Do-it-yourself repair and replacement of spring block and sofa

Sofa damage: the most common problems

Of course, it is always easier to buy a new product than to repair an old one. However, in case of some problems, it is still possible to restore the structure. We will look at the most common types of damage to sofas (they also apply to other upholstered furniture):

• the fabric has lost its appearance (this is a common problem if small children or pets live in the apartment); in this situation, only the upholstery needs to be replaced;
• there are gaps in the seats - such damage occurs as a result of wear of the foam rubber and other components of the soft part, and here it will be necessary to replace these components and, in some situations, repair or even replace the necessary spring unit (at the same time, when the upholstery fabric itself looks normal, it can be leave);
• damage to the bottom of the seat - sometimes it happens that the springs make a hole in parts of the sofa frame, and in such a situation you will have to replace parts of the plywood after disassembling the furniture;
• cracks in the longitudinal and transverse beams of the frame are the most difficult and unpleasant problem, so you will have to completely disassemble the structure and replace these beams.

Over time, even the most expensive upholstered furniture may need repairs

Of course, after disassembly, it is necessary to carefully assess the damage and calculate the cost of repairing the sofa. They should not account for more than 50% of the cost of a new product, because in other cases it will simply not be profitable to restore it.

Tools and materials for work

To repair springs and reupholster the pillow, you will need a simple set of tools:

• hammer:
• pliers;
• scissors and stationery knife;
• stapler;
• screwdrivers;
• a tool for detaching the cushion from the sofa, open-end or adjustable wrenches.

Materials purchased (as needed):

• spare springs or block assembly;
• lining material, filler, upholstery fabric;
• synthetic cord with a thickness of 5 mm;
• silk threads;
• clamps or ties, nails, staples for a stapler.

It is better to prepare everything you need in advance; you can purchase the missing items at the nearest furniture store.

What is the structure of the sofa made of?

Before you begin the repair, you should familiarize yourself with the elements that represent the design of the sofa:

1. Wooden frame, which also consists of plywood parts. It is worth noting that a plywood base will be more reliable, but it is much more difficult to manufacture, so pine bars are often used to create the frame, joining them with wood glue.

   Sofa structure

2. Spring block base. In this case, the base can be in the form of sheets (transverse strips) or fiberboard. The first option is usually installed in more expensive sofa models. Therefore, the lamellas in all modern products are mounted on plastic stops, which quickly fail. In addition, they can also become deformed, because in order to reduce the cost of the sofa, manufacturers often place them with too large a gap that does not meet the standards. Over time, due to such negligence, sagging will form in the seat.
3. Spring block. Springs also differ from each other; they can be dependent or independent types. The second option will be more comfortable, but correspondingly more expensive.

   Spring block

4. Dense material (felt is often used), thanks to which the springs do not deform the foam.
5. Foam rubber. In the process of making a sofa, dense furniture foam is usually used. Therefore, the greater its thickness, the more expensive the product will be. You can increase the thickness of the foam rubber yourself only if you do not have a folding structure in front of you.
6. Sintepon, which is attached on top of the foam rubber with glue. This is done so that the upholstery does not rub against the soft part.
7. Upholstery. The upholstery material may vary, and if it is necessary to replace it, it is important to choose an option that is suitable in terms of density.

The sofa consists of much larger elements than you think

If we talk about a folding sofa, the design also includes a transformation mechanism. There are several types of such mechanisms, and we will tell you more about the most popular ones in the table.

Table 1. Types of transformation mechanisms

How is the replacement done?

How to assemble furniture yourself, detailed instructions
If you want to repair your sofa without engaging the services of professional furniture makers, you should carefully study the procedure. You need to start by disassembling the sofa, or rather, by disconnecting its side parts using a wrench. Do not allow these structural elements to fall freely after dismantling; mark each of them so as not to confuse the left and right parts during subsequent assembly. Next, the mechanisms are dismantled, the seat, the backrest and, if present, the tray are disconnected one by one.

