How can you replace foam rubber and why do it at all?

Quite often people are faced with the question of how to replace foam rubber in furniture. This is a rather relevant topic, since sometimes it is not possible to use expensive materials, especially when a replacement is needed in a chair.

In upholstered furniture, you can use alternative options that are practically not inferior in characteristics to foam rubber.

How to replace acoustic foam

It is not possible to completely replace acoustic foam; you can only do an incomplete finishing of the room.

You can place bass traps in the corners of the room, hang sound-absorbing screens and screens on the walls.

If you need to improve sound insulation in your home for any purpose, it is better to simply arrange the furniture correctly around the room. Upholstered furniture is suitable for this; corners cannot be left empty. You can also use:

• bookcases;
• curtains made of thick fabrics;
• carpet on the floor, walls.

An effective and safe substitute for foam rubber

Considering the fact that in the room, which was previously planned to be carefully insulated from sound penetration using foam rubber, people were expected to stay for a long time, so it was necessary to select a material that not only protects well from noise penetration, but also does not have a toxic effect. Fortunately, I have a friend who works in a company that deals with the finishing of apartments, including ensuring high levels of sound insulation of the room. He advised me to use either regular basalt insulation instead of foam rubber, or to purchase more expensive slabs of this material, called “Shumanet”.

Source stroimaterialytorg.ru

The use of basalt material as an analogue of foam rubber has a large number of advantages, for example:

• The material does not burn.
• Does not emit substances hazardous to health.
• Basalt slab has an extremely low thermal conductivity coefficient.
• The material practically does not absorb water.
• Has high vapor permeability.
• Withstands significant mechanical loads.
• Long service life.

The only significant drawback of basalt material for sound insulation is its significant thickness. The minimum value of this parameter is 50 mm, that is, the width and length of the room will be at least 10 cm shorter after installing this material.

How to replace foam rubber in headphones

Quite often the ear pads break, and the question arises of how to replace the foam in the headphones. To do this, you can use different finishing options. You can use homemade foam ear pads. Not excluded:

• knitted products;
• scrunchy;
• knitted material;
• leather options;

Ear pads can be made from various fabrics. To replace the rubber bands on vacuum headphones, use earplugs. To do this, you need to make holes in them and adjust them to size.

How to replace it yourself: instructions

Tools and materials to change

To replace the foam rubber in the sofa you will need the following tools:

• set of wrenches;
• scissors for cutting material;
• side cutters, nippers;
• construction stapler;
• sewing machine;
• strong threads;
• accessories for decorating pillows (buttons, appliqués).

The best material is tapestry. It looks great and can be combined with other fabrics and textiles in the interior. Can be cleaned with any detergent without damaging the appearance.

For home upholstery the following are most often selected:

• flock;
• velours;
• jacquard.

Any type of fabric looks very elegant, even elegant, on the sofa.

Faux leather, if foam rubber is chosen, will not work. This is due to the fact that it is difficult to tighten it evenly on your own; it is better to entrust the work to the masters.

This article tells you what material is best to choose for upholstery and how to cover a sofa yourself.

Laying order: how to lay it?

Stages of work:

1. All pillows, blankets, and decor are removed from the sofa. Then they begin to inspect the casing. It is necessary to turn the sofa so that it is convenient to inspect the frame. It is important to identify all wooden parts for fractures and rot.
2. If the upholstery needs to be replaced, it is done immediately after the inspection. To do this, take fabric identical to the old coating. The frame is replaced by using special plywood and screws that will be suitable for working with the material.
3. Carefully check the areas under the pillows. If the platform between them is broken, then make a support.
   Advice

   In hardware stores you can purchase a special ready-made support (usually made of fiberboard or higher quality materials, depending on the manufacturer).

   Read also:  Do-it-yourself wooden spatulas for the kitchen - quickly and cheaper than store-bought ones!
4. You can additionally purchase thin plywood, which will completely match the size of the pillows, and lay it under them so that there is no squeezing under increased load.
5. The integrity of the springs is an important test step. If they are bent or bent, they must be straightened and put in place with pliers. If the springs have become completely unusable, then they need to be replaced with new ones.
6. Then check all the pillows one by one. The reason for the sinking of the sofa may also lie in them. If the sofa is too soft (whether such softness is initially upon purchase or after long-term use of the sofa), it is necessary to add a similar filler to the upper or lower parts and lay a foam seal.
7. The frame and the back are strengthened with strong tape.

