Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Choose Upholstery Foam

Choosing foam for your seat upholstery may seem tough, however can be manageable to decide provided you dream of the goals of your foam project. If you are building a advanced seat, repairing an senile seat or restoring the seats in a classic automobile, assorted types of foam are available which carry particular properties that can comfort you comprehensive your project. With a bit of research and shopping, you can choose which type of foam is best for your upholstery project.


Polyfoam comes in varying densities for the many applications in upholstery. The more dense your foam is, the less it will compress. This is important when applying fabric to your seat foam; if the fabric is tightly pressed against the fabric, use a higher-density foam to get the seat to better hold its shape.3.


Common types of foam are polyurethane, called Polyfoam, and a polyurethane-rubber blend called Nimbus. Nimbus is a mixture of polyester foam and rubber which is also used in some mattresses. Nimbus is considered to be one of the best types of foam, and is well regarded for auto upholstery because it is durable and soft. Polyfoam is more common in all applications because it is cheaper. For high-quality custom seat upholstery projects, Nimbus is the preferred foam, but it is more expensive than other popular foam options.


2. Match the density of the foam to the project.

Instructions

1. Decide which type of foam material best suits your project.


Decide whether to use open-cell foam or closed-cell Polyfoam. Open-cell foam is soft, cushy and pliable. When compressed by fabric, open-cell foam will lose its form. Closed-cell foam has more strength and will hold its form when fabric or vinyl is stretched over it, even at a lower foam density.


4. Research the flammability ratings of any foam you buy for your car seats. Some types of polyurethane-based foam are more flammable than others, and are not meant for use in furniture or cars. In 2003, One hundred people were killed in a nightclub fire spurred by amateur pyrotechnics performed near flammable polyurethane foam.


5. Find a local upholstery foam dealer and ask to see the foam that you wish to buy. Examine the properties of the foam as you touch it and observe which density seems to be best for your project. For seat restoration, the density of the original foam in the seat is a good point of reference for choosing new foam.