I bought an over sized chair little over a year ago. It's microfiber and comfortable. The one good thing about it is that microfiber is known to charge ipods, cell phones, and similar items. the drawback is that we have major large rips in it due to my dog. About a month ago my dog was left at home during a thunderstorm and she went nuts I guess, because one of the things she ripped up was the chair. I can not figure out how to repair, except what the furniture store told me was Instant Glue. but on a chair it would feel uncomfortable to sit on. Here is a close up picture of what it looks like now.
Avalinejet: Don't worry, the Fabri-Tac won't dry very stiff. But, Don't apply the patch on the outside, do it from the inside of the "velveteen" type fabric. (It'll stick much better & look better too!) Just make sure your inside patch is about an inch bigger than the tear. A cut up old pillow case or sheet will work for the patch. To do a nice job, use a fabric marker pen, acrylic paint or a permanent marker to color the patch to match the couch fabric first. That way, if part of the patch shows through a bit, it'll still look okay. Then with something sharp (like a knitting needle, crochet hook or a pen) push the patch inside the tear. (A butter knife might do also the trick to wedge the patch inside the tear) Next squirt just a little of the Fabri-tac on top of the patch (a little goes a long way). Try not to get glue on the velvet outside the tear. Then press down on the glue & the patch w/ your fingers or something like a crochet hook or the tip of a butter knife. You should probably set a thick phone book on the tear while it dries, but make sure to put a piece of tinfoil or wax paper between them so the phone book won't stick to the sofa!
Cyinda, I have a tear in my loveseat, but it's not microfiber. It's a soft fabric with a velvety feel, but it isn't velvet. I am pretty sure I would not be able to successfully apply heat to it. I am wondering how the fabri-tac would work. In my case, the tear is several inches one way and about 3 inches another, so that the foam beneath is exposed. I'm not real concerned about looks since we don't often have visitors, but I am wondering if the fabri-tac would look bad or feel hard if I just put a patch of fabric over the outside of the tear. ???
An alternate way might be to take a tiny piece of fusible webbing or fusible interfacing (ask for it in the cutting department of a Fabric store) You'd slip this inside of the tear. If you choose fusible interfacing you'd need to make sure the fusible side was UP (towards the microfiber) Then instead of actually touching it w/an iron, you'd need to hit the microfiber w/only steam (to fuse it to the interfacing) OR you could use a Teflon pressing sheet. but do NOT press directly on the microfiber w/you iron. You may be able to just barely touch it w a curling iron, But, I'd try fusing the interfacing to the microfiber w/steam first.
* This MAY be a lot less messy than my previous post, but it won't be as permanent as the Fabric Glue method.
Go to Walmart or any craft or fabric store & buy a bottle of "Fabri-Tac" fabric glue for under $5. It's the brand in a clear bottle. I like it because it's one of the strongest brands & one of the only brands that says it can be machine washed, machine dried, AND also dry-cleaned, plus it's the fabric glue that most pros use. (Use it later to hem & patch your jeans!)
---> Next, you need a small piece of a med weight woven fabric (like muslin for example) (cut it just a little bigger than the tear) You'll have to tuck the piece of fabric in & UNDER the tear. Then squirt in a TINY bit of the Fabri-Tac glue, then wait about 1 minute until the glue is slightly tacky, then carefully press the torn microfiber to the glued piece of (muslin) fabric.
* Try to not get any glue on the top side of the microfiber. If you do, you may be able to wipe it off w/a damp Q-tip before it dries.
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Request: Repairing a Tear on a Microfiber Sofa
Archived on 04/04/2008
I have a microfiber sectional sofa that now has a small tear in it. Wondering what I can use to repair this. It has not gone all the way through the cushion fabric that I can tell.
Thanks, Penny from AL
Answers:
RE: Repairing a Tear on a Microfiber Sofa
I have a new microfiber set and have been having so much trouble with the material tearing! The repair guy has been here three times already and he has used regular fabric glue to repair the tears. But if the tears are around a button hole that is the worst. When button holes are put on microfiber the holes stretch out as the furniture is sat on. Its ridiculous. The manufacturer is taking my set back and letting me pick out another set (not with out a fight of course). Next time I won't get microfiber. I am noticing tears in numerous places now. (01/06/2007)
