these only have material on the seats so it’s an easy job but i need to know if using some plastic over the foam and under the new fabric would be wise to keep spilled liquids from soaking in. None of the batting i’ve found (such as Hobby Lobby) offers any barrier to liquids, which is weird.
Is there any downside to having plastic under the fabric?? Shouldn’t be too noisy but i’m sure thicker is better.
The only possible down side I can think of, might be comfort. Having a layer of plastic may result in the seat feeling about the same as if you had upholstered them in vinyl, because the top of the seat won’t ‘breathe’. Meaning you might find yourself sweating just a bit, but if sitting on vinyl upholstered seating doesn’t bother you, then putting a layer of plastic between the foam and fabric won’t either.
Most folks are unaware that sofa cushion foam is usually inside a bag made of thin plastic. The bag lets them put a vacuum on the cushion, making it easier to insert into the fabric/leather/vinyl shell. The plastic bag is made of very thin plastic, about 1 or 2 mil thick (like painter’s plastic). If you use a thicker plastic, you may hear it crinkle a bit, as you sit on it, so I wouldn’t use anything thicker than 4 mil for a project like this. I know you can get a 10ft x 25ft roll of 3 mil plastic for about $10 at most hardware stores, and department stores like WalMart. They also carry the thinner painter’s drops too. (Small trash bags would work too)
The seat bottom is probably made of plywood, or hardboard, and, hopefully, it has a few holes in it (say about 3/4" diameter). This lets the air in and out, through the bottom, as you sit/get up from the chair. These breathing holes aren’t as critical with just a fabric seat, but without them when using a plastic lining, or vinyl cover, it can be like sitting on a balloon, causing the fabric cover to wear out faster (from stress at the fastening points). We always put the holes in the plywood seat bottoms for restaurant seating. So I’d recommend that if the seat bottom doesn’t have holes now, and you want to put that layer of plastic in, that you go ahead and drill a couple. This will help the fabric last longer…it won’t get so stressed where it is stapled/tacked.
Have Fun
The only possible down side I can think of, might be comfort. Having a layer of plastic may result in the seat feeling about the same as if you had upholstered them in vinyl, because the top of the seat won’t ‘breathe’. Meaning you might find yourself sweating just a bit, but if sitting on vinyl upholstered seating doesn’t bother you, then putting a layer of plastic between the foam and fabric won’t either.
Most folks are unaware that sofa cushion foam is usually inside a bag made of thin plastic. The bag lets them put a vacuum on the cushion, making it easier to insert into the fabric/leather/vinyl shell. The plastic bag is made of very thin plastic, about 1 or 2 mil thick (like painter’s plastic). If you use a thicker plastic, you may hear it crinkle a bit, as you sit on it, so I wouldn’t use anything thicker than 4 mil for a project like this. I know you can get a 10ft x 25ft roll of 3 mil plastic for about $10 at most hardware stores, and department stores like WalMart. They also carry the thinner painter’s drops too. (Small trash bags would work too)
The seat bottom is probably made of plywood, or hardboard, and, hopefully, it has a few holes in it (say about 3/4" diameter). This lets the air in and out, through the bottom, as you sit/get up from the chair. These breathing holes aren’t as critical with just a fabric seat, but without them when using a plastic lining, or vinyl cover, it can be like sitting on a balloon, causing the fabric cover to wear out faster (from stress at the fastening points). We always put the holes in the plywood seat bottoms for restaurant seating. So I’d recommend that if the seat bottom doesn’t have holes now, and you want to put that layer of plastic in, that you go ahead and drill a couple. This will help the fabric last longer…it won’t get so stressed where it is stapled/tacked.
Have Fun
References :
I’m not sure why you want to put plastic under the fabric. The fabric is surely more expensive than the batting. Are you trying to protect the wood under the batting? Usually people get sheet vinyl and put it over the fabric at the same time they re-upholster the chairs in the new fabric, thus protecting the fabric from spilled liquids. Personally, I don’t care for that look, and also, the vinyl can be hot and sticky at times.
I think a better solution would be to give your chair covers a good coating of stain-resistant fabric spray – preferably after you’ve cut the covers to size, and before you’ve attached them to the chairs, so the edges of the fabric also get a good coating of the spray. These sprays do a good job of keeping any liquids on the surface until they can be mopped up.
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