| Summer House Upholstery Product Information |
Overview
The key product quality considerations when purchasing an upholstered product are:
Frame
Suspension
Cushions
Fabrics
Frame
An upholstered product frame needs to be judged on strength, the ability to absorb punishment and
proportion design to insure a comfortable and long lasting support structure for the suspension and
cushions.
Frame construction can vary from air dried plywood, which is glued and stapled, to kiln dried
hardwood which is glued, doweled and corner blocked.
Summer House frames are constructed using 5/4” or thicker kiln-dried hardwoods that have been
glued, double doweled, and reinforced with wooden corner blocks for structural integrity. Designed
for strength and rigidity, Summer House frames will not twist or wobble after many years of use.
The key product quality considerations when purchasing an upholstered product are:
Frame
Suspension
Cushions
Fabrics
Frame
An upholstered product frame needs to be judged on strength, the ability to absorb punishment and
proportion design to insure a comfortable and long lasting support structure for the suspension and
cushions.
Frame construction can vary from air dried plywood, which is glued and stapled, to kiln dried
hardwood which is glued, doweled and corner blocked.
Summer House frames are constructed using 5/4” or thicker kiln-dried hardwoods that have been
glued, double doweled, and reinforced with wooden corner blocks for structural integrity. Designed
for strength and rigidity, Summer House frames will not twist or wobble after many years of use.
Suspension System
The upholstered product suspension system is designed to tie into the frame and provide a solid,
consistent and long lasting support system for the cushions.
There are 4 general support systems used:
Web
Sinuous Spring
Drop In Coil
Eight Way Hand Tied
Eight Way Hand Tied is the oldest system, is considered the best by many and is the most expensive.
The purpose of tying the springs 8 ways (up, down and on the diagonals) is to insure all of the springs
work together.
Drop In Coil is a pre-assembled, machine-made and machine-tied coil system which has been
growing in popularity as a very durable and cost effective method to achieve the performance of a
traditional 8 way hand tied system without the expense.
Summer House Upholstery uses an Eight Way Hand Tied suspension system. Comfortable seating
begins with rows of double cone springs positioned within the frame and supported by a platform of
rigid polypropylene sheeting and steel bands. Summer House skilled artisans then hand-tie these
coils to the frame at eight separate points. The eight-way hand-tied method allows your weight to be
uniformly distributed as you comfortably settle in.
The upholstered product suspension system is designed to tie into the frame and provide a solid,
consistent and long lasting support system for the cushions.
There are 4 general support systems used:
Web
Sinuous Spring
Drop In Coil
Eight Way Hand Tied
Eight Way Hand Tied is the oldest system, is considered the best by many and is the most expensive.
The purpose of tying the springs 8 ways (up, down and on the diagonals) is to insure all of the springs
work together.
Drop In Coil is a pre-assembled, machine-made and machine-tied coil system which has been
growing in popularity as a very durable and cost effective method to achieve the performance of a
traditional 8 way hand tied system without the expense.
Summer House Upholstery uses an Eight Way Hand Tied suspension system. Comfortable seating
begins with rows of double cone springs positioned within the frame and supported by a platform of
rigid polypropylene sheeting and steel bands. Summer House skilled artisans then hand-tie these
coils to the frame at eight separate points. The eight-way hand-tied method allows your weight to be
uniformly distributed as you comfortably settle in.
Cushions
The construction of the cushions is critical to the comfort and useful life of any piece of upholstery.
The general categories of seat cushions are:
Low Density Raw Foam
Wrapped High Density Foam
Blend Down
Spring Down
Polyurethane foam is the major component to most upholstered seat cushions. Foam is measured by
density, firmness and resiliency. Foam density measures the amount of foam per cubic foot. The
higher the foam density the heavier and better quality the cushion. Higher quality seat cushions have
a density of 1.8 pounds per cubic foot. Firmness measures the weight it takes to compress the foam
one inch and can vary regardless of the foam density. Firmness is key to engineering a comfortable
cushion and will vary from 20-35 pounds for a seat cushion and 10-20 pounds for a back cushion.
Resiliency measures the ratio of the weight to compress foam 1” and 2.5”. The higher the resiliency,
the higher the quality and the longer lasting the seat cushion. Higher resiliency foams allow the use of
softer and plusher foam (lower firmness) and still have the deep down support required for low lasting
high quality seat cushions.
Wrapped High Density Foam seat cushions include a polyurethane foam core which is then wrapped
with polyester fiber or a feather blend to provide a crown to the seat cushion and a softer cushion
surface for comfort.
Blend Down is another option for seat cushions. This cushion is constructed completely of a blend of
fiber, feathers and down. This is a premium construction which will supply a very cushy, soft feel.
This type of cushion does require fluffing and turning to maintain appearances.
Another premium seat cushion construction is Spring Down. This construction includes a pocketed
coil core encased in foam and then wrapped in a feather down blend. This seat cushion provides a
slightly firmer support while maintaining a soft surface comfort.
