Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. Furniture is the Mass noun for the movable objects which may support the human body (seating furniture and beds, provide storage or hold objects on horizontal A chair is a kind of Furniture for Sitting, consisting of a back and sometimes arm rests commonly for use by one person In Fashion, padding is material sometimes added to clothes It is often done in an attempt to enhance appearance by 'improving' a physical feature often a sexually significant A spring is a flexible elastic object used to store mechanical Energy. Webbing is a strong fabric woven as a flat strip or tube of varying width and Fibers often used in place of Rope. A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. Leather is a material created through the Tanning of hides and Skins of Animals primarily Cattlehide The Tanning process The word upholstery comes from the Middle English words up and holden, meaning to hold up. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of The term is applied to domestic furniture and also to applications in automobiles and boats. A boat is a Watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane on water and provide transport over it A person who works with upholstery is called an upholsterer; an apprentice upholsterer is sometimes called an outsider or trimmer.
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Upholstery of domestic furniture
The materials which are important to the quality of an upholstered product, such as a bed, sofa, chair or ottoman, may be considered in four categories: the frame (usually wooden) on which the upholstery is to be constructed; the spring system; the cushioning or padding; and the final fabric or leather covering. A bed is a piece of Furniture (or a location primarily used as a place to Sleep, and often used for Relaxation. A chair is a kind of Furniture for Sitting, consisting of a back and sometimes arm rests commonly for use by one person An ottoman is a piece of Furniture, a padded upholstered seat or bench having neither back nor arms often used as a Stool or Footstool, or
Frames
The life of a piece of upholstered furniture begins with its frame: although the underlying wooden framework cannot be seen in the finished product, the type of wood used to create it will have a bearing on the quality of the final product. In furniture-making, the upholstery frame of a piece of furniture gives the structural support and determines the basic shape of the upholstered furniture.
Some furniture employs softwoods, but may suffer from its difficulty in supporting the joinery that is required for the best quality furniture. Softwood is a generic term used in Woodworking and the Lumber industries for Wood from Conifers (needle-bearing trees from the order Pinales The tight graining of hardwoods allows for pegs, screws and nails to be set securely, reducing the likelihood of their becoming loose over time. Wood grain describes the alignment texture and appearance of the Wood fibres The term hardwood is used to describe Wood from broad-leaved angiosperm Trees mostly Deciduous, but not necessarily in the case of tropical A screw is a shaft with a helical groove or thread formed on its surface and provision at one end to turn the screw In Engineering, Woodworking and Construction, a nail is a pin -shaped sharp object of hard Metal, typically Steel, Hardwoods used in upholstered furniture include oak, alder and other woods with tight graining. The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin Alder is the common name of a Genus of Flowering plants ( Alnus) belonging to the Birch family (Family Betulaceae) Hardwood laminates are often used for blocks and braces because laminates are actually stronger than solid wood in these applications.
Most wood employed in upholstered furniture is kiln-dried. Kilns are thermally insulated chambers or Ovens in which controlled temperature regimes are produced In this process, the wood is heated in an industrial oven to remove excess sap and moisture (and reduce its tendency for absorbing any moisture in the future), which can cause frames to warp, swell, shrink or change shape, or to succumb to rot or mildew, during their life.
The wood for a piece of upholstered furniture must be assembled into a sturdy frame. Generally, the more rigid the frame the better, because a loose frame can crack or fail, and several craftsman processes can be used to create a good, strong frame. A variety of woods and laminates are used for joining, blocking and dowelling and sometimes several techniques are used. Joinery is that part of Woodworking that involves joining together pieces of wood to create furniture structures toys and other items A dowel is a solid cylindrical rod, usually made of Wood, Plastic or Metal.
Joints are the places where one piece of frame wood intersects to another part of the frame at an angle. Joints must be reinforced with blocks or dowels for extra support or the frame will be susceptible to loosening over time.
Blocking refers to the process of placing additional blocks of wood behind or diagonal to joints and corners for support in areas where the furniture craftsman believes there may be greater stress. Blocks provide lateral support and a larger area for screws and fasteners to set wood elements securely. This extra bracing at stress points contributes to the lasting integrity of the frame. An alternative to blocking is dowelling.
Dowelling refers to the process whereby one or two dowels are drilled, hammered and glued into the wood at stress-points to provide extra strength and support to the frame. Nails, screws, fasteners and glue may also support many parts of a frame. Glue or adhesive is a compound that adheres or bonds two items together
Spring systems
Once the frame is constructed, a spring system is installed to support the seating area. A spring is a flexible elastic object used to store mechanical Energy. Furniture manufacturers employ two main types of spring support systems: standard springs and eight-way hand tied springs. When the spring system is finished with a top layer of padding, it is commonly called the "seat deck".
