Even good quality sofa frames can break after long use. When this happens, you will no longer be able to sit on the broken sofa without sagging uncomfortably down. But you can fix a broken sofa by creating a new platform below the seat cushions.
Using this simple technique I fixed my broken love seat. After the repair, the sofa became more comfortable to sit on because its springs had been sagging too low for a while before the sofa frame finally broke.
Just follow these steps to fix your broken sofa, love seat or sofa cheaply but effectively.
#1. Measure the Broken Sofa
Remove the seat cushions and take precise measurements of the width and length of the base of the sofa. Push the fabric on the back of the sofa a little back to really get in there with your tape measurement. You want to create a new platform that will fit snuggly within your sofa frame. And you want the plywood to fit inside the exterior sofa frame; thus, in fact, the plywood will not reach all the way to the front of the fixed sofa but will end a few inches before.
#2. Buy Wood
At your local lumber yard or home improvement store look for thick plywood. The thicker the plywood the more sturdy the fixed sofa will be. But, of course, the thicker the plywood the more expensive it will be. Don’t worry about the fact that the plywood is a huge sheet of wood. Mark your broken sofa measurements on the plywood and use the store’s cutting services to trim the wood down to size.
#3. Fix the Broken Sofa Frame
Slip the cut plywood beneath the seat cushions of your broken sofa. Be gentle and push the upholstery aside with your fingers to guide the plywood into place without tearing the fabric on of the arm rests or sofa back.
#4. Replace the Seat Cushions
Place the seat cushions over the plywood and take a seat. If the broken sofa now supports your weight and feels comfortable, consider your broken sofa fixed. However, if the seat cushions are very old or flat, the fixed sofa may feel very stiff now. You can rest a thin camping mattress or exercise mat between the seat cushions and plywood. You can also replace the seat cushions with new, more comfortable cushions. Just unzip the upholstery on the back of your seat cushions and replace the foam center with foam cushions from your local craft or fabric store.
#5. Cover the Fixed Sofa with a Slipcover
To give your fixed sofa a final face-lift, consider buying a slipcover for it. If the sofa is part of a living room set, you can give your whole living room a slipcover makeover. Here are the 10 steps to decorating-your-living-room-with-slipcovers. And if you want to create a custom ottoman cover to match your fixed sofa, here’s how to sew ottoman-slipcovers.
For more of my ideas on home decorating and home improvement, visit my guide to decorating your home on a budget, filled with all the projects I invented while fixing up my old house.
