Terrific Tips On Reupholstering Your Boat Seats

By Author: Keith Raven
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When it comes to reupholstering your boat seats you are doing a lot of work. Reupholstering your boat seats requires you to provide your seat with padding, spring, webbing and the fabric cover. Basically there are three elements of a boat seat that you need to consider when reupholstering boat seats. These are the frame, support system and fabric cover. But how do you know when its time to reupholster your boat seats?

The quality of the three elements mentioned above would determine when it is time to reupholster your boat seats. If you have a quality frame that is made of hardwoods they have been slowly dried in a kiln in order to prevent warping. Then there is the support systems are the critical elements such as the springs, webbing and padding. The stuffing placed over these springs and the padding under the outside fabric is what helps to give your seat its softness. For top quality seats the most common stuffing is down features covered with a layer of fiberfill.

It is best to have some experience with smaller upholstery projects or training through an upholstery course before attempting to ...
... reupholster your boat seats. If you feel uncomfortable doing the work then you can always have your boat seats reupholstered professionally or install new seats in your boat. Upholstery may seem like an easy task but it is actually long and involved. Upholstery actually requires specialized tools and specific education or training.

When you start to take your boat seat apart you will know whether it is worth reupholstering or just replacing. If the frame and springs are of good quality then you can reupholster. But if the frame or springs are starting to go then it is better to buy a new boat seat since you will end up spending more on fixing the old seat.

You can also choose to reupholster your boat seats if you simply want a change of style or design for your boat. Make sure you pick a fabric that is durable and easy to clean since it will see outside weather a lot. There are many colors and textures of fabric available to choose from. You can choose any type of color scheme or texture that you prefer for your new boat style.

The easiest way to reupholster a boat seat is to use the old fabric as a template for your new fabric. You should use upholstery weight fabric since they are more wrinkle resistant and provide a more durable cover for your boat seats. If there is worn stuffing or foam you should replace this as well otherwise you will just have to tear the cover off later to replace the inside.

Depending on the type of boat seat you have the task may be easy or difficult. A simple bench seat or stool can be easy to repair. A captain's chair or sofa style seating in a luxury or cruising boat may be more difficult to repair. If you can't remove the seat then you may want to consider hiring someone to come and give you an estimate for the project. It is always cheaper and quicker to have it done right the first time.