Cushions ripping on bottom

jagcb750 · 02-12-2008, 09:46 AM

Well, I have been out of the loop a while here and thought it was high time I got back to checking out these boards. I miss camping during these winter months. I thought this would be a good time to do a little tinkering on Nancy while it is still cold out.
I noticed that the seat cushions in the dining area were ripping on the bottom where the matting is. So, I have them at the upholstery shop right now. The actual upholstery part of the cushion appears to be in good condition.

dwightdi · 02-12-2008, 09:52 AM

The bottom of the cushions experience the highest tensil stress while you are setting on them. They are more likely to rip on the bottom for that reason but the top of the cushions receive the most UV sunlight damage while the unit is just setting in the sun. Some people place a sheet or other sun block over the cushions on the sunny side of the unit, while it is in storage.

jagcb750 · 02-13-2008, 07:26 AM

Thanks for the advice. I am hoping to get them back soon. Cheers!

choctawmel · 02-13-2008, 02:16 PM

Same thing happened to bottom of my dinette cushions. I had an upholstery guy replace just the bottom. Wish I'd had the foam replaced too. It was getting soft on the outside. I reversed them and now the soft spot is next to the window. Good for another 22 years.
mel

jagcb750 · 03-25-2008, 11:36 AM

Hey, I just got my cushions back a few days ago and they look great!!

crispyboy · 03-25-2008, 12:26 PM

We had our cushions reupoholstered over the winter with new very firm foam. Wow was that a pricey project - I had no idea it would be so much $$. Quality foam really drove the price up.
The upholsterer put good material on both sides of the cushions and hid the zippers so the cushions could be flipped and turned to wear more evenly.

jagcb750 · 03-26-2008, 11:18 AM

Sounds nice. The guy charged me $78.00 for my two cushions. He supplied the matting and the velcro and the labor, of Course.

Foiled Again · 03-26-2008, 02:56 PM

I have the midnight sun interior - and one thing that I don't like is the way the fabric shifts after repeated sitting in one spot. Quite noticible with the subtle stripes in the upholstery. First I got a rubber brush - primarily great for pet hair - but also puts enough drag on the upholstery to get the fabric moved back where it belongs.

BUT a good upholsterer will always use an underlay between the foam and the upholstery - usually unbleached muslin because it is cheap and strong. The underlayer sticks to the foam, the upholstery moves against the underlayer when you sit on it, but easily goes back into place (or at least mostly) when you get up because of the low friction between the muslin and the back of the upholstery. ALSO the upholstery lasts longer because it's only wearing from the outside and not wearing out from the weave due to friction with the cushion. If you use latex foam (Airstream doesn't on the Safari or CCD trims) this underlayment is especially important.

One of these days when I get around to it, I'll remove my cushion covers and make the underlayment. What's stopping me now??? Well, the last seam has to be sewn shut by hand for a smooth finish. Even though I would use dental floss and a two needle "baseball stitch" it's a chore - because the fit has to be TIGHT.

Waxed Dental Floss makes great thread for sewing on buttons, etc. It is very strong and doesn't tangle. Of course you can wax your own thread with beeswax if you need a color other than basic white.

Paula