Furniture Repair 101

Furniture repair is a different animal from most other repair jobs.  In a lot of cases, it’s as much art as anything else.  Furniture repairs can range from the very simple to the nearly impossible… and fortunately, we have contacts in the business who can handle them all.

Warranty repairs – as a rule of thumb, most furniture has a ONE YEAR warranty on parts and labor when a problem is due to defects in materials and/or workmanship. Some manufacturers have longer parts warranties.  All manufacturers require the customer to pay the costs of transportation to and from the repair facility.  Issues caused by abuse, neglect (such as failing to clean the product) or misuse are NOT covered.

Common Types of Repairs

Many people buy furniture with no expectation of ever needing a repair or any type of service.  Sometimes you don’t, but this is life and things happen.  Accidents and misuse account for some repairs, and time and climate account for others.

Dents and scratches are the most common injuries to furniture.  Sometimes a simple touchup with a stained polish like Olde English can take care of a scratch, but if you can feel a scratch with your fingernail, it will require professional repair to make it “go away.”  Dents usually require a “burn-in” repair which entails filling the dent with a melted filler material prior to touching up the area.

The “nightmare scenario” of scratches is when the scratch runs at across the wood’s grain – a cross-grain scratch.  These are very difficult to repair and can require complete refinishing.

Let me be quick to caution you against attempting a major repair yourself; unskilled attempts at repair often only make the problem worse and increase your costs for professional repairs.  Ask professional repairmen for references; there are many franchised repair companies and their work may or may not be up to par.

Water rings can sometimes be removed with various compounds of household products – a mixture of mayonnaise and cigar ash, for one (sounds pretty nasty to me).  You can Google solutions for your particular problem.

Quality furniture is built with “floating” construction that allows the piece to expand and contract with changes in temperature or humidity.  You may see joints open slightly in cool, dry weather and close when it is warmer or more humid.  This is normal and is not a defect.  If you are bothered by seeing a “white edge” now and then, you can color it with a touchup marker.  After that, you won’t see the white edge when the piece contracts.

Upholstery and leather repairs can run the gamut from stains, holes and tears to broken frames or springs.  Almost NO upholstery repairs can be done by an amateur.  If you choose to attempt to clean a stain, be sure that you use the right method for your particular fabric or leather… the wrong method will only make it worse and may do permanent damage.

Upholstery fabric carries cleaning codes that you can interpret as follows:

S Solvent- based cleaners only
W Water- based cleaners only
WS Water OR solvent based cleaners
X Light brushing or vacuuming ONLY

Leathers are another story.  The cleaning method depends on the type of leather you have. You MUST clean your leather regularly with the proper products or damage can result.  Leather is skin – imagine your face after months without washing it.  Be aware that certain unprotected leathers may only be brushed or vacuumed lightly.

 We recommend professional cleaning and repair for big jobs.  LeatherMaster products are generally considered to be the best cleaning and protection products for routine cleaning and maintenance.  Guardsman also makes leather cleaning products.

Our Preferred Service Providers

These are the folks WE call when we get a job we can’t handle.

Furniture Technology  336-368-9166

Lorn Perkosky, owner of Furniture Technology is the man to call if you need someone who can do it all.  Lorn is highly skilled in every phase of upholstery and wood furniture construction and repair.

Randy Rhodes  336-760-3006

Randy has been our go-to guy for wood repairs for over 20 years.  He’s a cross between an artist and a magician – anyone who can make a scratch disappear from a high-gloss black piano is GOOD.

Fibrenew of Greensboro 336-643-4747

Frank Foster specializes in leather and vinyl repair.  Scratches, discoloration, cracks, tears, holes…you name it.  Frank’s work is impeccable.  Check his website at www.fibrenew.com/piedmont.