Whether you’re restoring the cushions of an antique chair or building a beautiful, new piece from scratch, it’s essential to understand what tools you need to achieve the best results. And, specifically, we have a few helpful pointers we’d like to share when it comes to the debate of glue vs. staples and which is best for your upholstery project. Scan this quick guide to learn more.
Projects That Are Best With Glue
When you’re planning to use glue for an upholstery project, it’s wise to first consider whether glue is the tool that will most effectively help you complete it. And typically, glue is best used for smaller upholstery projects in which you need to secure materials to a soft base.
To illustrate, perhaps you’re trying to restore an old cushion by adding some additional foam before laying the new fabric over it. In this case, heavy-duty fabric glue or even a spray adhesive is the best tool to help you secure the foam and fabric to your cushion. So, if you’re torn between glue or staples and which is best for your upholstery project, keep in mind that for minor projects dealing with soft materials, it’s always wise to keep quality glue handy.
Projects That Are Best With Staples
While glue can aid you with smaller projects and softer fabrics, it can’t always help you when it comes to securing more durable materials. So, for upholstering that involves fabrics like leather and suede, you’ll want to ensure you have an upholstery staple gun and staples handy. This is especially true if your project entails securing these materials to a more durable base, such as wood.
For instance, if you’re attempting to reupholster the frame of a couch, it’s best to use a staple gun to secure your materials as adequately as possible. So, when it comes to larger projects that involve heartier materials, such as leather and wood, it’s prudent to have a staple gun to help you finish the job correctly.
Projects That Can Benefit From Both
Of course, certain upholstery designs require the use of both glue and staples. And these types of projects usually involve the complete restoration of a piece with the addition of certain modifications or smaller details. Suppose that once you finish reupholstering the frame of your leather couch, you decide you want to restore its cushions, too.
You also think it would be nice to add some fringe or buttons around the couch’s frame. In this case, you’d have to use staples to complete secure new fabric to the sofa’s frame and glue for the fringe, buttons, and cushions. So, while there are upholstery projects that only require one or the other, you shouldn’t underestimate the power of having both a staple gun and some top-quality glue in your tool kit.
No matter what your upholstery project entails, the most crucial thing is that you have the proper tools and resources to create a quality piece that you’re proud of. And we hope that scanning this overview has shown you that having glue and staples handy can help you complete your projects, regardless of size or detail.