question on reupholstery tactics

[hmeyrick]

One of the winter projects is re-doing the somewhat unfortunate brown plaid on the upholstery down below.

The plan was to disassemble the covers, use the old fabric as patterns for the new, and re-use the naugahyde that formed the bottom panel - naugabeasts are getting rare these days, you know.

However, upon disassembly, we discovered the inside of the naugahyde to be crawling with mildew. Now I reckon I can kill it off with some bleach, but if it grew there once, it'll only grow again.

So my question is, would it be better to use fabric in place of the naugahyde to allow some air in, or did maybe Cape Dory use the naugahyde for some important reason I don't know of, some reason worth a little mildew?

Any insights would be appreciated.

thanks, H Meyrick



huw@post.com

[Russ Campbell]

We are in the process of redoing our cabin cushions also. We redid the main cabin ones last year and we left the naugahyde off. I felt that with two kids sitting with wet bathing suits that any chance water had to escape would be good. So far it has worked fine. We did just as you have said and used the old pieces as patterns to build the new ones. Good luck

Russ

One of the winter projects is re-doing the somewhat unfortunate brown plaid on the upholstery down below.

The plan was to disassemble the covers, use the old fabric as patterns for the new, and re-use the naugahyde that formed the bottom panel - naugabeasts are getting rare these days, you know.

However, upon disassembly, we discovered the inside of the naugahyde to be crawling with mildew. Now I reckon I can kill it off with some bleach, but if it grew there once, it'll only grow again.

So my question is, would it be better to use fabric in place of the naugahyde to allow some air in, or did maybe Cape Dory use the naugahyde for some important reason I don't know of, some reason worth a little mildew?

Any insights would be appreciated.

thanks, H Meyrick

russ@claybycampbell.com

[Larry DeMers]

We rebuilt our cushions last year also, but kept the naughahyde bottom, as I suspect that the plywood will eventually wear thru the material if the naughahyde was not there. The mildew comes from the condensation that forms between the foam of the cushion, and the plywood base..same as in the V-berth. Air circulation under the cushion is important here. You can use a corrugated plastic pad that allows air to circulate, or just lift the pad up and wipe it off occasionally.
I suspect that wet bathing suits and rain and water splashed thru the ports and that get on the cushions also contribute to mildew forming. The foam is good at retaining moisture.

I would recommend using the naughahyde bottom..maybe a new piece though if the old one is really mildewed and unrepairable.

Cheers,

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 Lake Superior

One of the winter projects is re-doing the somewhat unfortunate brown plaid on the upholstery down below.

The plan was to disassemble the covers, use the old fabric as patterns for the new, and re-use the naugahyde that formed the bottom panel - naugabeasts are getting rare these days, you know.

However, upon disassembly, we discovered the inside of the naugahyde to be crawling with mildew. Now I reckon I can kill it off with some bleach, but if it grew there once, it'll only grow again.

So my question is, would it be better to use fabric in place of the naugahyde to allow some air in, or did maybe Cape Dory use the naugahyde for some important reason I don't know of, some reason worth a little mildew?

Any insights would be appreciated.

thanks, H Meyrick

demers@sgi.com

[Olli Wendelin]

We completely replaced all of our cushions below. They were professionally done with Sunbrella fabric and 4" high density foam. The new foam is better for sleeping. We did use the old covers for patterns. After three years they look good as new.

Olli Wendelin
BLUE MOON
Charleston, SC



wendelin@spawar.navy.mil

[Ann and David Brownlee]

We also re-covered the cushions on our former boat, a CD 27, with Sunbrella on both sides. It worked fine, and the color choices were much better than we found with other kinds of fabric.

Ann and David Brownlee
CD 31 #1 "Windrush"
Havre de Grace

[Larry DeMers]

Same here. New foam was a nice project.
That recovering/recushioning project was a very satisfying one..and it continues to reward you every time you settle down for a good evening with a book.
We did the V berth the same way..but it is too stiff, due to the hard finish of the original fabric, which we reused. We are making new covers this spring..and I'm looking at adding a 1 inch layer of padding to soften the overall mattress. The experiment continues...

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

We completely replaced all of our cushions below. They were professionally done with Sunbrella fabric and 4" high density foam. The new foam is better for sleeping. We did use the old covers for patterns. After three years they look good as new.

Olli Wendelin
BLUE MOON
Charleston, SC

demers@sgi.com

[Jo Chamberlain]

Our CD33 Maggie Rose had recently been reupholstered when we bought her 3 years ago. The previous owners chose a good quality textured biege velour upholstery fabric for the tops and a heavy duty jute for the bottoms. The results are very pleasing. The visual effect is light and airy. The velour is very comfortable and has proven sturdy. (I removed the settee covers and machine laundered them after a major soot disaster.) There is no sign of mildew on bottoms or backs. I really enjoy curling up on a berth that is more like a sofa than a bunk.



jchamber@kaballero.com

[Richard Hill]

I am almost finished restoring my Bristol 32 (I know, it isn't a CD, but it's very similar) and used the Sunbrella upholstry fabric. They have some nice fabrics that have various patterns. I used a dark navy blue with a small beige diamond pattern, and it really dresses up the interior (I also put in new 5 inch firm latex foam - a dream!). OBTW, I like your board and read it daily, in addition to the Bristol site. Us full keelers need to hang together!



captrahill@comcast.net

[John Nuttall]

........this is an upcoming project and the timing of this post / discussion couldn't be better !!!

Don't ya just love this board ???

John
s/v Aimless
CD31 #28
Hmpt: Oriental, NC

[Mike Quinlan]

I do quite a bit of boat upholstrey in my shop and here's my two cents.
Sunbrella has the drawback of being not to abrasion resistant.
The Sunbrella upholstrey fabrics are nice but expensive.
The bottoms of the cushons get nasty because the vinyl won't breathe
I use Phifertex on the bottoms (looks like vinyl covered screen)and it's cheap.
I try too steer my customers to an automotive fabric for the cover, they are long lasting, soft to sit on, stain resistant and cost half as much as Sunbrella. The colors and patterns are endless.
Also, Dacron batting can be added to the top of the foam, about an inch is good, and will make a hard bunk sleep like your bed at home.
Just a suggestion from a guy who's done a few.
Drop me an E-mail if you don't have a local dealer.
Mike.



Mikieq@erols.com