Disassembling the sofa should begin by removing the side elements

The sofa is disassembled. Remove the mattress and proceed to repairing the springs. Using a damp rag, you should remove dust from the surface of the structure, and then carefully inspect all the springs. Remove damaged springs using pliers and replace with new ones. Next, cover the spring block with foam rubber or other material to increase its service life.

Carefully remove the upholstery

Damaged spring

Spring fastening options

The fact is that when using a sofa, differences are created between those springs that are pressed by the person’s weight, and those springs that remain unused. This leads to deformation of the spring block and the need for its repair. If you fill the gaps between the springs with foam rubber, and also cover the entire mattress with similar material, this can somewhat smooth out the load difference. Ultimately, the sofa mattress will last longer.

The distance between the springs should be filled with foam rubber

If you need to replace a large number of springs in a sofa in a single large Bonnell block, it is easier to purchase a new block. If only one or two springs stick out, then only these elements need to be replaced, and it is not rational to change the entire unit.

Frame repair

To assess the damage, it is necessary to disassemble the structure:

1. remove the armrests, upper and lower parts;
2. inspect parts, identify damage;
3. if cracks are detected in the frame, it is necessary to measure the damaged area and make a new identical part;
4. if you do not have woodworking skills, you can order parts from any woodworking workshop;
5. assemble the frame;
6. if necessary, strengthen the frame by installing additional transverse slats, screwing self-tapping screws into the joints of the parts, and coating the joints with wood glue.

Spring mechanism

When using upholstered furniture, the spring system often fails.
These are branched metal elements interconnected. The first sign of a breakdown is an uncharacteristic crunch when trying to sit down. Repair of the spring block consists of replacing the connecting parts.

Step by step instructions:

1. Remove the upholstery and all soft parts using a staple gun.
2. Determine the type of fault. If the metal parts are disconnected from each other, you need to secure them with wire and bend the sharp parts inward. If the entire spring unit fails, it must be replaced with a new mechanism. In this case, there is no point in repairing.
3. If creaks are heard only in one place, it makes sense to secure a gasket between the metal parts. Although such a measure will be temporary - the spring block will still need to be changed.

We have a separate article on repairing sofa springs.

Transformation mechanism

Restoration of the transformation mechanism depends on its type:

1. Sofa book. The problem with this design is the rivet in the guide bar. To repair it, you need to disassemble the sofa, secure the mechanism with clamps, remove the rivet, and then replace it. If several parts break at the same time, the entire bar is replaced.
2. Accordion. This system is equipped with many small parts, so it is quite difficult to restore such a design on your own. Usually the roller or wheel needs to be replaced, and the sheet holders are also vulnerable (how to replace the sheets?).
3. Press the caliper. The housing on the seats is damaged and the transformer lock stops working. It cannot be repaired, so you have to install a new one.
4. Expand. In this model, the rollers often break, as they are made of fragile plastic.

Backrests and armrests

• Breakage of armrests can be easy (external restoration is sufficient) and difficult when it is necessary to change their design:
  In difficult situations, you need to collect strong wood and build the base of the future armrest from it. Its shape should exactly repeat the shape of the previous one. Although you can upgrade it and experiment with the appearance and size of the product.
• After manufacturing the new structure, it is necessary to securely fasten all its parts together, then proceed to finishing the rigid frame with soft upholstery. This will make the armrest more comfortable.
• Then lay a layer of moisture-resistant material that will protect against moisture and dirt. You can continue the external design.
• The back has a similar design to the armrests, but there are minor features.
  For example, folding models have a soft back, which, when unfolded, becomes an integral part of the bed. Some models have hard-sided hard lids with no additional functionality. The hard back is repaired, as are the armrests, but restoring the soft frames requires more effort.

The type of back injury affects the repair method:

1. Upholstery problems. It should only be replaced, but it should be taken into account that some models have a continuous back layer, while others are located along the wall and have an inner side.
2. Frame or mounting failure. To restore, you need to remove the upholstery and upholstery, replace or strengthen the broken part, replace the upholstered part, replace the fabric, and then put the backrest back in place.
3. Fill in the problems. You need to carefully remove the upholstery material, change the contents of the interior and put it back on the backrest.