How to secure?

You can take out the old filler and use it to pattern a new one. Before fixing the layer, you need to carefully measure and cut out all the necessary elements according to the pattern.

The upholstery should fit tightly and beautifully. To do this, you need to firmly press it into the foam rubber at the places where the upholstery is attached to the base. In this case, this will help straighten the material and add elasticity.

The fabric should be stretched tightly with a construction stapler. The staples should be on the underside of existing parts. You cannot get into the joints and contact areas of individual parts - you can snag the upholstery and ruin its appearance. You need to pull the fabric tightly and secure it with a construction stapler.

Important

The staples should be located on the underside of the parts. There should be no overlap at the joints and adjacent parts to prevent damage to the upholstery and make it impossible to completely fold the sofa in the desired direction.

Assembly

Assembly is performed in reverse order. All elements are placed in place. You need to remember the disassembly steps in order to reassemble everything correctly. You can record the process on camera.

The cut filler should fit snugly against the wooden base of each piece. At this stage, you can add volume to the back and armrests due to a thicker layer of filler. The larger the size of the canvas, the more you will need to stretch and distribute the fabric along the edges.

The sides and back are assembled differently than the main middle part. A softer foam would be suitable here. These protruding elements are not subject to excessive stress and can easily be done without increased attention to them. If there is a spring block at the base, then a layer of tightly fixed fabric is placed on it (what if the spring block breaks?).

To do the job well, it is advisable to have canvas. You can take similar any other fabric. Every detail must be covered. Then the sofa or bed is assembled to the condition in which it was originally before disassembly.

Is it possible to replace the foam in the cartridge?

Quite often, the original foam rubber in the cartridge becomes unusable and people wonder what can replace it. The fact is that the foam rubber in such a product cannot be replaced with anything else. It ensures ink retention, allowing only the right amount to print. You only need to use the same material or purchase a new cartridge.

Foam rubber is a common material that is used not only as a filler for furniture. In some cases, it is possible to find an alternative to this material, but in others it is better to leave it alone. Analogs have both advantages and disadvantages, which is important to consider before purchasing.

Analogues of foam rubber in everyday life

Spring blocks

Today this is one of the most relevant replacement options. It is appropriate to use it on a sofa or mattress. The main advantage of the block is providing maximum comfort. There are two types of spring blocks:

• dependent "Bonnel";
• independent "Pocket spring".

Both options allow you to achieve good comfort indicators and are the best replacement for foam rubber.

Polyurethane foam

It is a highly porous material of synthetic origin. Density indicators can exceed rubber or caoutchouc. However, this indicator does not affect its quality. Polyurethane foam is used in the manufacture of various furniture, including decorative pillows.

Sintepon

A fairly common material that is used to make cheap furniture. It is important to use synthetic winterizer together with other fillers. It is often used for the intermediate layer.

Sintepon is used as a filler for various products, including furniture and clothing. You can replace padding polyester in furniture yourself without having any extra skills.

Periotec

It is a modern non-woven material consisting of polyester fibers. Today it is increasingly found as a filler for mattresses and upholstered furniture. To increase the density of perioteca, knitted fabrics are used.

Struttofiber

It is one of the most elastic fillers for upholstered furniture. Natural and synthetic fibers are used for its production. Thanks to the manufacturing features, the material obtains high elasticity and wear resistance.

Felt with padded jacket

Felt is made from goat and sheep wool. Due to the peculiarities of the structure of wool, the material is dense. A quilted jacket is a combination of cotton wadding and thick fabric. Due to their high density, these materials cannot act as independent fillers.

Installation features

Having figured out how to replace foam rubber when soundproofing a living space, it is also important to know how to properly install the material. On the advice of a friend, I soundproofed the room using Schumanet slabs with the following overall dimensions:

• Length: 1200 mm.
• Width: 600mm.
• Thickness: 50 mm.

I performed the installation work in the following sequence:

• I installed metal profile lathing on the walls (recommended spacing is 600 mm).
• Soundproofing material was placed in the cells.

Source forvardplast.ru

• I laid a layer of vapor barrier.
• I covered the walls with plasterboard.
• Painted the walls with paint.

To ensure complete sound insulation of the living space, it was decided to use Schumanet slabs for sound insulation of the ceiling and floor. In the first case, it was necessary to additionally fasten the material using plaster; in the second, a floorboard was laid on top of the material (a frame was first made from wooden beams).

In the video about how to save money on soundproofing a room: