slipcover vs re upholstery
DESCRIPTION
How do you know when to have a Slipcover or have the furniture Re-Upholstered? This power point was used during a workshop in DC for those in the Industry at IWCE.TRANSCRIPT
To Slipcover or to Re-upholster
What’s the Difference?
Does it Really Matter?
Why Re-upholster?
good shape on the insideand all it needs is a fresh new fabric on the outside
Good Frame
good frames don't wear out
made of hardwood - oak, maple, ash, alder or mahogany
these woods are strong and enduring and the upholsterer can tell them by their weight
Lumpy or frayed
lumpy old sofa
frayed chair that's beginning to shed its stuffing
take another look before dismissing it as a "has been”
Needs work on the inside:
new webbingre-tied springsnew fillingsre-cushioning
Antique with wood or tufted
Curved furniture such as barrels or tub chairs
Recliners
Reclining sofas
To re-upholster is to
replace the attached fabric covering on furniture
Why Slipcover?
Update a worn looking sofa
Seasonal change
Easy to remove to clean
Change the style from one to another
Tufted, frayed or lumpy can be wrapped with an undergarment
Chaise with partial Undergarmet
Antique wood furniture
Chair in her underwearprior to slipcovering
Dining room chairs with an Undergarmet
Slipcovers Susan Day
Recliners depending on the chair and the fabric
Recliner after
Done by a student
Barrel or tub furniture
Sleeper sofas
Pull out bed withoutremoving the slipcover
Protect from high traffic or wear to the furniture
teenagers animals
young children
Lets Compare
Re-upholstery Needs a fresh new fabric
on the outside Can fix on the inside Good frame consider re-
upholstery Frayed or lumpy Antique wood furniture Tufted furniture Some curved furniture
such as barrel or tub some recliners Permanent change
attached to the furniture
Slipcovers Needs a fresh new fabric on the
outside Cannot fix the inside Good or bad frame can still be
slipcovered. Some frayed of lumpy can be
slipcovered wrapped in an under garment
Antique wood furniture some of the wood will be covered
Tufted will be covered, but slipcover can be mock tufted
Some curved or barrel furniture depends of the fabric chosen
Some recliners Removable for cleaning or
change of season or style
Yardage
Slipcovers usually use 2 – 2 ½ yds more than a re-upholstered item
Want to sell more fabric?
What are the best fabrics for a Slipcover?
The Best Fabric is……
?Whatever meets
your customers needs…
That Need IS
?
What is the Manufactures usual recommendation for
cleaning fabric?
Dry Clean Only
Why?
Can all Fabrics be Washed?
How would you know?
How would you find out?
Test…Test…Test…
½ yd of fabric
Cut into 3 equal sections
How will you test?
What are you looking for?
Who will Wash the Fabric?
Workroom
Client
Laundry
Can 18 yds of Fabric be Washed as 1 piece in a Washer?
YES
NO
Instructions for Washing Fabric
Cut into 3yd (108”) or4yd (144”)Pieces.
Serge the edges only if the fabric will unravel while washing.
Wash in the same manner from the results of the testing that was done.
Fabric must be totally saturated. Front loading home washers may not meet this need. Big Boy at the laund-ermat work well.
Dry according to result of the tests. Refrain from using dryer sheet they are toxic to the environment.
Some fabrics such as cotton may need to be washed more than once to shrink complet-ly.
Alternative to Dryer Sheets Dryer Balls
Designed to reduce drying time and soften fabrics without the use of chemical fabric softeners, Dryer Balls are an eco-friendly solution to landfill-clogging dryer sheets and chemical-laden liquid softeners.
As your wet laundry tumbles in the dryer, these bumpy balls lift and separate fabric to make it soft and fluffy, and allow air to flow more efficiently — proven to make ironing easier, decrease lint and reduce drying time up to 25% in independent testing.
Go to:www.recyclewithkbkathome.com/recycled-products.html
Then click on Eco-Living at Gaiam
Dry Cleaners
If we do not want to wash a fabric then our alternative is to vacuum the furniture or to Dry Clean.
What do we know about Dry Cleaning?
There are over 30,000 dry cleaning facilities for you to choose from in the United States, but 95 percent of them use the toxic chemical perchloroethylene (perc) as the primary cleaning solvent.
Exposure to perc is a significant risk to the workers who dry clean the clothes, and it's also a health risk to you and the loved ones who share your home. Once you get the dry-cleaned clothes home, they continue to off-gas perc into the air in your abode.
30,000 dry cleaning facilities
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences states that: "Short-term exposure to PERC can cause adverse health effects on the nervous system that include dizziness, fatigue, headaches, sweating, in coordination, and unconsciousness.
Long-term exposure can cause liver and kidney damage." The International Association for Research on Cancer classifies perc as a probable carcinogen.
Fortunately, there are healthier (and greener) dry-cleaning alternatives.
Industry Trends
The demand for environmentally safe products has increased in recent years as a result of government regulations and greater consumer awareness of environmental issues.
Wet Cleaning
This is a system that uses biodegradable soap and water. Computer-controlled dryers and stretching machines ensure that the fabric retains its natural size and shape. Wet cleaning can purportedly clean 99.9% of "dry clean only" garments safely, including leather; suede; most tailored woolens, silks and rayon's. (Neckties seem to be the one exception.)
Silicone and Liquid CO2 Solvents
Relatively new approaches to dry cleaning have been developed based on both liquid carbon dioxide (usually obtained as a recycled byproduct of other industrial processes) and silicone. Dry cleaners using these solvents are currently few in number.
Alternative Petroleum Solvents
This is more like standard dry cleaning, but the processes use alternative hydrocarbon solvents such as Exxon D-2000 or Chevron-Phillips' EcoSolv.
Check with cleaners in your area—at least one is likely to offer perc-free cleaning services.
www.GreenEarthCleaning.com is a good place to start.
For more information about Dry Cleaninghttp://recyclewithkbkathome.blogspot.com/search?q=dry+cleaning
What do you think we should do
with the following pieces of furniture?
Help…….
More Slipcovers
Waterfall Mock Box Pleated
Scalloped Skirt
Overlap Skirt
Poodle Skirt
Dressmaker Waterfall Skirt
Knife edge cushion on seat
Banded Self Faced Skirt
Mock Boxed Pleated Skirt
Triangle Skirt
Resources http://science.howstuffworks.com/dry-cleaning.htm
http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/environmental/200603percholorethylene-pt2.html
http://www.grinningplanet.com/2004/02-10/dry-cleaning-alternatives-eco.htm
http://www.rogards.com/ugly
http://www.norwoodmall.com/ugly
Karen Erickson www.slipcovernetwork.com [email protected] 800-267-4958
Directory of Slipcover Professionals
Slipcover Press Quarterly Publication
Slipcover Summit 2007 Boston (Waltham)Annual educational opportunity for Slipcover Professionals.