Help! Newbie recovering Queen Anne Chairs. I hope.

[JaneNYC]

I'm going to try to replace the fabric on my dining room chairs by myself.  Please help me --   I'm pretty handy, take good direction, and won't be a pain.  Here come the questions:

Queen Anne Chairs
White Furniture of Mebane
The seats are about 20 years old

CHAIRS UPSIDE DOWN: there's a thin black woven gauze on the bottom. What do you call that?  Should I replace it?

CHAIRS RIGHT SIDE UP, SEATS TAKEN APART
How long does foam last? Should I replace the foam? 
The foam looks like it's shaped to be rounded and poofy: can I buy this shaped foam or do I have to shape them myself from block foam?  Foam looks to be 2 ½ inches thick.
There's a stiff woven fabric between the foam and the zigzag metal coils: what do you call this stiff fabric? 

What kind of staple gun do I need?

A word of encouragement would go a long way to help me quit wimpering...

Thanks in advance for all help!

Jane in NYC

[sofadoc]

Welcome Jane

The thin black material on the bottom is just there as a dust cover. If it's 20 years old, it's probably brittle and should be replaced. You don't necessarily have to use the gauze type material (muslin). Most new furniture has a synthetic dust cover (similar to the weed guard fabric in flower beds).

The foam is probably ready to be replaced as well. You can cut a square piece of new block foam, and pull the fabric over the sides evenly to achieve a rounded edge.

You can use any scrap material between the foam and springs. It's normally Burlap, or a rubberized elastic weave.

If this is the only job that you intend to do, you can get by with a hand stapler (such as Arrow from Home Depot).
Professional upholstery air staplers are around $100.

Oh..........and stop whimpering........there's no crying in upholstery.

[JaneNYC]

Doc!  You is my hero!  More questions, okay?

Nonwoven weed guard fabric on the bottom: great tip!

Pulling the fabric tight is REALLY going to round off that square edge? REALLY really?

The fabric between the foam and spring looks like it's in okay shape, HOWEVER, I understand the wisdom of "If you're gonna pry up all those &@#$% staples, you may as well replace everything."  But it really looks very sturdy.  And I'm afraid that fidding with it will set that spring free.  Let me know.

And while we're writing about them: the Chairmaker sure didn't hold back with the staples.  Is there a trick to getting them all out or do I just continue yanking them out one by one with a screwdriver and pliers?

Staper: this one?
Arrow Fastener 5 in. T50 Heavy-Duty Staple Gun

Now I have to score the foam
29/52 good?

I'm feeling much better, but an ice cream sure wouldn't hurt...

j.

[kodydog]

Put a layer of Dacron over the foam first and staple it down tight. When you stretch the fabric on that foam will round off just as pretty as you please.

A professional staple puller sure would be handy. Your local upholsterer may sell you one. I give my old wore out ones away for free and people bow at my feet and sing me praises after using a screwdriver.

If you do not have your fabric yet the best advice I can give is DO NOT use a stripe. This will drive a beginner crazy.

[sofadoc]

You may have to add a layer of batting to soften the square edge of the foam..........oops........I see Kdog beat me to it.
There are a few tricks to getting all the staples out quicker. But if this is your one and only job, you'll probably be just as well off doing it the hard way.

That Arrow T-50 is probably the most economical way to go for a one-use job.

Assuming that 29/52 means 2.9 density 52lbs. compression, that sounds like it will be pretty hard. It might feel like sitting on a slab of concrete. I might go for 27/35.

You can have that ice cream now, but remember........."Sprinkles are for winners".

[JaneNYC]

Oh this is a nice, helpful forum.  I was afraid you were all going to be a bunch of rich upholstery snobs.

Dacron is batting?  Like quilt batting?  And I'm going to be able to tack all of this around that plywood seat?  She asked  doubtfully. 

Is this the staple remover? --
http://www.amazon.com/North-County-Tool-Repair-SR850/dp/B00AIH5PRS

Because I gotta tell ya: this chairmaker must have been punching those staples in with a freaking Howitzer...

Kdog, the advice about the stripes is GOLD.

Doc, Arrow T-50 it is.  And I'll get 27/35 foam, although I don't know where.  You used to be able to buy  ANYTHING in New York.  But then Starbucks came.

And an electric Thanksgiving turkey knife.  I need one of those to cut the foam, right?  I think I saw one at the thrift store.

j.

[sofadoc]

Oh this is a nice, helpful forum.  I was afraid you were all going to be a bunch of rich upholstery snobs.

Just wait until Gene chimes in.

There are several D.R. chair seat how-to videos on youtube. Here's a random one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAA0CfT2QCE

That staple remover that you linked isn't the first choice of us pros, but it actually works OK.
Some of the youtube videos show the different types of staplers and removers, as well as the batting techniques.

[JaneNYC]

Doc, I will look at the video hotlink you posted and I'll search some others.  Could you and KD (and anyone who's waiting for the teapot to boil anyhow)  let me know which staple remover YOU like?

Is the general feeling that after 20 years, I should definately replace the foam?  Do you think I have to replace the fabric above the coils?

j.

[sofadoc]

Here are the 2 favorite staple removers in the trade (the yellow tool 2nd from left, and the wood handled tool on the far right).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Furniture-Upholstery-Osborne-Tools-124-Nail-Remover-Lifter-Claw-Stretcher-/231466554165?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35e47b5335

But really, even if you order one of those tools, you could just do it the hard way with a screwdriver and pliers/dikes and be done before the new tool arrives.

Believe me, you're not the first newbie to complain about the excessive # of staples.

Since YOU'RE the customer, if the old foam still feels good to you, you can certainly re-use it.
But remember, just because it hasn't started breaking down YET.......it probably will soon.

And you can leave the material between the springs and foam alone if it's still in good shape.

[gene]

Oh this is a nice, helpful forum.  I was afraid you were all going to be a bunch of rich upholstery snobs.

Just wait until Gene chimes in.

I'm not rich.

gene

[JaneNYC]

<<I'm not rich.     gene>>

Gene, who are you kidding?  I just got here and I can SEE that your dog goes for expensive yoga classes.

j.

[sofadoc]

<<I'm not rich.     gene>>

Gene, who are you kidding?  I just got here and I can SEE that your dog goes for expensive yoga classes.

In Gene's defense.......that's NOT his dog (it belongs to his butler's canine yoga instructor).