Replacement of filling and upholstery if it is torn

All upholstered furniture loses its original appearance and functionality during prolonged use. To restore them, you need furniture foam rubber, which holds its shape for a long time even under significant loads. External upholstery can also become unusable due to mechanical damage and friction.

Attention! To replace the upholstery and stuffing, you must take measurements and cut out elements of suitable sizes from the purchased material.

1. The filler is fixed to the wooden frame with a stapler or furniture glue, after which you can begin to secure the fabric.
2. The material is cut taking into account the ridges and corners, which are sewn together. It turns out to be a kind of cover that is attached to the frame with a stapler.

How to choose foam rubber and replace it is written here, and here we talk about how to choose upholstery and upholstery for a sofa.

Features of repairing leather products

Leather sofas have a longer lifespan, are beautiful to look at and are versatile. There are several ways to restore your appearance:

• Frame. If the integrity of the material is not compromised, but slight abrasions appear, you can use paint. The most convenient option is in the form of a spray. The main thing is to choose a shade.
  Before applying paint, treat the surface with acetone.
• After the first application, you need to go through the coloring composition a second time when the previous layer has dried.
• Then secure the result with a protective cover.
• Using liquid skin. A rubber-based polymer will help remove cracks. The surface after this treatment becomes more elastic and durable.
  Before treatment, the surface should be degreased, the edges of the crack should be thoroughly sanded, a patch should be applied to deep cuts, and then the surface should be filled with liquid.
• After complete drying, fill the deep uneven areas a second time.
• You can use shoe polish to make the color more uniform.
• Gluing. Fine cracks and scratches can be covered without patches. To connect the particles, a universal rubber-based leather glue is used.
  It should be applied with a thin stick, press the edges, and let dry.
• Remove excess glue, then cover the problem area with paint.
• Filling. It can be complete or with the replacement of individual elements. The method allows you to completely update the appearance of upholstered furniture. The process of tightening leather is no different from replacing fabric.

Step-by-step instruction

Restoring a varnished wooden table yourself

A step-by-step DIY replacement of foam rubber for upholstered furniture includes the following steps.

1. It is worth disconnecting the sides and back from the sofa.
2. Remove the transforming mechanism.
3. Inspect the frame. If necessary, additionally secure the plywood to the bottom. For this purpose, it is worth using nails or furniture glue.
4. Remove the upholstery from each element of upholstered furniture; for this you can use an anti-staple gun or a flat-head screwdriver.
5. Old upholstery material should be washed and ironed to restore it to its original appearance as much as possible. If you plan to upholster the sofa with new fabric, then you will need to make patterns on it.
6. The cut foam rubber must be placed on a wooden plane of each part of the sofa. After which the material is pressed firmly and fixed with staples. If you want to make the back more voluminous, you can add an additional layer of foam rubber to it.
7. In order to ensure the tightness and evenness of the filling of each piece of furniture, it is worth using canvas.
8. Carry out the tightening process. To do this, you should stretch the material and secure it with a construction stapler.
9. Collecting all the components of the sofa into a single whole.

Foam rubber is considered the most common filler for upholstered furniture.

A master class on replacing foam rubber in a sofa can be found in the video below.

Repairing the transformation mechanism

At home, you can repair the transformation mechanism.

For example:

• Sofa book: the mechanism is attached to the table, the broken rivet is drilled out. To select the correct size, a special compass is used. If rivet repair is not possible, use a nut or bolt.

  
  This type of furniture folds out like a book and has two positions: sitting and lying.

• Accordion - The rollers have been replaced, but to do this, the first step is to find wheels of exactly the same size and height. To do this, the mounting shaft must be drilled. It can be easily replaced with regular bolts for better fixation of the rollers. You can also replace the sheets: drill a rivet, change the product, secure with bolts.

  
  The accordion sofa is very compact and can easily fit even in a small room.

• Click-gag - the spring has been replaced, which begins to deform over time. Regular bolts are used instead of old rivets.

  
  The click-keg sofa is an improved version of the folding sofa. Suitable for permanent or guest bed.

As can be seen from the above, repairing a sofa on your own will not cause any difficulties, but will save you money. This is relatively easy to do. This process will not take much time.