Are you worried about the old upholster of a dirty sleeper sofa, and after so many washes, it does not seem to be a new one? Sleeper sofas are a considerable investment, so changing an old sleeper sofa with a new one frequently is not possible. There are simple ways that help you to reupholster your sleeper sofa. Reupholstering a sleeper sofa does not need any educational course or skill training, but using tips and tricks discussed in this review will help you do it at home.
It is important to note that you have to spend a reasonable amount of time reupholstering a sofa. It is not a work of 2 or 3 hours. It might take up to a week or more. So you need to be patient with this task. It is not a quick task and is time-consuming, especially if you are reupholstering an oversized sofa. It would be better to first apply these steps on a small item like a chair to get an experience before working on a sleeper sofa.
In this way, you will get to know the process you have to follow, and you will avoid the mistakes you have made while reupholstering the chair. The cost of reupholstering depends upon the item you will reupholster, the cost of the fabric, and the tools required for this process. Roughly for reupholstering a sleeper sofa that is 7 feet long and has six cushions, you will need a fabric of 20 yards.
How To Reupholster A Sleeper Sofa
Reupholstering a sleeper sofa means covering a soft padded fabric over the seat. There might be several reasons why people want to reupholster the sleeper sofa. Wear out of an old upholstery of a sleeper sofa is one reason that lets people change the cover. Some people like to reupholster a sleeper sofa because of the new furniture they bought, and they want their sleeper sofa to match with the furniture. When purchasing a piece of fabric for your sleeper sofa, make sure you get one that is washable, durable, and soft.
Tools You Need For Reupholstering
For reupholstering a sleeper sofa, you will need some tools, including a stapler remover, that will help you easily remove the old upholstery and a hammer to eliminate parts of old upholstery. Permanent marker for marking the pieces of old upholstery. A Staple gun for fixing a fabric on your sleeper sofa. Fabric glue for the sleek finish of reupholstery. If you have a tufted couch, you will need a fabric button kit. You will also require a Sewing machine, piping cord, and zippers for reupholstering a sleeper sofa.
Remove The Old Upholstery
Remove the old upholstery of the sleeper sofa with the help of an upholstery stapler. There will be lots of stapler pins which you have to remove first. Removing all the stapler pins will give you much information you need to disassemble the sofa bed while reupholstering new fabric. If you don’t have an upholstery stapler, you can use a flat-head screwdriver and nose plier. First, use a screwdriver for losing the staples, and then with the help of a nose plier, take these staples out one by one. You can also use your hands for this task, but it is a complex and time-consuming method.
Before taking off the old upholstery, move your sleeper sofa to a place where you can freely move it. Now, turn your sleeper sofa upside down and remove the fabric from the bottom. Remove the staples with an upholstery stapler. The next step is removing the material from the back area. Do not tear the old fabric; instead, pull it off very carefully. Label the material with a marker so you know exactly where you have to place the fabric. Now remove the fabric from inside the sofa, the outside and inside arms, and the deck.
Checking Inside The Sleeper Sofa
If your sleeper sofa is an old one, take a careful look if it needs to be repaired. Check its frame, shake it to find out whether it is in good shape or needs some restoration. Check the arm area and also the wooden glue if it needs to be refreshed. You can also change the color of your sofa if you want to. You can use acrylic craft paint with a brush. Paint it with your favorite color and after drying, apply a top coat to get a sleek finish.
Measure And Cut New Upholstery Fabric
Take proper measurements of your sleeper sofa, that is, its size, height, and width. Your old upholstery fabric pattern will help you cut the new fabric. Make sure to get appropriate measurements. While cutting the new material, make sure you leave an extra 1 to 2 inches from each side. It is necessary because of two reasons. The first reason is that the extra fabric will be covered in pins and staples. Secondly, you will not face the fabric shortage issue due to inappropriate measurement. Now cut the fabric according to the old upholstery you have marked before.
Reupholstering Your Sleeper Sofa
Sew the fabric that needs to be sewed like the outside and front side of the arm. Put the remaining material and staples in the same way you have removed your sofa’s old upholstery. Add a new fabric and staple it with upholstery stapler pins. There are areas where the stapler does not pin tightly. You can use a hammer for this purpose. Fold the new fabric over cardboard, same as the old fabric you have removed before. When you are attaching a new material, make sure that the fabric is tight and wrinkle-free; otherwise, it will not give your sleeper sofa a perfect finish.
Conclusion
Reupholstering a sleeper sofa is not a difficult task. For several years, using a sleeper sofa needs reupholstering as the old fabric tends to wear out with usage. Adding a new material is not much costly, and you can get a unique-looking sleeper sofa without spending a lot of money. Buying a new sleeper sofa is impossible, but you can always buy a piece of fabric and reupholster a sleeper sofa by using simple methods. Here is a review about reupholstering a sleeper sofa so you can give a new life to your old furniture.
