The leather on a couch might be the first thing you notice, but the construction is equally important to comfort and durability. A sofa’s basic construction consists of three parts: frame, springs and pillows. Here are some ideas what to look for in each part.
The Frame
A top-quality couch frame should be made from a solid, knot-free hardwood, with oak, maple poplar, beech, ash and alder being the most common. You should avoid pine, plastic or laminate frames, since those will not be as strong and, consequently, not last as long. In addition, you should ask how the wood was processed. Kiln dried provides the most protection against warping and cracking during seasonal temperature and humidity changes. Next, feel the front of the frame underneath the couch. It should be at least 1-inch thick and feel heavy. The wood should be put together with wooden dowels and metal brackets or screws, not nails which can tear the fabric and split the wood.
The Springs – Types of Springs, Method of securing the springs to the frame
The springs are located below the cushions, and the method used to secure the springs to the frame significantly affects the sofa’s comfort and durability. Ideally the store will be able to show you and un-upholstered couch, so you can see the construction. Regardless which construction method you choose, make sure the wires are bent smoothly with a minimum of sharp curves which can cause the wires to break more easily or pierce the covering underneath the cushions. The wires should be S-shaped and run from the front to the back of the seat. Above all, the springs should be strong. If the store will allow it, take off the pillows and stand on the sofa to make sure it can take some abuse. Examples of spring construction include:
8 – Way Hand Tied Springs
This is an old process in which twine is tied eight ways between the springs to create the seating surface below the cushions. Nostalgia and the idea of “hand” work have kept it alive as the best sofa construction. While many 8-way hand tied sofas have been known to last 50 years, this method adds substantially to the cost of the sofa, and you might be able to achieve the same comfort and durability using other, cheaper production styles and methods. Here is a look at some excellent alternatives:
8-Way Machine Tied
Provides equally distributed amounts of strength to each tie, making it superior to the antiquated hand tied process, where some ties might be less secure, as the worker may become tired or distracted. However, like anything done by a machine, small imperfections can go undetected and diminish the quality. However, sofas made with this method will be less expensive than their hand tied counterparts.
Pirelli Webbing
With Pirelli webbing, a series of coil or sinuous springs is covered by a webbing made from jute fiber, a highly resilient material. This webbing supports the springs.
Although it has only been around for a few years, experts believe a sofa with Pirelli Webbing will last 10-20 years.
Sinuous Springs
Sinuous springs are two-dimensional “S” shaped wires that run from the front rail to the back of the seat, spaced every few inches and secured to the frame. Support wires cross laterally and provide additional stability and support. A sinuous spring construction may be preferable in some cases. For example, a sleek modern sofa sitting low to the ground is better served by sinuous spring construction since it requires less space in the frame.
Web Suspension
Web suspension is a form of seating support that may be used alone or with coil springs. Bands of webbing two to three inches wide cross the seat and back, and are tacked to the sofa frame to create a hammock-like platform for cushions. Webbing may be made of natural fibers such as jute, or man-made materials such a polypropylene. While web suspension alone is generally considered the least preferable frame suspension, there is a quality difference among web suspension sofas. High quality sofas that use web support structures are built with the use of a tensioner that securely fastens the webbing to the frames and ensures the stability of the deck.
No matter the seating support choice, your sofa should feel stable when you sit on it. Too much wiggle in the seat means that the springs are not attached well. If you choose a spring sofa, the quality and the quantity of springs are the best measure of a sofa’s construction, so compare the construction specifications before you decide.
The Cushions
Like the frame, the cushions should feel heavy. Many couches are stuffed with high resiliency foam, which compresses easily and returns to its original shape quickly. Goose down fill, while luxurious, offers minimal support and will need to be fluffed. A better choice is a combination down-wrapped foam core, which gives you the best of both worlds – the softness of down and the firmness of foam. High density polyurethane foam is the most common cushion filler. The higher the foam density, the firmer the cushion will be. Foam can be wrapped in down, synthetic-fiber (Dacron) batting, or cotton for a softer seating surface. Dacron-wrapped foam is the least expensive option, but it will have a limited lifespan.
Spring down combines the softness of down, the structure of foam and the resilience of springs. Coil springs are surrounded by high density foam edge supports, and then all is wrapped with down pads.
Some sofas have an extra pillow of foam sewn on top of the main cushion. This will cause the cushions to wrinkle a bit more, since the pillows are softening and the leather is stretching. Personally, I love the added comfort of the extra pillow, and the slight wrinkling of a soft leather makes it look like a well-worn, comfortable leather coat.
Sofa cushions will soften over time. Consequently, you might want to try one that has been on the sales floor for a while, as well as one that is relatively new, to get an idea how your couch might age. If a firm seat is a necessity, you might want to consider a sleeper, since the bed inside keeps the seat firmer by bypassing the couch’s sinuous spring system. Lastly the cushions should be removable to ease cleaning and repairs.
Overall, selecting the skeleton for your couch that fits your lifestyle will ensure that you get the maximum use and enjoyment out of your leather couch.
