When it comes to furniture springs, there are a few key things to consider. The most common are sinuous springs, also known as zigzag or S-springs. These are often found in new low-mid grade furniture, Another option is coil springs, In high-end furniture, you will find eight-way hand-tied springs, known for their quality and longevity. Understanding the type of springs in your furniture can help you make informed decisions when it comes to repairs or upgrades.
We’ll start with coil springs
Only the Best: 8-Way Tied Coil Springs
When it comes to high-end furniture, 8-way tied coil springs are the only way to go. With jute webbing on the base and nylon string connecting the springs, a good job will last 15-25 years, depending on use, is what the teachers of the trade taught me.
And just like with fabric, seeing previous upholsters just throw another layer of webbing over what you have and another round of string tied over what you have to make the job look ok is pretty common.
If you’re unsure if your furniture has coil springs or not here’s some ways to find out.
Remember, there may be sharp edges holding the springs on and DO NOT rub your hand across the bottom.
Place your hand on the bottom side of the furniture where the black fabric is, and press up, if there’s pressure then you have coil springs.
sometimes you can feel around the top underneath the cushions and feel the round tops of the springs.
How heavy is it? Is the piece really heavy without any cushions? That’s a great indicator of a quality piece
No sag springs, zig zag springs
No sag springs can be tricky, You could have a love seat like the one pictured, which has a solid frame but over the course of 50 years the springs have put so much force on the tops of the rails it’s loosened the joints, this is a very common thing to happen, as long as you have a good frame I can reglue the voids, clamp, and secure with a wood screw. BUT this is a very common spring company’s put in furniture now and without a good frame this same problem can happen with in 1-5 years and there’s not much I can do that would be cost effective enough to warrant a repair vs buy new.
Spring Unit
I personally don’t like them, I’m sure some may be ok but that’s just my opinion.
When they break, it’s not easily fixed if it can be fixed, if the structure isn’t a quality metal and weld they’ll snap.