We have the answers!

Please find below answers to our most common questions. If you need to know more, call, we'll be pleased to help.

Q:- Can you help, I have managed to stain my setee and need to know the best way to remove it?

A:- Click 'here' to see our section on how to care for your furniture.

Q:- I would like a leather suite, can you give me any advice on leather before I make up my mind to buy?

A:- Leather is a good choice of material, but there are certain characteristics in the leather that you need to look for when purchasing a leather suite. Click 'here' to see our section on how to care for your furniture, which has a section at the end devoted to leather.

Q:- Is my Lounge Suite worth re-upholstering?

A:- A well known brand renowned for quality is worth recovering especially if the replacement value is higher than the re-upholstery cost. Another consideration would be the quality of the frame. A hardwood frame or custom made item would be at the higher end whereas mass produced lounge suites made from chipboard and pine are usually at the lower end of the market. The lower end of the market use inferior Seat Foam, Elastic Webbing and a cheaper quality fabric. These things also need to be taken into consideration.

Q:- How do I choose a good Upholsterer?

A:- Recommendation is the best policy. Request to see some of their work. Ask if they can give you phone numbers from previous work they have done. One of the most enjoyable aspects of upholstery is to receive letters of appreciation from clients who have been delighted with the service. See if there is a good communication level where the upholsterer fully understands and is listening to your requirements. Ask them the type of experience they have and for how long, this may seem a rather strange question, however, a lot of upholsterers are limited in their capacity to fully comprehend the importance of various traditional methods. It is important that they have worked at all levels of both manufacture and re-upholstery for you to feel confident in their workmanship.

Q:- Is the person a Sales Consultant or the Upholsterer actually doing the work?

A:- This question may not seem very important, however, a salesman would not have the expertise to make informed decisions in areas of the upholstery which may need restoring. In particular, if your Sofa or Lounge suite is an antique or period piece only a person who has worked in that area could make a true assessment of what needs to be done. Often timber rails may need replacing due to woodworm damage, this is a fairly common occurrance, also, the salesman may well be working for a commission. Over quoting with the amount of fabric needed for the job is another area to watch out for. Personalised service is always the best.

Q:- Is the work contracted out to other Upholsterers?

A:- The best method of quotation is personalised service. The tradesman can identify any areas of difficulty that could arise during the upholstery process and go into far more detail with the client as to ways of making improvements. A major difficulty with contract upholstery is not having the 'Quality Assurance' that you would normally expect when you know the person who is upholstering your lounge suite. Instructions to the contractor become third hand information passed down the line. Poor communication leads to poor end results.

Q:- Is the cheapest quote always the best?

A:- In most cases the answer would be 'No'. You get what you pay for, and in service industries this can be even less. Upholstery is truly 'Caveat Emptor'. When wanting a quote from any service industry, begin with recommendations, then ring a couple of others to compare prices. Compare quotes by looking at the labour cost, cost of materials and the service you are promised.

Q:- Why do some upholsterers quote for more material required than others?

A:- Maybe the upholsterer quoting for more fabric is not as experienced, leading to a lack of confidence in their own abilities, allowing for more wastage covers any eventuality, - or it could simply be that he is deliberately under quoting in the labour of the job and making up for it with the amount of fabric required. Sadly this is a common practice.

Q:- What type of Workmanship Guarantee is there?

A:- There is no hard and fast rule regarding guarantee. However, an upholsterer should be more than willing to guarantee the work he has put into your lounge suite. He cannot guarantee the components of the lounge suite e.g. fabric, springing, foam etc., unless there is a manufacturers warranty on these items. Always ask for the 'Care Labels' that come with the fabric, vinyl or leather from all suppliers.

Q:- What should be included as part of the service?

A:- The Quotation should be a 'Free Measure & Quote'. In most cases it should include a Free pick-up and delivery service. It may be different in a remote area. Use your own discretion. A quotation should be a fixed price unless there is major un-foreseen structural damage. That would be very rare if the person who is Quoting the job knows what they are doing.