Common Misconceptions: How Much Damage is Too Much Damage to Repair on Furniture?

We’ve all had furniture we “just loved” until the dog peed on it or the cat scratch her lovely claws down the upholstery or little Johnny spilled his grape juice all over the cushion. When does the damage from every day life mean it’s time to splurge on new furniture? Is it when the movers knock a leg or two off or when little Maggie cuts a hole in the back with her new scissor skills? Is all damage repairable?

The majority of damage to your furniture can be repaired. In fact, there are businesses that specialize in furniture repair and can even reupholster your furniture to look brand new. However, if you have experienced some of the aforementioned minor damages, you can do the repairs at home.

If you have a stain or spill on your furniture, you can usually remove the stain by using one of the many stain removal products on the market. However, a cheaper and more available option if you don’t keep stain remover in stock is laundry or dish detergent, warm water, and a tooth brush. Simply put some detergent with the warm water (don’t mix it up), dunk the tooth brush in then scrub the stain gently and it will disappear.

For fabric scratches, tears, or rips, it might be best to trust tough ones to the professionals. However, rips in your cushions can typically be fixed easily by removing the cushion from the couch and simply hand sewing the rips or tears. Many couches and cushions utilize covers which makes sewing the holes easier, especially when using a machine.

When furniture is completely broken down and uncomfortable, it may be time to get rid of it. Really the call is yours to make. Professional furniture repairers and do-it-yourself repair projects usually can solve the damages incurred from everyday life. However, if you’re looking for a reason to get a new set and little Johnny accidentally dumps his grape juice all over the cushion, there’s no harm in saying that the damage is too much damage to repair.

Source: Fibrenew

Husband and Wife Franchise Owners with Fibrenew

Today’s spotlight profile is with franchisees Dana and Theresa Davis and their franchise, Fibrenew Folsom.

Before purchasing their Fibrenew franchise, Dana worked in Silicon Valley for 23 years as an electronics engineer, 13 of those as an executive and department head. Theresa was with California Parks and Recreation for 20 years in addition to being a stay-at-home mom and operating her own home-based businesses in floral design and organic artisan bath and body products. Today, they live on a 12 acre farm north east of Sacramento, California where they raise goats, chickens, bees and have a garden.

These two are busy people. On top of running their business, they still make time to visit the family beach house with their three adult children, go backpacking, enjoy fly fishing, golf, woodworking for Dana and making goat cheese and organic bath products for Theresa.

Both Dana and Theresa are working their Fibrenew business and for now they work it together in a single vehicle. They spend the early mornings and evenings on administrative work and during the day they are either on the road doing leather, plastic and vinyl repairs or making sales calls to new clients. They both like the science behind matching color. Theresa employs a more “intuitive” approach while Dana is more analytical. They find the variety of restoration work they perform both fun and challenging and find satisfaction in helping their customers.

They were introduced to Fibrenew after researching franchise business opportunities. The level of business, technical and IT support from fellow Franchisees and Head office were a big part of their decision to choose a Fibrenew Franchise.

They are very excited about the near limitless business possibilities in their territory and would like to one day have a storefront operation. Right now they are focusing on commercial, restaurant and medical industries but enjoy the personal satisfaction of residential consumer based work as well. They recently purchased an industrial sewing machine and have added upholstery services to their business.

Their advice for someone looking at a Fibrenew franchise is to go in with your eyes wide open and be prepared to always be learning. There are always new techniques, new skills and new products to be learned and adopted in this diverse and challenging industry. You’ll never be bored!

Source: Fibrenew Franchising

US Air Force Veteran Finds New Business Opportunity with Fibrenew

 After twenty years as a pilot and crew chief with the US Air Force, David Underwood decided it was time for him to retire and for he and his wife to move back to North Carolina to be closer to family.

They looked at a few different franchise opportunities but ultimately decided upon Fibrenew. The Fibrenew franchise provided them the flexibility of their schedule and the veteran incentive program, combined with the ride along experience helped finalize their decision. David is excited to be working with his hands and not in a cubicle!

David’s Dad, Craig, also joined him for the initial 2 weeks of training. When the franchise gets busy enough, Craig will help out as an additional technician. Craig attending training is just part of David’s long term goal for his franchise. He would like to see the franchise grow to include a couple technicians, thriving and busy and then sell it and retire.

During training David was really interested in the vinyl siding and plastics repair and looks forward to working within that industry along with Fibrenew’s core services in leather restoration.