Standard Springs provide good support at a lower price than the alternative. Most manufacturers offer either sinuous springs or drop-in-springs as their standard, depending on how they make their furniture. Both types affix to the frame to support the seat deck. Standard springs have a formal, very firm "sit" and only move in the up/down direction. In contrast, eight-way hand-tied springs can move in many more directions.
Sinuous springs are heavy-gauge steel springs that have been heat formed into continuous "S" shapes. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 They are cut into lengths and affixed to the frame. Drop-in Springs are mass-manufactured welded units that are more cheaply manufactured and considered to be of lower quality than sinuous springs.
Eight-way hand-tied springs have a wide range of movement providing a very even and individual "sit", because they move up and down and side to side. In the construction of these systems, the craftsman individually ties heavy gauge coils from front to back, side to side and diagonally (eight ways) to provide the highest level of quality, comfort and durability. This process costs more because it is time consuming and can only be done by hand.
Cushions, pillows, padding and fills
Once a piece of upholstered furniture has its frame and springs, the next components are the cushions and padding. Seat cushions sit on top of the spring system and seat deck. Back pillows, if present, rest against the back and arms of the piece.
Most cushions are made of a high-density foam core that is then wrapped with either soft polyester, feather and down, or a hypoallergenic down substitute. Polyester is a category of Polymers which contain the Ester Functional group in their main chain Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering or Plumage, on Birds They are considered the most complex integumentary structures For the record label see Duck Down Records The down of Birds is a layer of fine Feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers Hypoallergenic is a term coined by advertisers (based on the Greek prefix Hypo meaning "below normal" or "slightly" and first used in a cosmetics Dacron adds resilience so that pillows and seats keep their shape, while the wraps form a soft envelope. Cushions and pillows are usually sewn into cotton cases to ensure smooth upholstering. Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp
Feather and down offers the maximum comfort and softness in cushions and pillows that most people desire and designers prefer. Feather and down back pillows and wrapped seat cushions can always be "fluffed-up" to maintain an attractive look. Feather and down fills and wraps require a little more maintenance than polyester and high density-foam but they have greater comfort, durability and resilience. The most general definition of foam is a substance that is formed by trapping many gas Bubbles in a Liquid or Solid.
Buckwheat hulls are also used as filling for a variety of upholstered goods, including pillows and zafu. Buckwheat refers to plants in two genera of the Dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, and the North American genus A zafu (座蒲 in Japanese or 蒲团 in Chinese is a round cushion about 35 cm (14 inches in diameter and often about 20 cm (8 inches high when fluffed The hulls are durable and do not conduct or reflect heat as much as synthetic fills. They are sometimes marketed as an alternative natural fill to feathers for those with allergies.
Fabrics and leathers
Textiles, a term used in the furniture industry, encompass both fabrics and leathers and the choice of textiles can account for up to 70% of furniture price. A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. Leather is a material created through the Tanning of hides and Skins of Animals primarily Cattlehide The Tanning process
Tightly woven fabrics and blends tend to wear longer than light or loose-weave natural fibers.
Leather is a durable and easy-care natural material that softens and improves with time. To create quality leather, top-grain hides are tanned, processed and dyed to give a certain color or look. Hides are Skins obtained from animals for human use Examples of animal hide sources are Deer and Cattle typically used for producing Leather, Tanning is the process of converting Putrescible skin into non-putrescible Leather, usually with Tannin, an Acidic Chemical compound A dye can generally be described as a Colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied Tanning refers to the process in which salts are used to cure the hide and to stabilize its shape. Dyeing refers to infusing the hide with different color dyes.
Aniline dyeing is a high quality process that imparts color but does not disguise the natural character of the hide. Aniline, phenylamine or aminobenzene is an Organic compound with the formula C6H7N Some leathers are further treated with a pattern, texture, or polish.
Automobile upholstery
An Automotive upholsterer is also known as a Trimmer, Coachtrimmer or Motor Trimmer. The trade shares many of the skills required in upholstery, in addition to being able to work with carpet. The term Coachtrimmer derives from the days when car bodies were produced by manufactures and delivered to Coachbuilders to add a car body and interior trimmings. Bus manufacturingA coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for Carriages or Automobiles The trade dates back several centuries Trimmers would produce soft furnishings, carpets, soft tops and roof linings often to order to customer specifications. Later Trim shops were often an in-house part of the production line as the production process was broken down into smaller parts manageable by semi-skilled labor. Many automotive trimmers now work either in automotive design or with aftermarket trim shops carrying out repairs, restorations or conversions for customers directly. A few bespoke motor car manufacturers still employ trimmers, for example Aston Martin. Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury performance cars, whose headquarters are at Gaydon, England.
