Among our top choices of slipcovers to protect your couch from damage and deterioration is this 2-piece navy slip cover.
It fits greatly, hides stains and spots effortless and is great in keeping spills away from reaching your coach’s fabric.
The following tips will help make a great furniture purchase;
Check if it fits
One of the foremost reasons you are probably shopping for a couch is because you need something that is comfortable for all your family members. The primary consideration, therefore, should be the depth of the seats.
Depending on your height, or the average height of your family members you can either go for shallow or deep seats. In addition, ensure that the couch supports your back comfortably whilst your feet are flat on the floor.
The back of your knees should be slightly in front of the lower seat cushion. If you plan to use the couch for napping, layout on it and ensure it is long enough and comfortable for your afternoon naps.
Check out the frame
While cushions and upholstery fabric can be replaced when they get worn out or old, that's not the case when it comes to the inner frame. In fact, no piece of furniture can be considered as high quality if it doesn't have a solid and quality inner frame.
A great quality coach will feature an inner frame made of solid hardwood which is preferably kiln dried. Furthermore, the legs of the couch should either be with screws/dowels or are integral parts to the mainframe and not merely glued on.
An easy way to test whether your couch has a solid frame construction is to lift one corner of the couch to a height of about 6 inches from the floor. If the frame is solid and of good quality, the other leg will also rise up off the floor otherwise that will be a clear sign that the frame is twisting and weak.
Also, observe for creaks and twists when doing this and if any you should avoid buying that couch.
Know the Joinery
Good quality couches will feature frames joined using wooden dowels, metal screws, metal brackets, and wooden corner blocks. Never a couch assembled using only nails, glue, and staples although these can be used for additional reinforcement.
Forcefully test the arms
Although a hardwood frame and high-quality joinery are usually good signs of quality furniture, that should not stop you from forcefully testing the arms of the couch to ensure that they are very tight and don't give in when you lean on them.
This is a very important test especially if you have children in your household as they are more likely to play with the arm of the couch leading to failure if it is not strong enough.
Check the springs
There are three quality levels when it comes to springs that hold the cushions on the couch. Avoid a simple mesh or webbing if you want to be happy with your piece of furniture for a long period.Some coaches use serpentine springs.
These are pieces of snaking wire panning across the gap between the couch framing. Although these springs offer a good support, they snag over time especially is the metal is not heavy gauge and therefore might not serve you for long enough.
The excellent choice when it comes to springs for a good quality couch is the ‘eight-way hand-tied springs.’
Although these can be a little expensive, they are very comfortable and highly durable that the serpentine springs.Test the feel of the spring by sitting on the upholstery. Good springs have a firm feel and are closely spaced to offer excellent support and comfort.
The Padding
The frame including all the corners should be padded well. If you run your hand over the corners, you shouldn't feel the frame edges through the upholstery. If you feel the frame, that couch is not likely to be comfortable enough and the upholstery may wear out pretty quickly.
Test the mechanisms
This test should be carried out for recliner or motion couches. Repeatedly test the mechanism to make sure it is operating easily and smoothly. Couches with recliner or motion mechanisms are generally more expensive than the normal types and you should, therefore, pay great attention to their functioning because you are paying more for these features.
Check the upholstery
While the upholstery does not affect the comfort of your couch, it is a critical feature when it comes to visual appeal. The couch upholstery should be well tailored with stripes and patterns that match at the seams.
This is very if you don’t want your couch to look ‘distracted’. Moreover, choose fabric for the upholstery that is of high quality and durable as you will be using your couch almost on a daily basis.
Check the cushions
Since this is where almost all the pressure goes, seat cushions ate supposed to fit snugly into the couch frame. Furthermore, they should be firm and resilient and should be able to regain their shape immediately you press down and then let go. A cushion that stays down is likely to flatten pretty quickly and will feel uncomfortable when you sit on it.
Safety
Good quality and safe cushions are supposed to be manufactured according to the UFAC methods. This ensures that couches are more resistant to catching fires from smoldering cigarettes.
Manufacturers who follow this standard usually attach a UFAC tag on the couch and this is something you should look out for to guarantee safety from cigarette-ignited fires.
Size
Your couch may be comfy, excellent and with all the best features but if it can’t fit through your doorway then you can’t be able to use it.
Measure the size of the doorway and compare it with the dimensions of the couch to make sure it will fit through.
Sometimes you may have to unscrew the legs or remove the door hinges before your couch gets home.