What kind of foam is best for a sofa?

Each family has a room where all household members gather on weekends or holidays. For such meetings to be comfortable, it is important to have comfortable upholstered furniture. Most often, a sofa is used for such gatherings, which leads to rapid wear of its internal filling. To replace foam rubber in a sofa, you need to know the rules for choosing this material and its specifics.

The comfort of the sofa largely depends on the quality of the foam, therefore, in the process of restoring the filling of upholstered furniture, you need to be able to make the right choice of this material. Furniture or sofa foam rubber deserves special attention, on which the softness of the furniture and its springy qualities, as well as the service life, will depend. To find the right option, you should pay attention to the following aspects:

1. density - higher density values ​​will allow you to use furniture for a long time;
2. compression stress - the standard indicator refers to a kPa value of 40% when the foam rubber is compressed;
3. strength of material - it is important to take into account the values ​​that determine the tensile strength of the foam rubber or the elongation of the material during rupture;
4. elasticity - calculated during testing by determining the rebound height after compression;
5. deformation - measurement of the rate of recovery of the material to its original position after deformation.

In order to be able to navigate in the types of foam rubber on sale, they introduced the letter names:

• ST - standard version;
• HL and EL - hard foam rubber and material of increased rigidity;
• HS - the softest variety that can often be found in the filling of sofas;
• HR - foam rubber with a high level of elasticity;
• LR - soft material with a viscous structure;
• RTC - polyurethane foam with increased porosity of the structure.

In addition to letter signs, there are also digital ones, where the initial number indicates the density, and the next two show the compression stress.

In furniture production, they often resort to the use of foam rubber, without it it is difficult to imagine the seat of a stool and the back of an armchair, sofa, the top layer of a mattress for a bed. In order to choose the right furniture foam rubber, you need to understand what types of this material exist and what are their features.

The standard version is made from a base polyol, additional components can be included in it to achieve the desired density and elasticity. This type is often used for finishing armrests and headrests of upholstered furniture. The density of this foam rubber is 25-30 kg per cubic meter. m.

To obtain foam with increased rigidity, special polyols are used, which significantly increase this indicator. The density of foam rubber can vary and depends on the components that make up it. With a material density of 30 kg per m3, it should be used for the production of mattresses or as a sofa seat. Foam rubber exceeding the specified value is used for furniture that can withstand high loads. You can find such products on sale with the EL marking.

Foam rubber with density values ​​in the range of 25-40 kg per m3 is used for filling furniture for home and office. This filler is not suitable for everyone. It is not worth using it for children's furniture, as it is too hard and tough, which will be completely inconvenient for kids. You can find out such material according to the HL marking on the packaging.

Foam rubber with a density in the range of 25-45 kg per m3 is used to fill a berth. Due to the good indicators of softness, firmness and elasticity, mattresses for a bed or sofa made of this material are very comfortable.

You can find this material by the HS marking on the package.

Foam rubber with a density of more than 30 kg per m3 is able to withstand a weight of more than 100 kg, therefore it is most often used for the production of mattresses. A feature of this material is a combination of initial stiffness and good bearing capacity. To purchase such foam, you need to look for the HR marking on the packaging.

For the production of high-quality and comfortable upholstered furniture, foam rubber was created, the density of which is in the range of 30-55 kg per m3, which makes it the softest and most comfortable to use. This type of material can most often be found in upholstered furniture, which is of high quality. To find this option of foam rubber yourself, you need to be guided by the HR * marking on the packaging.

If you need to independently select foam rubber for filling the sofa, it is important to understand the features of this material and be able to make the right choice. Difficulties can arise with the selection of different options for the back and seat, because each option needs its own filler. When deciding on a view, it is best to give preference to a product with a density of at least 28 kg per m3, which will allow you to operate the furniture for as long as possible and enjoy the comfort from its use.

In order for the choice of foam rubber to be correct, it is worth considering the following nuances.

• The optimal sheet thickness is 3-4 cm., thinner varieties are not suitable for filling upholstered furniture.
• It is necessary to determine the required indicators of rigidity and elasticity of the foam rubber. For seating, it is worth choosing more rigid varieties, and for the armrests and headrest - more elastic.
• It is necessary to check the quality of the foam rubber by studying the process of restoring the shape of the material after deformation.... Inexpensive varieties do not hold their shape and for a long time return to their original position after exposure to them, which is completely unacceptable for filling upholstered furniture.
• It is important to check the composition of the material, assess the degree of harmfulness of its additives, to prevent the development of allergic reactions, which is especially important when working with children's furniture.

Not only the comfort and durability of using a sofa or mattress, but also the benefits of using it, depends on the correct choice of foam rubber for filling upholstered furniture.

Density characteristics are considered one of the most important in the selection of filling for upholstered furniture, since they are directly related to the wear resistance of the material. Depending on how dense the foam rubber will be, the values ​​of rigidity, strength, and preservation of the original shape after deformation may change. To find a good foam rubber, you need to pay attention not to the values ​​indicated on the roll. The brand of the product is the most important characteristic that will help you choose the right option.

To make it pleasant to sit and lie on the sofa, it should be as comfortable as possible. Such indicators can be achieved due to the correct choice of the thickness of the foam rubber. The thick material is able to create good shock absorption, softness and elasticity, which provides comfort from the use of upholstered furniture.

The optimum thickness of the foam sheet for the sofa is 4 cm or more.

If the sheets are thinner, then they should be used to work with the armrests. If the sofa has a rigid base, it is best to use a 10 cm thick foam sheet to make the furniture as comfortable as possible.

Elasticity indicators are important for the interior filling of the sofa, as they allow you to feel comfortable, sitting comfortably on this furniture. To determine the elasticity of the foam, a simple test is carried out with a ball that falls from a height onto the foam sheet.

The higher its rebound after impact, the better the elasticity of the material.... To select a high-quality version of foam rubber for a sofa, you need to take into account a large number of factors, including: compressive stress, permanent deformation, tensile strength, comfort coefficient and support coefficient. If you analyze all the indicators correctly, you can choose the most successful version of foam rubber, which will last a long time and provide the maximum level of comfort.

How to replace the foam rubber in the sofa, see below.