| Antique - or antique style - furniture was made using | | | | The only exception to the traditional treatment of |
| different techniques of construction and padding. | | | | antiques, in the usage of staples rather than tacks to |
| For example, instead of modern zigzag or mesh | | | | hold the cover down. Traditional tacks make a bigger |
| springs, antique furniture has hourglass style springs. | | | | hole in the wood frame than staples, and with antique |
| These give excellent comfort and need to be fitted | | | | wood drying out with age and modern heating |
| carefully and tied-in so that they stay in position | | | | systems, tacks are more likely to cause the wood to |
| correctly. | | | | split. |
| Similarly, the padding needs to utilize horse hair and | | | | Most upholsterers should therefore offer you the |
| cotton felt; modern foam does not look or feel right, | | | | choice of tacks, or staples for your antique furniture, |
| and simply destroys the integrity of the item. | | | | with traditional studs where visible. |
| It is a specialist skill, and most upholsterers are | | | | There are many antique re-upholstery specialists |
| equipped to deal with antique style furniture in a | | | | throughout the country, who will sympathetically |
| sympathetic way. Unfortunately there are some | | | | restore your antique furniture so that it will become |
| upholsterers who are clearly out of their depth and | | | | your heirlooms of the future. |
| can too often ruin antique furniture by stuffing the | | | | Whilst the cost of such work is inevitably higher than |
| seats with rags! | | | | for modern furniture, with right upholsterer with and |
| Antique upholstery is time consuming, and a rushed job | | | | attention to detail, the finished product will be an |
| quickly becomes apparent, when the seat area | | | | investment for years to come. |
| becomes bumpy or sinks... | | | | |