Many homeowners are choosing to keep their existing furniture longer, and save their money for a rainy day. With the advent of comfortable and durable microfiber cloth, many of these sofas have removable cushion covers that are machine washable. The foam sofa cushions, however, are not. Over time, these foam inserts "collapse" and become firm, flat and uncomfortable. What to do?
Custom Foam Cushions for Your Sofa
Luckily, there are upholstery and insert specialists to help you out with your foam sofa cushion needs. Upholstery experts and the purveyors of custom soft-goods will be able to refresh your sofa's cushions. Here are a few things to know before you go shopping.
- Foam Density
- Your sofa cushion foam will have a specific density, expressed as weight per cubic foot. 1.5 lbs is considered very low density, and is usually reserved for occasional bedding and camping uses, making it a poor choice for a sofa renovation. Look for high density foam, at 2.0 density or higher, when choosing foam for your sofa cushion.
- Closed Cell Foam
- Closed cell foam refers to the construction of the actual foam at a cellular level. In open cell foam, air breathes through the entire cube freely. This design manages heat well, but is considerably less firm. Closed cell foam is more durable and supportive than open cell foam, but it also retains much more heat. Many furniture companies use closed cell foam to increase the lifespan of their couches and sofas.
- High Resiliency Foam (HR)
- When shopping for replacement sofa cushions, accept nothing less than HR foam. High resiliency foam is one of the longest lasting daily use cushions available. Most HR foam is also fire resistant.
- Firmness
- Beyond density, there is an actual measurement of firmness called Indentation Load Deflection. This is a fancy term for firmness. To give you the bare essentials, be sure that your ILD is somewhere between 30 and 40 pounds. Thicker cushions should be at the lower end of this range to avoid excessive firmness.
Pricing varys greatly on the quality of foam used for your sofa cushions. Be sure to shop around your neighborhood and the Internet for upholstery pros and rescue your couch's tired cushions.
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