Expert: Mark H. Miller - 6/14/2007

Question
Mark

Hi, I have a leather sofa and the middle top cushion goes in, it sinks. The cushions are not removable, they are basically part of the overall sofa. I had several  people to repair it and its the same. Its no longer under warranty so I pulled the black backing off that was held on by staples. The way the sofa is made is there is a large piece of form rubber wedged up into the cushion. The foam rubber is held in by wood  pieces and wide webbing. I dont see any way of removing the webbing or getting to the top
of the foam rubber without doing some damage. Please help,
there must be an intelligent way to fix this cushion.

Thanks for your help

Ken

Answer
Hi Ken,

The cushions you have are called attached cushions.  If there are buttons in them it may be possible to remove them by removing the buttons.  If not then to add filling material to the cushion would require the sofa to be brought to an upholstery shop to remove them, restuff them and close the sofa back up.  A huge repair job.

You say that several repairs were made which means it was manufactured by a large company.  If they sent an upholsterer to your home to do the repair your discribe on site then they never made a proper repair in the first place.  So eventhough your sofa is no longer under warranty it was under warranty when the problem began and just because you have been patient doesn't mean the manufacturer is now off the hook.

I would write them a certified letter stating that you brought the problem to their attention well within the warranty period.  That you have since learned that properly filling attached or semi attached seat cushions on site is not possible and the sofa should have been returned to the manufacturer or a local upholstery shop to do the repair properly.

That you intend to file a complaint with the Bureau of Home Furnishings and Bedding in your state.  (They are in the State Capitol)  That you want to know if the materials that were supposedly added comply with and are the same as what is stated on the white law label attached to the sofa, because if it is not they may have committed fraud.

Tell them that you intend to have an inspector from the Burreau come to your house to inspect the sofa.   

Be very forcefull in your letter.  Demand another sofa, brand new.  If the manufacturer is of any size they will prefer to give you a new sofa rather than dealing with the Bureau of Home Furnishings and Bedding.

There is also a good chance that they will do nothing and not even respond.  Nothing ventured nothing gained.  

To take the sofa to a local upholstery shop to have the filling material in the attached seat cushions changed will require about 4 to 6 hours labor and may not be cost effective.

I hope this information is of help to you.  Please don't hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.

Mark Miller.