Advice on re-upholstering interior cushions

[livbysea]

Good advice - zippers - and for that matter the buttons too - have had corrosion issues - so those are on my check list to discuss. and I am short - so I don't want cushions any further from cabin sole than necessary!

your cushions look great - I see you went for a pattern - I am concerned that even with care and good fabric, spill and stains happen (we have grandkids...) and I want something that will hide some of that. thanks

susan

Originally Posted by Cheechako

A couple thoughts:
-Avoid cotton based fabric as it holds moisture.
-You dont need a marine upholsterer if you have old cushions, may be cheaper from non marine source.
-Zippers are often problematic. If I were upholstering again I would request just an over lap and velcro.
-Be careful going thicker than stock foam... you may end up with the seat level too high and very uncomfortable to sit if your feet dont touch the floor! (dont ask how I know this!)
-For one boat we went to the interior design wholesale place and selected our fabric. (We had an interior decorator my boss helped us with for paint color in our house and she got us entry into the place and a big discount!) Quite expensive at $120 a yard retail, but we didnt pay that, there aren't that many yards in a boat, and it was very nice. I hate anything leather or vinyl like.

[sailscubasurf]

Krypton Fabric.

Our friends used this fabric (which was originally developed for hospitals and hotels) when they had their cushions upholstered 15 years ago and they still look brand new.

We just had our done with it and spilled red wine wipes off with just a wet paper towel leaving absolutely no stain.

You can get the fabric at Joanne's and if you wait for their many sales, you can get it at up to 60% off retail.

[TreblePlink]

I bought heavy-duty plastic zippers, but velcro might be fine ...

[livbysea]

looking to re do interior - exterior cushions in great shape - thankfully!
-

Originally Posted by Dolphin460

Going on 11 years with Sunbrella on my saloon cushions and they still look new. If you wish to use it for outside, I suggest you use closed-foam.

[livbysea]

interesting - will look this up!

Originally Posted by sailscubasurf

Krypton Fabric.

Our friends used this fabric (which was originally developed for hospitals and hotels) when they had their cushions upholstered 15 years ago and they still look brand new.

We just had our done with it and spilled red wine wipes off with just a wet paper towel leaving absolutely no stain.

You can get the fabric at Joanne's and if you wait for their many sales, you can get it at up to 60% off retail.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by livbysea

Good advice - zippers - and for that matter the buttons too - have had corrosion issues - so those are on my check list to discuss. and I am short - so I don't want cushions any further from cabin sole than necessary!

your cushions look great - I see you went for a pattern - I am concerned that even with care and good fabric, spill and stains happen (we have grandkids...) and I want something that will hide some of that. thanks

susan

re: zippers. Now days they are pretty much all plastic. So corrosion is no longer a big issue . Outside UV will get to them though. And no matter where, they can be a bit problematic... but in the scheme of things. You probably only use them a couple times in a boat cushion's life, so it's not a huge deal. Hard to get foam out of the cover thru zipper openings though for sure, possibly pulling the sipper apart. A fold over velcro flap would be a lot easier.
That boat was 20 years ago, so patterns were more of an "in thing" probably, but we liked it.

[Snowdog2]

Another performance fabric is Crypton. We. Researched a lot looking for fabric for a sofa. Spills just run off it.

[livbysea]

thanks! our zippers are plastic - but probably 14 years old - and marine environments are tough!

Originally Posted by Cheechako

re: zippers. Now days they are pretty much all plastic. So corrosion is no longer a big issue . Outside UV will get to them though. And no matter where, they can be a bit problematic... but in the scheme of things. You probably only use them a couple times in a boat cushion's life, so it's not a huge deal. Hard to get foam out of the cover thru zipper openings though for sure, possibly pulling the sipper apart. A fold over velcro flap would be a lot easier.
That boat was 20 years ago, so patterns were more of an "in thing" probably, but we liked it.

[Nickodemus]

We bought a 2008 boat in 2015 and the cushions were cream colored and very grubby. I unzipped them and found that the fabric was marked with the word Alacantra. Apparently they use it for various things in high end automobiles. I threw the covers in a washing machine with regular detergent and line dried them and they came out great. Have done that several times with great success. No idea, though, how expensive it is.

[livbysea]

interesting- i think that ours are alacantra - and the boat has high end finishes so it would make sense. I took the arm rests to the dry cleaner and they gave up on them - we also have issues with zippers and button that were attached with metal fittings (almost like quilting knots) and they have begun to fall off - if i could get them clean, and would not hurt to see if they are machine washable, it might be worth getting new zippers and buttons - food for thought!

thanks

susan

Originally Posted by Nickodemus

We bought a 2008 boat in 2015 and the cushions were cream colored and very grubby. I unzipped them and found that the fabric was marked with the word Alcantara. Apparently they use it for various things in high end automobiles. I threw the covers in a washing machine with regular detergent and line dried them and they came out great. Have done that several times with great success. No idea, though, how expensive it is.

[Nickodemus]

Susan - when all else fails, use boiling water and Oxy Clean. That’s my “go to” for most problem stains. I was afraid to use it on the Alacantra but it worked out fine. Be careful when you mix the two because it will bubble and spit! Melanie

[livbysea]

Hi Melanie

The cushions are dirty all over. Wonder if I am soak whole covers in oxy??
Don’t have much to lose!


Susan




QUOTE=Nickodemus;2661172]Susan - when all else fails, use boiling water and Oxy Clean. That’s my “go to” for most problem stains. I was afraid to use it on the Alacantra but it worked out fine. Be careful when you mix the two because it will bubble and spit! Melanie[/QUOTE]

[Nickodemus]

Susan - it’s worth a try on at least one to see if it helps. As long as you don’t see much color loss, let it soak for a really long time. Good luck! Melanie

[jkishel]

Sunbrella, oxyclean or simple green to clean.

[bjymd]

COASTAL UPHOLSTERY
14 Cottage Rd
South Portland, ME
Very nice people, great selection of fabrics
great ratings