David is excited to be part of the Fibrenew family. He says with the great support from other franchisees and from the Fibrenew training and field support from Head Office staff Dan, Jeff, Paul and Kelly, he’ll have his business built up in no time.

Source: Fibrenew Franchising

How to Fix a Peeling Leather Couch

By: Kathy Adams

Peeling or flaking on leather furniture is usually a problem affecting the leather's finish rather than the leather itself. Repair minor issues yourself with a liquid leather and vinyl repair kit that includes several tints so you can match the leather's color. Practice applying the repair solution on a scrap piece of leather or vinyl to hone your skills for an imperceptible repair.

Inspect the Upholstery
Inspect the leather around the areas that are peeling to take note of any forthcoming issues before you begin the repair process; it's more efficient to patch up several problems at once, and it ensures all the repairs will match. Sit on the sofa and note whether the cushions look like they may peel or flake under weight. If you do notice any peeling areas that may be hard to find later, place a small piece of masking tape near them to note where they are.

Clean That Couch
Wipe down the area surrounding each point of damage using a slightly damp, lint-free white cloth. If the repair kit includes alcohol wipes, use those to clean the leather, or you may use a dedicated leather-cleaning solution. Cleaning before the repair ensures the real leather color shows so you can make an accurate color match with the repair solution. Allow the area to dry completely.

Mix It Up
Mix the leather repair liquid with one or more colors in the repair kit in one of the empty containers included with the kit. Test the repair solution on an inconspicuous area, such as the back of the sofa near one of the legs, to be sure the color matches the leather. Use a piece of masking tape to label the container once you're happy with the color, so you can save excess repair liquid for future projects. . . continue reading the steps!

Following these simple tips and avoiding harmful chemical cleaning products will help keep your leather in tip-top shape. And don’t forget, a leather repair expert is always available for any repairs you may need!

From a Background in Manufacturing to Fibrenew Franchise Owner

At Fibrenew we are big on supporting one another. In doing that, we would like to share spotlight interviews with our amazing franchisees. Today we are talking looking at Steve Kostecki and his Fibrenew Franchise of Inland Empire, California.

Steve came to the Fibrenew family after a long and successful career in the plastics manufacturing industry. He spent the last few years in his previous job as VP of Operations, supervising three plants that made plastic bottles for the pharmaceutical and vitamin industries.

The Inland Empire Franchise has been in operation since 2009. Steve says there is no such thing as a typical day for him. Each day brings something new. Some mornings he is in his office, in the afternoon he may be on the road criss crossing his territory which spans the very eastern edges of the greater Los Angeles area . . . more of the story here!

Leather Renovation/Restoration Man of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton : Dick Streever

By: Clare Parkhurst of InSide The Back Mountain

My first meeting with Dick Streever is very memorable for me. Our meeting came about after he phoned me with questions about InSide the Back Mountain magazine. He had received InSide in his Shavertown mailbox and was curious about how our magazine could benefit his business. Our first meeting was early last fall at his business located in Swoyersville.

More than writing about the people, the businesses and the “going’s on” in The Back Mountain, what I find most rewarding is really getting to know about how people arrived here, why they came here and what they find so appealing about our community. That conversational process is the best thing about what I do. I love getting to know new people and their stories. Dick Streever’s story is a special one.

Dick is a quiet man but certainly not one reluctant to share his story. Dick and I are contemporaries…. baby boomers. We share a lot of the same opinions like the old comments from grandparents and parents who have always claimed, “This new generation is just not the same”. Our conversation interestingly started by talking about what we both call “the disposable generation”. John C. O’Keefe from Creative Commons describes this so well in his blog: “Recently we had an issue with our coffee maker. It refused to make coffee – and, generally speaking, for a coffee maker that’s not a good thing. So, I did what all dutiful husbands would do to keep their wives from destroying the house: I contacted the company in hopes of sending it back to them for repairs. The company was quick to offer us a new one, sent to us at no charge. I thought, ‘Ok, we will send back the old one, they will fix it and sell it online as refurbished.’ When I asked what to do with the broken one, I was told, ‘Toss it out – it’s broken.’ Unfortunately, this is nothing new, we live in a disposable culture, a culture where tossing something away when it breaks is easier, and often cheaper, than it is to get it fixed. TV breaks, get a new one; fan breaks, get a new one; coffee maker breaks, get a new one. Disposable lighters, computers, cell phones, radios – you name it, it’s made to be tossed away, and not repaired – we have moved from a ‘repair culture’, to a ‘consumer culture’. If it is broken, toss it out.” more of the story!