A couch can look fine and still be finished. The fabric’s clean, the colour’s fine, but you sink until you feel the frame, and getting up takes two goes. That’s the foam. It’s also the part that changes how a couch feels the most.
Foam on its own, or foam with a new cover
Foam only. If your cover is in good condition, we can take the cushions apart, replace the foam and put the same cover back. Lauren Lang had an L-shaped leather couch repaired and the cushions restuffed:
I had a large L-shaped leather couch repaired and the cushions restuffed and I am just thrilled at the results and the workmanship and quality.
Lauren Lang, Google review, 3 weeks ago
Foam with a re-cover. If the fabric is torn, faded or peeling, it makes sense to do both at once. The foam goes in before the new cover, so the cover is cut and fitted to the new shape. Thato Nkwe’s couches were “faded, sagging, and embarrassing” before; after, they were “beautiful, comfortable”. Sagging and fading together usually means a foam job and a fabric job at once. See couch reupholstery.
What we restuff
- Seat cushions. The ones that go first, because they carry the weight.
- Back cushions. Loose back cushions go soft and slump forwards.
- Fixed seats. Couches without loose cushions have foam built into the frame. That needs the cover off, so it’s usually part of a full reupholstery.
- Chair seats. Dining chairs and armchairs. See dining chair reupholstery.
- Patio cushions. Angie Da Silva had patio furniture cushions re-covered “in record time”.
Soft, medium or firm?
Foam comes in different densities and firmness. Firmer, denser foam holds its shape longer. Softer foam feels lovely in the showroom and flattens sooner. Tell us how you use the couch: a family couch that gets sat on every evening needs different foam from a formal lounge suite used at Christmas. Ask us which foam we’re quoting and why, and how long we’d expect it to hold up. Senamile Sithole wrote about the “number of years they estimated for the material” chosen. Ask for the same estimate on foam.
Signs it’s time
- You sink until you feel the frame.
- The cushions stay flat after you stand up.
- One seat is noticeably lower than the others.
- The cushion cover looks baggy and wrinkled on a full-looking couch.
Our article on the signs your couch needs new foam goes through each one and what to check before you call.
New foam in Florida and Roodepoort
Florida and Roodepoort are our main area. Send a photo of your sagging seats to 074 019 9297 and you’ll get a quote. We collect your couch, refill it with new foam in the workshop and bring it back. Collection starts at R250. Here’s how a job in Florida works.
Getting a price
WhatsApp 074 019 9297 with a photo of the couch, a photo of a cushion with the cover unzipped if it has a zip, and how many cushions there are. For what moves the number, read what it costs to reupholster a couch.
Questions we get asked
Can you replace the foam without re-covering the couch?
If the cover is in good shape, yes. Lauren Lang had an L-shaped leather couch repaired and the cushions restuffed in one job. Send a photo of the cover and we'll tell you whether it can go back on.
Do you do outdoor and patio cushions?
Yes. Angie Da Silva had patio furniture cushions re-covered.
How do I know it's the foam and not the frame?
Take the seat cushions off and press on the base. If the base is firm and the cushion is flat, it's the foam. If the base dips or creaks, it may be springs or webbing too. Our article on the signs of worn-out foam goes through it.
