Expert: Mark H. Miller - 6/5/2007

Question
I have inherited an old couch.  It seems to be a very well made piece, frame is well braced with two dowels at every joint etc...  My problem is that the springs are a mess.  I removed the dust cover underneath the sofa and the coil springs were poking out around and through the muslin bottom and even through the webbing.  I removed the webbing and my question to you is can I repair these springs to their original position from the bottom without dismantling the whole sofa. They appear to be tied o.k. at the seat deck.  Thanks for your advice!

Answer
Hi,

Yes, you can do the repair yourself or take it to an upholsterer and ask them to do so for you.  The repair you are making is called "fixing from the bottom" in the trade and is done all the time, assuming that the springs are tied properly at the top - which you say they are.

If you do the job yourself here is how you do it.

Turn the sofa upside down and completely remove the dust cover (cambric) and then all the existing webbing and the nails that holds the webbing.  NOTE VERY CAREFULLY how the webbing is tacked down - one picture if worth a thousand words, so be sure and look to see how it was done.  If it is tacked under the upholstery fabric cut the webbing away with a scissor and leave the ends.  The webbing  should be folded over itself,  in the front usually 5 tacks and in the back a total of 9 - four are hidden.

The supplies you will need are the following.  A small spool of springs twine - jute is best, # 10 or 12 upholstery tacks - 10 is a little smaller - so if the frame is very hard wood get # 10 if soft and substantial get # 12 or even 14.  A roll of BFM jute webbing for seats (black stripe) and a webbing stretcher.  You can purchase those supplies from various suppliers on line that sell upholstery tools or go to Foamorder.com and they may have all you need.

Working from front to back first take a piece of spring twine that is twice the length of the distance you need.  Put an ordinary knot at the end of the spring twine and then push a 10 or 12 size upholstery tack throug the center of the knot.  Nail that down in the center of a row of springs.  Then working toward yourself at the opposite end of the sofa loop the spring twine around the bottom side of each coil on the two opposite sides, do not put a knot.  When you reach the back of the sofa put two nails about 1/4 apart and loop the twine making a figure 8,  pull the twine as taught as you can and nail it down.  Do that for each row of springs,  then do the same thing working from one side of the sofa to the other.  You can now adjust the springs moving them so they are straight up and down, the bottom coil is directly above the top coil.  

Now you are ready for the webbing.  Place the webbing over a row of springs, the twine should be directly in the center.  Fold a one inch piece of webbing over the top so that there are two layers of webbing - remember how it was done before,  that is the detail I am talking about.  Put 5 tacks 3 in a row and 2 stacked in between - this is done so as not to split the frame.  

Take the webbing stretcher, place the heel of the stretcher against the frame and the sharp prongs facing you,  now push the prongs through the webbing and push down,  that should stretch the webbing tight accross the frame.   If you over tighten you could brake the frame so listen for cracking wood.  Do this front to back over each row of coils.  The do the same side to side but weave the webbing over and under each strip that is already there.

When you stretch the webbing put 4 tacks,  cut 1 inch extra, fold over the top and put 5 additional nails staggered like the front.

Put a dust cover or muslin over the whole thing using # 3 upholstery tacks.

The most difficult part of the job is explaining how to do it,  it is fairly simple to do and if you are handy should be able to do the job yourself with no problem.  Otherwise take it to an upholsterer who is willing to do repair jobs.

I hope this information is of help to you.  Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have more questions or get stuck.

Good luck and have fun,  the sit down in the sofa and relac.

Mark Miller.