The standard Summer House seat cushion is a 1.8 density high resiliency foam core wrapped in a
soft polyester fiber and encased in a down proof ticking cover. The back cushions are channeled
polyester fiber encased in a down proof ticking cover. These cushions offer a 5 year resiliency warranty.
The construction of the cushions is critical to the comfort and useful life of any piece of upholstery.
The general categories of seat cushions are:
Low Density Raw Foam
Wrapped High Density Foam
Blend Down
Spring Down
Polyurethane foam is the major component to most upholstered seat cushions. Foam is measured by
density, firmness and resiliency. Foam density measures the amount of foam per cubic foot. The
higher the foam density the heavier and better quality the cushion. Higher quality seat cushions have
a density of 1.8 pounds per cubic foot. Firmness measures the weight it takes to compress the foam
one inch and can vary regardless of the foam density. Firmness is key to engineering a comfortable
cushion and will vary from 20-35 pounds for a seat cushion and 10-20 pounds for a back cushion.
Resiliency measures the ratio of the weight to compress foam 1” and 2.5”. The higher the resiliency,
the higher the quality and the longer lasting the seat cushion. Higher resiliency foams allow the use of
softer and plusher foam (lower firmness) and still have the deep down support required for low lasting
high quality seat cushions.
Wrapped High Density Foam seat cushions include a polyurethane foam core which is then wrapped
with polyester fiber or a feather blend to provide a crown to the seat cushion and a softer cushion
surface for comfort.
Blend Down is another option for seat cushions. This cushion is constructed completely of a blend of
fiber, feathers and down. This is a premium construction which will supply a very cushy, soft feel.
This type of cushion does require fluffing and turning to maintain appearances.
Another premium seat cushion construction is Spring Down. This construction includes a pocketed
coil core encased in foam and then wrapped in a feather down blend. This seat cushion provides a
slightly firmer support while maintaining a soft surface comfort.
The standard Summer House seat cushion is a 1.8 density high resiliency foam core wrapped in a
soft polyester fiber and encased in a down proof ticking cover. The back cushions are channeled
polyester fiber encased in a down proof ticking cover. These cushions offer a 5 year resiliency warranty.
The Comfort Down Summer House seat cushion is 1.8 density high resiliency foam wrapped in a
channeled feather blend (50% soft polyester fiber, 45% duck feather, 5% duck down) and encased
in a down proof ticking cover. The back cushions and throw pillows are channeled feather blend
encased in a down proof ticking cover. These cushions offer a 5 year resiliency warranty. The Comfort
Down Package (seat & back cushions, throw pillows) is available for an additional charge.
channeled feather blend (50% soft polyester fiber, 45% duck feather, 5% duck down) and encased
in a down proof ticking cover. The back cushions and throw pillows are channeled feather blend
encased in a down proof ticking cover. These cushions offer a 5 year resiliency warranty. The Comfort
Down Package (seat & back cushions, throw pillows) is available for an additional charge.
Fabrics
Fabrics are the fun part of an upholstered product as they provide the opportunity to use a wide range
of colors, patterns, style and durabilities to fit each individual requirement.
Fabrics can be applied as either upholstered, which are applied directly to a padded frame, or
slipcovered, which are separate covers fit over a separate muslin covered frame. Upholstered products
are usually a little more tailored looking and can offer more design options. Slipcovers offer the easier
cleaning and the option of replacing the fabric without the cost of replacing the complete piece.
Slipcovers are often more expensive.
Standard fabrics are offered in a variety of grades with the higher grades at higher costs. A fabric grade
is determined by the type of material (cotton, polyester, linen, silk), the pattern (solid, print, stripe,
plaid) and weight of the fabric. Usually, upholstered and slipcovered products can also be made with
fabric supplied by the customer (COM).
The price of a Summer House piece is determined by the grade of the fabric. A contrast welt and
contrast throw pillows are available in any fabric for an additional charge. Summer House products
can also be made with COM (customer’s own material) fabrics.
Fabrics are the fun part of an upholstered product as they provide the opportunity to use a wide range
of colors, patterns, style and durabilities to fit each individual requirement.
Fabrics can be applied as either upholstered, which are applied directly to a padded frame, or
slipcovered, which are separate covers fit over a separate muslin covered frame. Upholstered products
are usually a little more tailored looking and can offer more design options. Slipcovers offer the easier
cleaning and the option of replacing the fabric without the cost of replacing the complete piece.
Slipcovers are often more expensive.
Standard fabrics are offered in a variety of grades with the higher grades at higher costs. A fabric grade
is determined by the type of material (cotton, polyester, linen, silk), the pattern (solid, print, stripe,
plaid) and weight of the fabric. Usually, upholstered and slipcovered products can also be made with
fabric supplied by the customer (COM).
The price of a Summer House piece is determined by the grade of the fabric. A contrast welt and
contrast throw pillows are available in any fabric for an additional charge. Summer House products
can also be made with COM (customer’s own material) fabrics.
| COTTAGE HOME 10 Mountain Road Cape Neddick, Maine 03902 tel: 207.363.9799 fax: 207.363.3286 e-mail: cottage1@maine.rr.com web: www.cottagehomemaine.com |