Furniture Repair a Value-added Service for Customers

Furniture sets the scene and creates a strong visual impression, so when it begins to show signs of wear and tear it can negatively impact a home’s image. But this doesn’t mean a home is destined for a showroom full of new furnishings. There’s always the option of furniture repair and restoration, which retailers should consider as a value-added service.

Rescue and Renewal
Furniture represents a substantial investment. Restoration can preserve and protect that investment, giving homeowners many more years of service. As well, it’s often a fraction of the cost of buying new and saves the trouble of replacement.

Restoration can create a new look and feel. Small changes can be made, such as reupholstering living room chairs or refinishing a dining room table. Restoration also allows homeowners to give damaged furniture a new lease on life. For example, a table that has lost a leg can find new purpose as a console in an entryway or hallway.

Furniture restoration also reduces impact on the environment. A large amount of energy and natural resources is expended in manufacturing, packaging and shipping new furniture.

Repair Aware
Reupholstering is a good option for fabric furniture that’s looking worn or where seat and back cushions are losing their support. It often involves stripping the piece down to the frame and replacing all the fabric, springs, foam and webbing.

There are times, however, when an entire piece may not need to be reupholstered. Take, for example, leather and vinyl chairs and sofas. The headrest and arms of these furnishings are prone to fading. In such cases, it’s best to treat the problem area only. This involves cleaning, sanding to a smooth finish, airbrushing to match the rest of the piece and then sealing to bring the faded area back to its original state.

If upholstery damage is minimal and relatively unnoticeable, such as a torn seam, then blind stitching is the preferred repair method. Blind stitching requires the use of a curved needle, which makes sewing on a flat surface like a chair cushion relatively easy. The thread should be heavy and ideally match the colour of the fabric; however, if done properly, the colour doesn’t matter because it won’t be seen.

Furniture with scratches and gouges can be refinished. This involves removing the paint or varnish to re-expose the wood grain and then making minor repairs. For scratches, a water-based dye may be wiped over the affected areas to hide imperfections. More severe damage, such as gouges, may require the use of melt sticks or wood epoxy. These fillers can be sanded and stained so they blend right in. However, they work best if the furniture piece is in good condition overall.

Water-damaged furniture can also be refinished, though the restoration method depends on the type of furniture and the severity of the damage. Wood furniture water damage can range from small spots and white or light-coloured rings to dark stains and marks. A common cause of furniture water damage is mopping floors daily. In this case, furniture can be repaired on-site. The damaged area may be sanded, stained, sealed and then toned with a coloured spray aerosol followed by a clear top coat. White or light-coloured stains on furniture are a good indication the damage is relatively superficial — water hasn’t penetrated through the finished surface. These marks can often be removed with retarder. Sprayed over the affected area, the retarder draws the moisture trapped beneath the finish to the surface. If the finish has lifted, however, there is no way to repair the furniture on-site. Instead, it has to be taken off-site where the finish is stripped off and replaced.

Andrew Howells is the owner of Furniture Medic of Niagara, which provides furniture repair and restoration services. He can be reached at 905-688-9223 or furnmed@vaxxine.com.