Written by: Diane Cudworth, Project Director

Fast Facts:

• Railroaded fabrics generally allow the lowest fabric requirement. (Fabric bolt runs left to right instead of top to bottom on the piece.)
• Sofa Sleepers, Sizing: What fits best?
  • Queen mechanism requires 68” between the arms and allows for a 60” wide mattress
  • Full (aka Double) mechanism requires 60” between the arms and allows for a 54” wide mattress.

Eco-Friendly Features:

• Sleeper Sofa: The mattress and other components can help to make the sleeper sofa an eco-friendly product.
  • Latex foam mattress with recyclable cover and components
  • CARB (California Air Resources Board) compliant and FSC Certified (Forest Stewardship Counsel) Lumber
  • Recyclable upholstery fabric/vinyl/leather
  • Latex foam cushioning (polyurethane foam is petroleum-based)
• Water-based finishes and sealers
• LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Points:
  • Materials & Resources (currently up to 2 LEED Points)
    • 20% Manufactured Within 500 Miles of Jobsite (Credit 5.1)
    • 50% of Manufacturer’s Materials Obtained Within 500 Miles of Factory (Credit 5.2)
  • Indoor Environmental Quality (currently 1 LEED Point)
    • Rapidly Renewable Materials
    • No formaldehyde, including sheet stock (wood)
• Considerations for upholstery materials:
  • Is it made from recycled materials?
  • Is it recyclable at the end of its life cycle?
  • Do added finishes (e.g. flammability, water/soil, acrylic backing) impact the environment and/or recyclability?

Construction:

• Frames:
  • Birch is most commonly European
  • Rubberwood is Asian
  • Maple is most commonly American & Canadian
• Foam (polyurethane) is all about DENSITY, COMPRESSION and FIRE RETARDANCY. The foam selection(s) varies based upon the location of the foam on the piece. It can be up to 25% of the cost of the seating.
  • Density is a measurement of the mass per unit. It is not a measure of firmness or softness of foam, but is important to the type of usage it will receive. The higher the density, the longer the foam product will last.
  • Compression is typically measured in ILD (Indentation Load Deflection). This measures the degree of firmness or softness. The ILD does NOT measure quality or density. The higher the ILD, the firmer the foam.
    • Lower density and ILD = Shorter product life and softer
    • Higher density and ILD = Longer product life and firmer
  • Foam should be rated for the correct fire retardant code depending on the project location and the local code requirements. Examples of these codes are UFAC 260, CA-177, TB-133 etc.
• Exposed Wood Chairs: Stretchers do not always add strength to a chair’s construction. The manufacturer should confirm the best construction method.

Upholstery:

• COM = Customer’s Own Material (the seating manufacturer does NOT provide it)
• COL = Customer’s Own Leather (technically, the term COM addresses any type of “material”). Typically 18 square feet of leather = 1 yard of fabric.
• Upholstery fabric must be stable and seams should not slip when under strain.
• An acrylic backing can often add strength to the fabric and covers loose back threads.
• Upholstery of any kind must be inspected by the seating manufacturer. If it is cut and flaws are found, the upholstery supplier might not accept a return.
• Many manufacturers use computerized pattern layouts. This allows the greatest yield of upholstery, due to the most efficient layout of the upholstery pattern cuts.

Re-upholstery:

• Depending on the condition of the item and the cost of the upholstery (fabric, leather, vinyl), reupholstery may or may not be the best, most cost effective, solution.
• Some reupholstery may be done on site; some may need to be done off site. Noise, tools, and space are some considerations for where the work will be done.
• Keep in mind that the seating must be brought up to correct fire retardant codes and these additional flame proofing costs should be calculated.

Attic Stock:

• Upholstery versus Finished Product: Instead of ordering extra chairs, sofas, etc., consider ordering extra fabric/vinyl/leather for reupholstery. Most replacements needed are due to damage to the upholstery.

Task Seating:

• Assembled or KD (Knocked Down)? Assembled chairs may cost more in freight than the cost for an FF&E installer to assemble the chairs. However, time should be a consideration – depending on the schedule, the FF&E installer may need the chairs ready to put in place. Also consider the costs of installation and assembly labor at each hotel location.
• Clearance: If the chair has arms, it must clear the apron (bottom edge) of the desk/counter. 3” is the typical clearance needed.
  • Consider adjustable height task chair mechanisms as it may be helpful with upper and lower height settings.