bonded Dacron - which is easier to work with but will only do the job for a few months and then pack down.  

I can only see a little of the cushions on either side of the one you hold up,  they look to me like the were purposely sewn to have the loose look - what you are holding up is part of the design and not a defect - I believe that you will get a tighter fit by adding more padding material but to add an amount that would result in a tight fit would cause the cushion to be over-stuffed and sit harder and higher.   

I hope this helps,  please don't hesitate to contact me if you need further pointers.

Mark Miller.  

Mark H. Miller

Expertise

custom furniture upholsterery. Became journeyman custom upholsterer in 1969. Certified by Upholsterers Intl. Union. Worked at San Francisco`s most prestigious upholstering shop as senior upholsterer. Am now president of Domar Upholstered Furniture Inc. Have upholstered for Presidents Reagan, Nixon, Clinton and the Queen of England. formerly taught classes in custom upholstering at the San Francisco Community College. Happy to answer all your upholstering questions.

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