Spring a Couch Like a Professional

[@Czechbound]

*New Subscriber* : That was great ! My 26 year old Danish made couch _finally_ needs new springs and foam. This video will be very useful for that project !

[@createwithcraftsman]

So glad to hear this will be useful! You've got this.

[@karenherrerasequeira4314]

Soy una ama de casa Nicaraguense que ha aprendido el arte del tapizado viendo videos en KZbin como el tuyo. Aunque no entiendo el idioma, tu video es lo suficientemente visual para poder entender a la perfección. Gracias por compartirlo.

[@createwithcraftsman]

Muchas gracias!

[@dagaspar6]

Awesome video! I'm respringing a couch and this was exactly what I was looking for.

[@createwithcraftsman]

Glad it helped!

[@cherylharris5695]

Very impressive, and informative video

[@createwithcraftsman]

Thank you!

[@kevinburra6853]

Hi - this is a great video, thank you - I feel like I want to give this a try! But I'm curious how you compare the zig zag s-springs with nylon webbing, as far as comfort & ease of installation go. I am planning to build the frame of a sectional, and there is shockingly little information comparing them, beyond surface level cost comparisons. I had been planning to just go with nylon webbing, as it seems easier to do -- but springs in my mind jut seem way more comfortable and, based on this video, more accessible to do than I thought they would be!

[@createwithcraftsman]

Interesting that there isn't a good comparison video on them. Ultimately Nylon webbing is a lot stiffer than springs. What springs do really well is they give way a little bit so it doesn't feel like you're sitting on a firm surface. Depending on how tight those springs are it may feel like you mold into the couch or rest on it, where webbing doesn't give that same soft cushy feel. However you can web a sofa and have it be comfortable -- many manufactururs use elastic webbing to get the best of both worlds. The only downside to that is that elastic webbing wears out over time and then you have to fix it or it really feels bad... Hope that helps.

[@elsplace896]

Great thorough video!

[@createwithcraftsman]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Law9223]

Very informative video! I do furniture repairs in home and do some sagging furniture repair, but typically I don't replace the the springs, but I had one the other day, the cushion seemed fine and not sinking in too much and they were coming back normally to shape and I didn't see any broken wood or Springs coming off when I checked it out from underneath, but my question is will these metal Springs need replacement, do they wear down after so many years even if they look good? What I did was put some webbing horizontally weaving through the Springs horizontally, it seemed to help a little bit but not too much, would you have done something differently? Like replace the springs? Or the cushions? Thanks for your reply!

[@createwithcraftsman]

That is an excellent question. Springs come in different guages and depending on how thick the spring is depends on how much it can handle. No sag springs by design can take a pretty good beating and still function well (as long as they still have zig zag to them they can still stretch) but they can stretch past the point they were designed for. In that case webbing in line with them is not a bad fix or applying burlap to assist the springs. Ultimately if you have a good thick guage spring it won't wear out but that is not always what a sofa comes with.

[@Law9223]

@@createwithcraftsman thanks for the reply! 👍

[@TheCopperFrog]

Hi, doing this job like how you did, what is the basic weight limit? I am guessing 200-250? What would you recommend changing for heavier people?

[@createwithcraftsman]

Great question. That gets into the guage of steel you use, the spring spacing, the way the frame was built, etc. It all works together in one unit to get the best result. We use 10 guage springs and I would not recommend them on a plywood frame as it would pull it apart. Our sofas are built with 350 lb people in mind so a 12' sofa would need to support 4 people, though you need to look at every piece of the puzzle, not just the springs.

[@misterwubulous]

Hey great video. Very clear. I'm going to rebuilding some outdoor furniture for six inch thick foam cushions that my friends already have. I want to use the zig zag springs underneath but I am concerned that the pillows won't sit flat on the springs if they have the curve that you show.. Can I stretch the springs out until they are flat?

[@createwithcraftsman]

You wouldn't want to stretch these until they are flat. To eliminate the gap in front you would use edge roll which is a foam, burlap, cotton, bolster that you would attach to the front of the frame and then fill foam or cotton in behind the edge roll so that the sloped portion of the spring is filled in. You could even go without the edge roll if you have a finished wood outside and just fill in with cotton or foam in that sloped region.

