| One of the best ways to make your project look | | | | wide seat = 30 inch, 18 inch seat board = 19 inch |
| and feel great is knowing about foam. Pick the | | | | foam and so on. This way you will have a nice |
| wrong thing and your may feel you are sitting on | | | | tight seat. Always rap our foam in bonded dacron |
| a board or in a bucket. Chose the right foam, and | | | | or fiber batting. I'll make it even simpler and let |
| you will add years to you comfort and the life of | | | | we know what destiny/firmness I would consider |
| your furniture. Easily 25% of all furniture repairs I | | | | for my projects using the above information. |
| see deal with bad padding. The point is start with | | | | Seat: Dining room chairs 1.5 to 3 inch foam 29/52 |
| good foam and you won't be sorry. Although | | | | Chair, Sofa, and love seat 4 to 5 inch 25/35, |
| some might not want to be believe this, but | | | | Chair, Sofa, and love seat 6 to 8 inches go 22 |
| cushion fill is one of the easiest things to | | | | 30.Note: These numbers are industry guides not |
| understand in upholstery. There are only 2 simple | | | | rules. So there is some variation in numbers like |
| things you should know. | | | | 28/53 instead of 29/52 but basically the same |
| Foam has 2 basic element Density and Firmness. | | | | thing. Just a mill change. Keep in mind we want |
| Density or weight which is the first element and | | | | the highest density you can get for the firmness |
| this tell you how much material goes into the | | | | we chose. In choosing high-density we add years |
| product i.e. the more it weighs the higher the | | | | to your comfort.Firm low-density products may |
| density and the higher the density the higher the | | | | go as little as a few weeks or months until we |
| weight. The second element tells you the firmness | | | | start to see or feel it losing it's comfort and |
| of the product. which is how much weight it takes | | | | shape. Hence most warranties do not cover |
| to compress the foam 1/3. That is a 1 cubic foot | | | | "foam losing its shape or getting soft." |
| block of foam will compress 1/3 when a weight | | | | A Key Take Away: Padding that is low in weight, |
| equal to it firmness number is placed on the | | | | although firm, will not last or support as well as a |
| figure. These elements are expressed in numbers | | | | high density softer padding. example: 25/35 will |
| as Density / Firmness. Here is an example of two | | | | last years longer, in my real world expernce, then |
| 15/15 and 29/52.Since we know what each set of | | | | 10/35 for seats. It is literally days or months |
| numbers represents, Density / Firmness (or we | | | | compared to years or decades. I upholstered a |
| can also say Weight / Firmness), we can figure | | | | large set of Dr office waiting room chairs when I |
| out the destiny and firmness of our foam.15/30 = | | | | was an apprentice. We replaced the cover and |
| 1.5 pounds of padding per cubic foot will take 30 | | | | the foam with 29/52 2 inch. Some 15 years later, |
| pounds of weight to compress the block 33% or | | | | I reupholstered the same chairs with new fabric |
| 1/3. And 29/52 = 2.9 pounds per cubic foot and it | | | | but did not need to replace the foam. 15 years |
| will take 52 pounds of weight to compress this | | | | later it was still going strong. The Dr office may |
| block 1/3. See not so hard as some might lead | | | | have saved $800.00 by having us install the right |
| you to think. Now what does this mean to you | | | | product for the job. This knowledge is way we |
| and your furniture? | | | | can warranty quality seat cushions for 5 years. |
| Here are some simple rules to consider to help | | | | Knowing the numbers of density to firmness is |
| guide us: For seats the thicker the padding the | | | | the key. This is what we aren't supposed to |
| lower compression weight we want. For seats the | | | | understand. Density is the key to foam comfort |
| thinner the foam the higher the compression | | | | and life. |
| weight we want. For seats we want a high | | | | Simply put, for seats, the higher the density the |
| density foam no less then 2.2 For backs we want | | | | longer the life. What if we want for a back? Then |
| a density no higher then 1.8 Make all our foam 1/2 | | | | here is a little guide we can reference. Backs: Firm |
| inch bigger all the way around then your cover or | | | | back 18/18 Softback 15/15. |
| pattern i.e. 4 inch boxing = 5 inch foam, 29 inch | | | | |