Slats for the sofa: varieties, selection and replacement rules

In the description of sofas, there are terms that are incomprehensible to buyers. This is especially true of the materials from which the base for the mattress is made. Modern buyers prefer a lamellar frame. This is due to the convenience of the design and the benefits that it implies.

Slats are flexible wooden planks with a slight bend. In the furniture industry, they are also known as lats (latoflex). Less often you can hear the name of the gnutika. A set of lamellas forms an elastic lattice on the frame, which serves as a support for the mattress.

The innovative base on lamellas appeared in 1993 thanks to the German company Froli. It was German manufacturers who developed and applied shock-absorbing elements in the manufacture of furniture. They pioneered the mass production of slatted bed bases.

Wooden slats are endowed with high elasticity and resilience due to the same direction of the wood fibers. This quality distinguishes them favorably from hard-to-bend boards, plywood and chipboard. Lamellas are thin, but strong enough plates made of veneer (glued thin sheets of wood).

For a double bed, 30 slats are considered optimal. For a single bed, half is required. For more flexibility, some manufacturers place 20 battens for a 1.90 cm long base and two more battens for a 2 m base. The distance between battens should not be wider than the plank. Other sizes can be used only in individual cases. The length of the battens depends on the width of the base, with a standard width of 8 mm.

The rack frame in the folding sofa allows you to relax with special comfort. Reiki prevents the mattress from sagging, providing spinal support and healthy sleep. Framed slats are recommended even for children's sofas.

The advantages of the rails in the design.

• Elasticity... Flexible lamellas are springy, allowing you to properly distribute weight and position the spine.
• Noiselessness... Plastic armor holders do not creak, which is important at night.
• Durability... The mattress will wear out much more slowly if it is on a slatted base.
• Ventilation. Ensures sofa ventilation and hygiene.
• Affordable cost.

The lamellas are attached to the frame through the holder. For its manufacture, plastic, polypropylene or rubber are used. It is attached to the frame with furniture rivets or staples.

In another embodiment, each of the lamellas is placed in a metal support frame. There are frames with an internal lamella. They initially have holes to secure the holders. This design does not require rivets, which makes it more reliable.

Wooden slats are made from different raw materials. For example, oak, beech or birch veneer treated with special polymer glue. According to GOST 99-96, a 6–8 mm veneer layer is required for one latoflex blank.

Beech battens are often used for sofas. This tree is distinguished by its high durability and decorative characteristics. The slatted frame makes the maintenance of the mattress easier, providing ventilation, protection from dust and discussion, provided that high-quality material is used for the manufacture of the battens.

Birch lamellas are a more budgetary option, while poplar and beech are used in expensive orthopedic products. They are additionally protected by treatment with paint and varnish.

Under the expected increased loads, the sofa frame is equipped with reinforced slats. The arcuate profile provides a slight springy effect when pressure is applied to the rails. By distributing the load, they reduce wear on the orthopedic base and enhance the beneficial effect on the spine.

Replacing them is not difficult without mastery skills, if you follow the instructions.

The lamellas on the base of the bed are not rigidly attached, because otherwise they creak, and the orthopedic effect from them is minimized. The slats are installed one by one, placing them in the lath holders. Their presence will prevent creaking.

It is important to know how to correctly position the lamellas in the frame. Late holders are installed first in the frame. How depends on the type of holder and the base of the stock. The holders are aimed at wooden beams or attached to a metal structure with two holder holes.

After the lath holders are installed, the lamella is taken, slightly bent and inserted first into one hole, then into the second. There is no need to be afraid to damage the armor, as they are elastic and strong.

You can replace the slats in a slightly different way. First, the plate holders are put on the armor, and only then they are mounted into the base.

Dismantling of lamellas is carried out as follows. Gently bend the lamella so that the holder comes out of the socket, and move it horizontally to the side.

For information on how to replace the slats of the sofa, see below.