By Doug Belleville
Bringing Old School, Natural Construction Back to Sofas Something’s Missing From Today’s Sofas – the Quality!
Would you know a good quality sofa if you saw one? The fact is most people wouldn’t. Unfortunately most consumers do not know what to look for and while it may visually look impressive, they shouldn’t expect the piece to stay that way or hold up very long. Most sofas, love seats, armchairs or chaises don’t have a chance to be handed down through your family for generations as a result of poor industry-wide construction. Rather than choosing a couch that will end up on the curb, savvy shoppers need to consider high end, heirloom-quality living room seating. We are going to learn how we can get real value for our hard earned money along with enjoying the pride of passing on a truly loved and treasured piece of furniture to future generations that’s built from the best materials and high quality construction.
Shoddy Construction is (Unfortunately) the Norm
Most components of sofas and chair construction cannot be seen by the consumer and many contain inferior building materials. These unseen inner workings make a huge difference between pieces of living room furniture that last only a handful of years versus one you can hand down with pride.
Today’s standard is for factory assembly to look and feel sturdy to the average consumer, but these impostors, through minimal daily use, will quickly begin to loosen up at joints and wobble and weaken. This speeds up failure of poorly built couch frames and they inevitably come apart.
Other common issues include cushions that sag prematurely. This happens for two reasons; low quality polyurethane foam in the cushions and poor quality deck foundations / bases that support the seat cushions. The support decks quickly stretch, tear, and fail to support the seat cushions properly. Additionally annoying squeaks develop from soft weak woods, artificial woods like particleboard, cardboard and veneers which are loaded with glue that only add to the problem. The result of all of these shoddy short cuts and low cost substitutions is furniture destined for the trash truck and the landfill.
The Best Wood for Sofa Frames
A good natural couch begins with solid bones. Think of the frame of your sofa as its skeletal structure. In fact, this framework is what supports the rest of its construction and all who sit on it. A sofa needs to be able to support anyone and everyone of all sizes from the petite, to people that are considered medically overweight. Our family and friends need to be able to sit, play, and rest on that sofa comfortably and do it for years on end. The core of the sofa “the bones” should be sustainably-harvested, locally- grown hardwood so future generations have the same opportunity. Avoid softer woods like pine, plywood, and even particleboard. A very dependable choice for crucial components like feet, legs, and framework is kiln-dried hardwood.
Can You “Sit on it” Potsie?
The fact is most sofas and couches are not built like they used to be, and if you knew how it was built you probably wouldn’t want to sit on it. Today they are mostly stapled rather than using actual carpentry. But if you want a construction joint to hold, you just cannot beat the traditional mortise-and-tenon joint. Craftsmen have been using construction like this for 7,000 years. This simple joint has been trusted for its enduring strength by skilled carpenters, blacksmiths and even stonemasons. It’s strong, safe, and extremely reliable.
A high end-quality sofa or armchair will rely less on cheap staples and more on old-school joinery at each and every key stress point. Add to this recipe for construction a strong, natural non-toxic jute webbing and you have a recipe for assembly that will increase the integrity and performance of the frame inside any seating piece you own.
A L’il Dab Of Glue Will Do Ya, Or Will It?
Modern furniture construction uses a whole lot more than a dab of glue these days. Glue is vastly over used and relied on because it is speeds up the building process while at the same time cuts costs so they can build it cheap. This sets an industry standard of low quality and short term durability. Their construction relies on high-formaldehyde glues and adhesives instead of strong mortise-and-tenon joints. These adhesives are also known as one of the biggest sources of chemical off-gassing from furniture—and they’re toxic to our bodies.
Where Savvy Rest requires a need for adhesive, a low-VOC, water-based emulsion is used. These will not endanger your health or the health of your family and friends with off-gassing fumes. These substitute furniture glue options should be certified by Green Guard who is the most well-known independent testing and certifying authority for third party verification. Products like a low-VOC, water-based emulsions that are certified GreenGuard GOLD meet the most restrictive standard for low chemical emissions.
For more information on organic, all-natural, sofas, love seats, arm chairs and beds, contact Doug Belleville at STL Beds. Shop Our High-Quality Natural Sofas, Love Seats and Arm Chairs Now at www.STLBeds.com or call 636-296-8540.
Stop by our booth at the Healthy Planet Natural Living Expo March 20 in Webster Groves and see an organic sofa and love seat for yourself!