sofa repair?

[sixsexsix]

I have a friend who is moving out of the country and is offering to give me some of his old furniture. One of the items is a late 50's/early 60's sofa in pretty good original condition. The only problem is the springs on one side need to be reconnected, when you sit on that side you really sink in. Is this a major expensive repair?? Sorry I don't have any pics, I have yet to go and pick it up.

 

[dhermann1]

If it's a good quality sofa, then it's well worth the cost. However the cost of reupholstering a chair or sofa can be substantial. The difference between mediocre and good quality furniture can be huge. Cheap furniture just won't last, but good stuff can be worth the expense in the long run. Post some pics!

 

[BakingInPearls]

Quick fix is if the couch has cushions that you can take off place a plank or board of wood under it to prevent you from sinking in. You can cover the board in a fabric that is similar to the couch to hide it a wee bit more. I'm no help if you can't remove the cushions though

 

[rmrdaddy]

Six,
It shouldn't be too terribly difficult, as long as it really is a spring issue. Well, let me correct myself, it shouldn't be too difficult if it is the right kind of spring.
I'm hoping what you have is a piece with the sinuous spring construction. Here's the deal, you need to flip the sofa over. There should be a black cloth covering stapled to the bottom of the piece. This is called cambric. Carefully remove the staples in the frame around the area that is sagging. Now, I'm hoping that you will see a series of s-curve springs kinda hanging in there. The deal is they are supposed to nailed into the inner faces of the wood frame, giving the supprt in the seat of the sofa. You should be able to locate the (hanging) mounting pieces along the sides of the spring assembly and reattach them with some new nails or screws. Then, reattach the cambric to the frame underside with new staples, and you are golden.

Only catch...
If it is an 8-way, hand-tied, coil spring construction sofa....you may be outta luck. They can be repaired, but I would leave it to a craftman for that kind of rehabilitaion.
My .02, But I hope it helps!

 

[sixsexsix]

thanks rmrdaddy! this thread is kind of old so we have already dealt with it. we ended up nailing in boards underneath the springs, as buying the C shaped hooks to join the springs better didn't work. I then filled the cushions in with extra batting at it is pretty comfy! now the last thing we still need to do is replace the satin/quilted looking fabric directly under the seat cushions and it will be perfect