[@lauraschroeder8177]

I had a custom velvet down couch that lasted 25 years through 3 children, 2 adults and 2 dogs. It was slip covered so i could wash it. Well its finally sagging now. I look at the junk sofas on the market for $3000. My velvet couch came from North Carolina and cost $8000. It was a wedding gift. I dont want to part with it. My husband can do the springs. What type of foam should I replace the bottom cushion with? I think i vould just slip the slip cover over the new foam?

[@createwithcraftsman]

You are going to want to use foam you get from an upholstery shop or foam shop. Something around 27027 for the seat is good (those are specification numbers for the ILD and IFD which is how dense and how heavy the foam is. The density should be good for a seat (or up to 35 on the firmer side) for a seat. A local upholsterer or foam shop should be able to help you navigate that. There are some online options that you could use as well but local shops can typically get you better pricing. www.foamorder.com/

[@Law9223]

I did not see any links where you get your tools and supplies...

[@aurelius614]

Do you have any suggestions for where to buy no-sag upholstery nails? It seems like Upholstery Connection doesn't sell them anymore.

[@createwithcraftsman]

It is a hard nail to find, our suppliers discontinued them too. you just want a thinner nail with a larger head and to try to not be as thick as your wood so it doesn't poke through. A local hardware store like Ace should have a few options. If you can't find something let me know and we'll look up a spec for you.

[@kristinj6298]

I'm recovering my dining chairs from the ground up. I'm struggling finding a burlap to cover the springs that isn't cost-prohibitive to order. Think I can get away with a strong utility twill that is easy for me to get at my local fabric store?

[@createwithcraftsman]

Hi, as long as you get a fabric that has a tight weave and a high double rub count, that should be fine!

[@damiendye6623]

Why put the spings so far apart, would it not be better to put them closer together so that last 5 years without failing like the commercial sofas

[@createwithcraftsman]

Great question, the longevity of the spring system will ultimately come down to the quality of the springs and other materials used. We use high quality springs, twine, and FLW (the white synthetic burlap used to cover the springs). If you have good springs and you put them too close together, they can warp or break the frame. The way we install them, they should last for decades.

[@peggysueross]

Do you really need the twine for a chair with the zigzag springs? I’m replacing mine after losing one spring. It’s a Lane chair but it’s a hand me down, but I don’t think they used it.

[@createwithcraftsman]

specifically italian ruby twine. It holds up a lot better than typical bailing twine. I believe it is just a hemp twine but it is durable. If you use something less quality you can double up on the thread to keep the strength up.

[@DavidMathew82]

I’m having trouble with the simple single knot on each spring. When you tie and pull to tighten it in the video it seems your knot pulls out the slack and gets tighter. When I pull it doesn’t seem to take out the last bit of slack it just locks in place once the knot is tight. I feel like I should be able to get it to tense up more but the knot locking up seems to prevent that. Any tips? I like the technique.

[@createwithcraftsman]

try tying that knot the other way. Instead of RH over LH go LH over RH or vise versa. That should clear that up.

[@suyelahmad2376]

Very nice ❤.I'm Sofa mekar

[@mandypavey2504]

How would you do I leather sofa that you can’t take the cover off .When three spring clips have broke

[@createwithcraftsman]

Excellent question! Ideally you would take the fabric off and then replace the EK clip and springs and then put it back together-- being very careful when removing and re-applying the leather. That would be the ideal situation. If you can't remove the leather because the leather may rip or other constraints I would suggest taking off the dust cover from underneather and applying the spring back to the inside of the frame using clips and screws. That is not quite as good a repair because it puts a lot of strain on the clip to pull directly out of the frame-- but it is not an ideal situation to begin with. Be careful to have plenty of support but not to split the wood with screws too close together (more a concern with hardwood where we would suggest pre-drilling for the screws that close together).

[@Hello-jq6qb]

bike old tube also good

[@createwithcraftsman]

That could work nicely as well if you can figure out a good way to cut strips and tie it.

[@ubacow7109]

Im not gonna lie but im pretty sure a good cheat for string is probably just using heavy duty zip ties~ Granted it prob doesnt have the fatigue life or as eco friendly, but it seems like it would do the trick all the same.

[@createwithcraftsman]

It would also do the trick if you have an abundance of zip ties, though a little give is nice so that the springs can have a little more give where the impact zone is.

[@catherinecharles9966]

Traduire en français svp

[@sheilaestrada4361]

Caulk guns work for the springs

[@cedricclifton408]

What do you mean by that?

[@createwithcraftsman]

I wouldn't trust it.

[@Noahshumway]

Looks a lil too good