Removing The Old Cover.

Submitted by Stephen Winters on Sun, 09/16/2012 - 16:03 
How to Remove The Old Cover From a Sofa or Chair


In this tutorial I will describe two ways to tear off the old cover. You may choose whichever method you like. with one method you take all the old cover off the frame in preparation for putting the new cover on. In the second method you will take one piece off at a time and replace it with the new fabric.


Standard Tear-Down Method


This method can be used whether you are measuring, cutting and sewing the fabric before teardown, OR if you are tearing down the furniture in advance and using the old cover as a pattern.


If you will be using the old cover as a pattern to cut the new fabric, then you want to be careful not to tear the old fabric very much as you take it off.


Before you remove the cover, take a moment and get your camera. Think about this, as you take the old cover off the frame, if you take thorough pictures at each step throughout the whole process, those pictures, in reverse order, become your customized tutor/guide of how to put the sofa back together. Proceed the tear-down in this manner.


    

  1. If the furniture has a skirt, remove it at this point
    2. 

  2. Lay the sofa or chair on it's back on a table, workbench or saw horses.
    3. 

  3. Remove the legs
    4. 

  4. Take off the dust cloth
    5. 

  5. Take loose the fabric from all around the bottom of the furniture.
    6. 

  6. Turn the furniture upright.
    7. 

  7. Take the fabric off the outside back (sides and top) so that it is loose. If there is padding on the back, remove the padding and the support lining. (If you will be reusing the padding, be careful to not rip it)
    8. 

  8. If the the front of the arm has a facing on the front, remove it at this time.
    9. 

  9. Take loose the fabric off the outside arms and remove it. If there is padding on the outside arms, remove the padding and the support lining. (If you will be reusing the padding, be careful to not rip it)
    10. 

  10. If the furniture has wings, take the fabric off the outside wings
    11. 

  11. Take loose the ends of the fabric from the horizontal Tapull-through slots near the bottom of the outside frame on the back and outside arms. (Be careful NOT to unfasten the burlap or other support cloth, unless you will be replacing or tightening it)
    12. 

  12. Take loose the ends of the fabric from the verticle pull-through slots at the back corner uprights.(Be careful NOT to unfasten the burlap or other support cloth, unless you will be replacing or tightening it)
    13. 

  13. Take the cover off the inside back, starting by taking it loose at the top. Then unfasten it from any other places (sides, bottoms, etc.) Leave all the padding in place, unless you will repairing or replacing the support linings or the padding.
    14. 

  14. Take the cover off the inside arms. Leave all the padding in place, unless you will repairing or replacing the support linings or the padding.
    15. 

  15. If the furniture has wings, remove the cover at this time. Leave all the padding in place, unless you will repairing or replacing the support linings or the padding.
    16. 

  16. Take the cover off the (seat) decking at this time. Leave all the padding in place, unless you will repairing or replacing the support linings or the padding.
    17. 

  17. Now that you have all of the old cover removed, careful to keep all the old padding in place (unless you will repairing or replacing the support linings or the padding.)
    18. 



 


As shown by the  above directions, you take a sofa (or any furniture) apart in reverse of how it was put together.


 


Alternate Tear-Down Method


Use this metho if you will only take off one piece at a time, and then put the corresonding new cover on that piece.


Go through steps 1 through 9 of the Standard Tear-Down Method  above.


 


    

  1. 10 Take the cover off the (seat) decking at this time. Leave all the padding in place, unless you will repairing or replacing the support linings or the padding.
    2. 

  2. 11.Put the new cover for the seat decking and attach.
    3. 

  3. 11. Take the cover off the inside arms. If the furniture has wings, remove the fabric off both the outside and the inside wings. Leave all the padding in place, unless you will repairing or replacing the support linings or the padding.
    4. 



More to come later.....