Furniture repair is one of those things that you don’t really think about until it’s too late – that is to say, not until your furniture breaks or starts to look unattractive. As time passes, even well-made, high quality furniture is prone to fall into disrepair, and no piece of furniture is immune to accidents. So, whether the dog destroyed the couch or your dining room table just isn’t as shiny and scratch-free as it used to be, it’s good to know how to look for a company that can provide quality furniture repair.
Assess your needs
Furniture restoration and repair is divided into many subspecialties. Some companies can handle everything, and others just focus on a single aspect. Before you even go online and start looking for a company, you need to figure out exactly what you need, so you know who to contact the first time around.
If your furniture is structurally broken, you’re going to need someone with carpentry or woodworking skills. Professionals of this variety might not even market themselves as furniture repairmen, and in many cases you can find qualified technicians by searching for cabinet makers or carpenters.
On the other hand, if your furniture’s structure is still intact and it just needs to be refinished, you’re going to need to find a knowledgeable painter who has worked with a wide variety of paints and stains – especially if your furniture is antique. Most repair and restoration companies will be able to handle this type of work; but, again, you might also find a good independent contractor by simply searching for local painters.
A third possibility is that you’ve got a sofa or an armchair that needs to be reupholstered because its current upholstery is dated or has been destroyed. If this is the case, you’ll need to contact a skilled reupholstering professional. Almost all furniture restoration and repair companies will handle this type of work, and in fact it’s what many of them specialize in.
Compare the Cost
Because it is such a specialized profession, furniture repair costs can be very high. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to measure your expected furniture repair cost against the cost of furniture replacement. If the dog chewed up the couch and it’s going to cost $500 dollars to have it re-padded and reupholstered, it might be better to just buy a new couch. Then again, if you’ve got an antique kitchen table that’s all scratched up but at the same time an irreplaceable family heirloom, you’re probably going to want to go with repair as opposed to replacement, no matter the cost.
Focus on Quality
If you chose to go the repair and replacement route, be sure to focus on finding a company with a longstanding reputation for quality furniture repair and customer satisfaction. You use your furniture every day, and so it’s good to have it fixed correctly the first time around, to minimize future costs and to maximize your satisfaction.
