Q. How come the vinyl that is used on my booth seats in my restaurant becomes brittle and cracked in a period of 18 months?
A. What makes vinyl pliable is a component in the manufacturing process called plasticisers. When booth seats are cleaned with a degreaser or other harsh chemicals it draws the plasticisers out of the vinyl, thus wearing it out prematurely.
Q. Can the plasticisers be put back in the vinyl?
A. Yes, but it is expensive and messy. It is best to clean vinyl with mild soap and water only, on a routine basis.
Q. You have stated that when you re-upholster furniture that you can make it better than new. How is that?
A. To save money, manufactures often use poor to mediocre foam. While there is a savings initially, the foam generally last 1-3 years. The commercial grade foam that we use lasts 10+ years. We have replaced foam in restaurants in the early 90’s that is still in use.
When we take furniture apart, we get the benefit of seeing what lasts and what fails. Manufactures do not. If they did see what we see, I think they would change some techniques and materials that they use.
With 30 plus years in the business we have seen it all. Our workers are often better craftsmen than the typical line worker. As the years go by, there is an increasing problem with sloppy commercial furniture being delivered.
Q. How about Fabrics & Vinyl’s?
A. We have an edge there too. With the abundance of samples that we have, we can get the right material for the job. In the past 5 years we have been mixing fabrics and vinyls on furniture. Vinyl on customer contact areas, arms, seats and putting fabric on inside & outside backs. This is a nice combination that can make commercial furniture less institutional looking, thus giving it a better look.
Q. Re-upholstering can cost more than buying new. Why shouldn’t I just buy new furniture?
A. Certainly if that is the case, you should buy new. But, what that means is that the furniture was not that good to begin with. One of our good customers recently purchased 18 upholstered bar stools and 32 guest chairs that were imported from China. Not only does the Chinese manufacture not use foam that meets all local flammability requirements, after 9 months the paper thin vinyl is losing its finish, and the foam is totally dead. On top of that, the wood frames are starting to fail. A dumpster is the best place for this furniture, for it is not worth re-upholstering.
Conclusion:
If you have quality furniture to begin with, we can return your furniture to like-new condition, and in many cases, better than new.