How to Fix Couch Seats That Have Flattened

Fix or Replace

• 1

  Place the seat cushion on the floor. Kneel down, placing one knee in the center of the cushion, and apply pressure. If you can feel the floor beneath your knee, the foam should be replaced.

• 2

  Open the zipper closure on the seat cover and remove the foam. Peel back the attached batting and pinch the foam on the edge. Try to pull a piece of foam off. If the foam breaks easily, or crumbles, it should be replaced.

• 3

  Place the foam on a table and press your hand into it, creating an indentation. Remove your hand and watch the speed at which the foam rebounds. If the foam does not rebound fully and quickly, it should be replaced.

Replace

• 4

  Find replacement foam based on the required softness and expected lifespan of the cushions. Density and compression together determine the softness and durability of foam. Density refers to the weight, per cubic foot, of material and is indicative of the expected lifespan of the foam. Compression refers to the amount of pressure required to compress the material. Typical upholstery-weight seat foam has a density of 1.8 to 3.2, (pounds per cubic foot) and a compression value of 30 to 40 (pounds of pressure required to compress the foam 25 percent). Personal preferences affect the choice of foam.

• 5

  Purchase foam 1/2 inch larger, on all measurements, than the cushion cover.

• 6

  Wrap the foam with bonded polyester batting. Glue it to the foam with a suitable spray adhesive and replace it in the covers.

Fix

• 7

  Remove the old polyester batting from the foam.

• 8

  Wrap the existing foam with at least one layer of new bonded polyester batting. Attach the batting to the foam with a suitable spray adhesive.

• 9

  Insert the wrapped foam into the cushion cover. If more loft is required, remove the foam from the cover and wrap it with an additional layer of batting. Use large running stitches to hand sew this layer in place, taking care not to compress the batting between stitches.