Marine upholstery
Marine Upholstery differs in that one has to consider dampness, sunlight and hard usage.
A vinyl or material that is UV and cold cracking resistant is the choice.
Stainless steel hardware such as staples, screws must be used for a quality job that will last. Also wood when used for a job must be of marine quality.
Usually a high resiliency, high density (closed cell foam mainly used on smaller cushions to double as floatation devices) with a thin film of plastic over it is used to keep out water that might get by the seams and as well as aid in placing the vinyl back on the piece.
Also a Dacron thread must be used in any sewing work. Uses PET can be semi-rigid to rigid depending on its thickness and is very lightweight Nylon zippers are the choice as well.
History
Upholder is a term used interchangeably with upholsterer in the 18th and 19th century. Upholstery is the work of providing Furniture, especially seats with Padding, springs Webbing, and fabric or Leather
In 18th-century London upholders frequently served as interior decorators responsible for all aspects of a room's decor. Interior decoration or decor is the Art of decorating a room so that it is attractive easy to use and functions well with the existing Architecture These individuals were members of the London Upholders' Company, whose traditional role, prior to the 18th century, was to provide upholstery and textiles and the fittings for funerals. In the great London furniture-making partnerships of the 18th century, a cabinet-maker usually paired with an upholder: Vile and Cobb, Ince and Mayhew, Chippendale and Rannie or Haig. Cabinet making is the practice of utilizing various Woodworking skills to create cabinets shelving and Furniture. Ince and Mayhew were a partnership of Furniture designers Upholsterers and Cabinetmakers founded and run by William Ince (died 1804 and
Grand Rapids Michigan is known as the furniture city and many of the best upholsterers can still be found there. These craftsmen continue to create or recreate many antique and modern pieces of furniture.
One of the more exceptional pieces of leather furniture is the beautiful antique sleepy hollow chair. A chair made famous by the West Michigan based upholsterer Francisco Melendez. He revolutionized the antique upholstery business in the state of Michigan where many leather sleepy hollow chairs grace Grand Rapids homes. This style of chair was introduced by Francisco Melendez to Puerto Rico in the late 1990s; and can be seen in a number of upscale homes. The chair, a beautiful work of art, is tufted with buttons and is usually accompanied by an antique leather ottoman. Still, more than 40 years after his introduction to upholstery, Francisco Melendez continues to create art in the form of upholstered antique and modern furniture.
See also
Upholstery-related tools
- Chalk (upholsterer's chalk or tailor's chalk)
- Goggles
- Needle guards
- Rubber mallet
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Staple gun
- Staple knocker (staple puller)
- Upholstery regulator
- Upholstery hammer
- Upholstery needles (round point curved needles and button needles)
- Webbing stretcher
Upholstery materials
Upholstery skills
Other related articles
Chalk (ʧɔːk is a soft white porous Sedimentary rock, a form of Limestone composed of the Mineral Calcite. Goggles or safety glasses are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the eye area in order to prevent particulates water or chemicals from A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch Fabric or other material together with Thread. A mallet is a type of hammer with a head made of softer materials than the Steel normally used in hammerheads so as to avoid damaging a delicate surface Scissors are hand operated cutting instruments consisting of a pair of Metal Blades connected in such a way that the blades meet and cut materials placed A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch Fabric or other material together with Thread. A staple gun or powered stapler is a hand-held Machine used to drive heavy metal staples into wood or Masonry. A staple knocker is a Tool resembling a Screwdriver, used for removing staples and shredded material An Upholstery regulator is an Upholstery Tool which smooths irregularities in the stuffing beneath the coverings An upholstery hammer (also called a tack hammer) is a lightweight Hammer used for securing Upholstery fabric to furniture frames using tacks An upholstery needle is a needle used for Upholstery. There are a variety of sizes but they are usually thick and curved A Webbing stretcher is an Upholstery Tool used to stretch upholstery fabrics for a snug fit In Clothing and Fashion design, a button is a small plastic or metal disc- or knob-shaped typically round object usually attached to an article of Clothing In Engineering, Woodworking and Construction, a nail is a pin -shaped sharp object of hard Metal, typically Steel, zipper (data structure A zipper ( English: zip fastener or zip) is a popular device for temporarily joining two edges of fabric. Cutting is the separation of a physical object or a portion of a physical object into two portions through the application of an acutely directed force Sewing or stitching is the fastening of Cloth, Leather, Furs Bark, or other flexible materials using needle and Canvas work is a type of Embroidery in which Yarn is stitched through a Canvas or other foundation fabric. A slipcover (also called loose cover) is a fitted protective cover that may be slipped off and on a piece of upholstered furniture throw pillow, or toss pillow, is a small decorative type of Pillow.Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic