Hi DA-ers - I would like to kindly ask your advice, as your collective experience with upholstery is vast. What would you do if your Maharam fabric showed glue spots when the fabric is sprayed (i.e. at the arms and the back of the chair)?
This hasn't happened yet, but we're at the crossroads deciding what to do.
The longer story:
I brought my womb chair to an upholsterer that comes highly recommended by at least one DA member and several local midcentury furniture stores - and his work is indeed impeccable in my own amateur opinion. However, we've hit a "snag" so to speak.
I had bought Maharam "Steelcut 2" fabric for the womb. While I was getting quotes from upholsterers, at least one who is also very reputable (and extremely pricey) said that he was 99% sure, based on reviewing his Maharam fabric swatch, that Steelcut would work for the womb.
However, my upholster called and said that if he sprays directly on the fabric, it results in some glue spots showing through; he sent a sample to confirm the appearance. These spots do not occur where only the foam is sprayed. Here are my options:
1. Spray only the foam (not the fabric) at the armrests and backrest of the womb (which would ordinarily take glue on both fabric and foam, if I understand correctly).
Would the fabric be sufficiently tight along those curves without gluing both surfaces? Any experience with this?
2. Spray both surfaces and hope to minimize spots, knowing there would likely be some no matter what.
3. Eat the cost of the fabric (which I love - color #435 - link to specs below) and buy something thicker.
4. Other options out there? Are there different types of glue we could try?
I would be very grateful for any advice, experience or anecdotes you could share.
http://www.maharam.com/scripts/vl.cgi?script=v2_viewSpecs&source=details&xp=1&group_cd=&curSkuNUm=464470435
.
Both sides really should be sprayed with glue, I wonder if there is some sort of spray on scotchgard or starch that would be an effective barrier, still let it adhere and be flexible enough...Spanky ?
With thin fabrics at work we used to use a slip on tube of stretchy cotton jersey stuff underneath to even any lumps out and give the fabric a bit of a lift but can't remember if that was glued on or not.
I had that problem with the...
I had that problem with the spray adhesive that I used to use but then I switched to a brand called "Misty" by Amrep in Marietta, GA and so far have not had any problems with bleed-through.
It's also softer and more flexible than the other brands I've used. I get it from a big upholstery supply place in Baltimore (TEDCO). The label says it has a "super high solids content", so maybe that's the key? Higher solids = lower solvents = less bleed-through? Makes sense.
However, none of this is any guarantee that it will work with your fabric.
Thank you both!
I appreciate your weighing in - it is really helpful as I have no experience with this at all.
I might try that glue before scrapping the entire bolt of fabric - thanks for the recommendation of "Misty", Spanky.
Heath - good point re possible barrier - something that hadn't occurred to me. I'll go googling.
Really appreciate the brainstorming - I'd rather try to be creative, even if it doesn't work in the end, because options 1-3 are not so appealing.
I looked up the fabric
That link is a secure thing and I guess doesn't work without a log in but Maharam's site has a nice search engine so I found it anyway. Nice fabric!
A lot of times, upholstery fabric has a light backing sprayed on it already that would prevent bleed-through, but that one probably doesn't.
Spanky - you're right
This fabric doesn't have a backing. I called Maharam and it turns out I could have had an acrylic backing applied at the time I ordered the fabric. Of course, I didn't think to do this because I'm new and didn't anticipate the problem, and I felt like I had done some due diligence by asking the other upholster if it would work. Live and learn, trust but verify...
Now I'm starting to google around for places that could apply an acrylic backing to the bolt I currently have. I'm getting hits googling variations of "fabric finishing acrylic backing los angeles/san diego" - but if you have any tips, pointers, or things to watch out for, I'd appreciate it!
P.S. thanks for pointing out the prob with the link - I fixed it to link directly to Maharam's specifications info.
We here at Retro redo have...
We here at Retro redo have had that problem for years. We used Maharam messenger for years and always had some sort of problem with it .We finally made a decision that we would go to Kvadrat Hollingdale, designed like the original Alexander Girard
fabrics of the 1960's only finer wool. It take the spray glue and we have never had a problem after that, it sells for around $55.00 a yard vs the messenger for $22.00 yard. It is distributed by Maharam, but as they say you get what you pay for it is well worth it. The time and labor you save lots.
Now before some smart ass writes no advertising on the forum
I am only writing to try to help the person who wrote in as I have all the business one needs.
http://www.maharam.com/scripts/vl.cgi?script=v2_details&source=search&cu...
LRF
Thanks for sharing your experience - I will definitely keep this in mind, since I have two other upholstery projects on the horizon I had planned to use Maharam for.
When working with the Messenger, did you ever figure out a work around solution to prevent bleed through from the glue?
Or, did you ever attempt to order the Messenger with a backing of some sort?
One option I'm considering is re-ordering the Steelcut with Maharam's acrylic backing, and then trying to cut my losses by selling my un-backed bolt of 8 yards.
I have some swatches of Messenger and it's very similar in weight/thinness to the Steelcut, with Steelcut being perhaps a hair thicker.
.
If you get the fabric sprayed with a coating you'd definitely want to test its adherence to the foam before going ahead, thought this might be of general interest.
http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_SiliconeVsPU.htm
messenger will work with the...
messenger will work with the backing, We will not use messenger on any chairs that have to be spray glued, such as buckets,sideshells , eggs, swans and wombs, We will use it on benches, small chairs, cone chairs, anything that does not use glue. It does have good stretch and that is what you need on these chairs.
I almost hate to share this since i should know better. we wanted something different on our swan chairs with a nice pattern . that we are redoing as I write this. I recommended to My significant other who is a well know designer here in Town, that i would not venture to far from Hallingdale but she wanted a pattern to go with all the new furniture that we are recovering . We used some great S. Harris fabric and it was twice as expensive as the Hallingdale and guess what, it ripped apart on the egg chairs for lack of a good stretch. . I think we will try something else with a good stretch and backing. so it does happen.
Next steps
Well, I've gone ahead and ordered the "Misty" adhesive - thanks Spanky, it's an inexpensive experiment and worth a try.
Otherwise, the upholsterer has already completed the footstool and most of the chair and said that he only needed about 2 yards for the remaining portion that needed gluing.
This is good, because at $66/yard (including the $3 charge for acrylic backing finishing) the Steelcut is not inexpensive. On the other hand, I wondered if there will be any discernible textural difference between the portions of the chair covered with backed versus un-backed fabric...I hope not.
Heath, thanks for pointing me toward that interesting article. I hope that Maharam wouldn't recommend the acrylic backing for a glued chair if it wouldn't hold the adhesive, but again trust but verify.
It has definitely been a learning process for me.
If you need any help, please contact us at – info@designaddict.com