Repairing the Underside of Furniture
Penni from Hillsborough, NC
Feedback About This Post:
RE: Repairing the Underside of Furniture
what about that landscaping fabric they sell at lowes or home depot or even wal-mart?
Post by velmaisqueenus
RE: Repairing the Underside of Furniture
BLACK WINDOW SCREEN: Why not cover the area after repair with window screen or aluminum mesh. Amuminum mesh comes in an easy to handle roll & is sold to screen your gutters from leaves. It's not expensive either, which is a bonus! OR you can use plain old aluminum window screen. Which can be spray painted Black... Screen comes in either Aluminum, OR Nylon... Live dangerously & use nylon (which can be bought in black) if you think you can trust the cats... Or safer yet, use Aluminum & spray-paint it black... Both types can be cut wit an old pair of scissors then the edge folded over then tacked with thumbtacks (or hot glue or brads) to the underside of your furniture... Why not use Black Window screen in place of the black felt!?
I like the Luan idea too... It's a lot easier than you think to work with. (I recently bought myself a jig-saw... I have gotten SOOOO much use from it! (I'm a 52 yo grandma that has recently discovered Power Tools & I'm having the time of my life!) I'd always thought jig-saw's were expensive, but they aren't! In fact you can find a new one for $20 at Home Depot or Big Lots... I bought a good one that was more durable & it only cost $39...a Black & Decker & It'll last me for ever!)
Another idea. Once you've fixed the area, you could use lattice strips (or Luan strips) they can be cut with tin snips, or scored with a box knife then broken or cut with any saw from the dollar store if you don't have a jig-saw. They come 50 in a bundle for under $10 at Home Depot (they are 4 feet long by about 1 & a half inches wide by only 1/4" thick) Tack these (with brads) in a criss-cross pattern over the area you've fixed. Or they can just be used to hold the batting in. Then cover the bottom of the furniture with window or gutter screen. This will make it impossible for the little buggers to attack the area again!
---> HEY!... Post here & let us know how the project turned out when you've finished!
GOOD LUCK!
Post by Cyinda
RE: Repairing the Underside of Furniture
If you're handy with a jigsaw and want it really hard to re-shred, then try luon (sp?), a very thin plywood. It's cheap and easy enough to cut with a jigsaw. You can get it at any sort of home improvement store.
Post by Beth - MA
RE: Repairing the Underside of Furniture
Thank you all for your comments and suggestions! I now have some excellent resources and know what I need to start working on the repair. This is a great site and forum! I'm glad to be a part it! :)
Post By Penni (Guest Post)
RE: Repairing the Underside of Furniture
Everything can be found at any Fabric Store...OR, you can simply look up "upholstery" in your local phone book & you should find several stores that sell upholstery supplies... They are Pricey (compared to fabric stores) Or, if you have NO fabric stores or upholstery stores in your area, ask an upholstery person to sell you what you need... I recommend you replace the "black, felt-like material" with Black Landscape Fabric... It's the stuff you use in the flower beds to keep the weed problem down. Landscape fabric is both inexpensive AND strong... at under $5 or $10 for 50 feet. (depending on the thickness & quality) You can't beat it! I see no reason you've not been able to find batting... I just bought some to make a dog bed for my son at my local Joann's Fabric store, & even though this was one of their tiny stores, they had at least 15 different types, fiber contents & thickness' of battings available to choose from. I'd Buy synthetic, like Polyester or Acrylic, as it cost less PLUS it doesn't hold in moisture as much as cotton... UNLESS, you are stuffing the DEEP, inside portion of a couch or chair, but if it's the underside, I'd buy Synthetic Batting. As far as the black felt goes, You can find black felt either With, or without a wool content. I recommend a non-wool felt, as my cat just LOVES the smell wool yarn & he will roll around in it & go crazy (probably because wool smells like an animal)
---> Just get yourself a cheapie hot glue gun & lots of hot glue, plus maybe a staple gun, or a tiny hammer & some large-head tacks & a curved upholstery needle (at any fabric store) & some strong thread or dental floss... Then turn over your furniture & have at it!
Post by Cyinda
RE: Repairing the Underside of Furniture
Hi! I "JUST" signed up on this website and this is my second post! First as a guest and now as a member. I owned an upholstery shop for 10 years, so I'll try and offer a little help here. Most of the time, the "inner stuffing" is cotton. It is sold in huge rolls at upholstery supply stores. I would suggest that you visit a local upholstery shop and ask to purchase a small amount and then you try to "stuff" it back to form -- this is trying to repair it from the underside and not remove any of the top upholstery. The black material under the bottom is sort of a dust cover. It is called "cambric". It too, can be purchased from a local upholsterer or upholstery supply company. A regular craft type staple gun can be used to staple it to the bottom. Hope this helps.
Post by frugalfran
RE: Repairing the Underside of Furniture
Since it's unseen why not do it with old sheets? That will be harder to shred and you won't need to redo it every year or so. It might even be worthhile to invest in some new sheets for the job.
Post by MartyD
Disclaimer: ThriftyFun.com cannot accept any responsibility for any injury or damage that you may cause to yourself, others, or property when following any advice given on this site. Read the full disclaimer: http://www.thriftyfun.comdisclaimer.ldml If you find any information on ThriftyFun.com or in our newsletters that is either erroneous and/or potentially harmful to others, please Contact Us, immediately.