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Frequently Asked Questions: Cushions
Chiavari Cushions - Frequently Asked Questions
Each brand of Chiavari Cushion Pads are manufactured differently. Chiavari is a style of chair/cushion which originated in Chiavari, Italy - it is not a brand - therefore there are many variations between brands. Some variations are harder to recognize than others, but it is important to do your research and purchase from a company that makes a long-lasting, durable cushion with a stain resistant finish.
About Our Classic Cushions
What is the main difference between Vision Furniture's Chiavari Cushion?
All of Vision Furniture's Chiavari Cushions are built with the same reliability standard: You would expect our foam to be resilient and long lasting; that the cushion stitching is such that the ties, zipper and seams don't rip with normal usage and that you can wash the covers and reuse them many times.
I am sure that many of you that are reading this posting may be familiar with cushions that go flat too quickly or whose ties and zippers break after the first use or first wash. Much of the Chiavari Cushion market is plagued by these unreliable products.
All of our cushions, whether they are in stock or custom produced, are produced with the same standard.
Should I choose Velcro or Ties for my cushions?
At Vision Furniture, we recommend tie back cushions because we feel they offer a more elegant presentation and, they hold up better in the wash and snag fabrics and, personally when you need to install a 1000 cushions, ties are easier on the hands than Velcro.
However, others enjoy Velcro because of the clean look of Velcro and, if the cushion will stay on the chair for a long period of time, Velcro will most likely stay in position a little better with Ties which may loosen up.
What if I need a custom cushion color?
Vision Furniture offers a large stock of in stock and ready to ship cushion colors to meet a large variety of needs, but for those looking for a custom option, we can do a good job to produce a custom cushion in a timely and cost effective manner using some of our customs fabric options such as Poly Spun Fabric or Bengaline and, we can also upholster cushions with your own fabric as well.
Custom Cushions can be available as : Full Cushions, Slip Covers or Panel Board Cushions
Do I need a Chiavari Chair Cushion?
You don't need a cushion for your Chiavari Chairs, but I highly recommend one. Not only does the cushion make the chair more comfortable, but it also has a design element because it breaks up the color of the chair and makes the whole package more visually Interesting.
A Mahogany Chiavari Chair with an Ivory cushion put next to a table with an off white linen is much more visually appealing than a chair without a cushion.
And yes, having a cushion requires some maintenance work for cleaning, etc, but this is just like any linen in your business. Your clients will expect clean cushions. Also, our cushions are double sided, so if one side is dirty, just turn it over and use the other side.
To help with maintenance, our cushions have a stain resistant finish to repel stains and you can easily wash them in warm water with normal detergent and a normal washer and drier. And, our product is sewn well to hold up to commercial use.
What is a Slip Cover?
A slip cover is a type of cushion cover that quickly slides over an existing cushion to change its color.
Some companies like to just use slip covers over their old cushions, because they are so easy to put on and take off and you can change colors easily. And, since the covers use an envelope opening in the bottom, there is no zipper to deal with.
We stock slip covers in our standard colors and custom colors are available for special order.
Also, slip covers (shower cap style covers) are available for our panel board cushions too.
Which cushion is easiest to maintain if I don't want to wash the fabric covers?
For the cushion with the lowest maintenance costs where you won't have to wash the fabric cover, I would suggest a cushion produced with Vinyl or synthetic leather. We stock a smooth grain synthetic leather cushion in off White or Black Vinyl that is very easy to clean. You just wipe it down if it is dirty with a damp towel.
The vinyl cushion is currently available as a Panel Board Cushion only but, we can also sew Vinyl Cushions in the style as the standard cushion with piping for special order.
Chiavari Cushion Maintenance
Can I buy Replacement Cushion Covers?
If you buy our cushions, you will have good foams that should give you years of use. But, in the future, you may have to replace the cushion covers. Vision Furniture is one of the few companies offering full in stock cushion cover solutions.
Cushion Covers are low cost to ship and we stock all of our basic colors and they are available at a good price too.
What happens when a cushion gets dirty?
Firstly all Vision Furniture classic cushions are treated with a stain resistant finish that is similar to the scotch guard so stains from some items such as wine, soda, coffee may not set instantly and may be easier to remove by wiping the fabric down with a damp towel.
If the cushion is dirty on one side, one can always flip the cushion and use the other side.
Once the fabric cushion is dirty and needs washing, one can remove the cover and follow the washing instructions.
How to I wash and maintain my Chiavari Cushions?
Maintaining Chiavari Cushions is not difficult with some training.
Our classic cushions have a zipper back so you can remove the cushion foam and wash the fabric cover. Since most of our covers are 100% polyester, they can me washed on medium heat with a good detergent and tumble dry on medium or high.
Remember to close the velcros prior to washing because they could snag the fabric and, close the zippers too for less wear and tear.
Wrinkled covers can be steam ironed with medium heat.
To put the foam back into the covers, use a cushion sheath, plastic bag or purchase a mesh sleeve that you can keep on your foams for ease of taking the cushion cover on and off.
How do I put my foam back into the cushion cover?
Foam can be difficult to put back inside the cushion cover without the right tools because the foam has lots of friction against the fabric making it difficult to maneuver. You can solve this problem with our plastic cushion sheath, a plastic bag or with one of our mesh cushion sleeves. All will make putting the foam back into the cover easier.
Also, remember to insert the foam as a roll and let it open up firstly and go into position before removing the sheath.
About Panel Cushions
What is a Panel Board Cushion?
A panel board cushion is basically a wood type board that is upholstered with Foam and fabric. This style of cushion is very popular with leathers and vinyl because the fabric covers does not come off as it is stapled to the board.
If you choose this cushion, Velcro will need to be installed onto the seat tops. The bottom side of the board cushion also has velcro so when it is pressed to the seat top, the cushion becomes attached.
If you order the chairs and cushions from our company at the same time, we install the velcro onto the seat tops professionally prior to shipping.
Can I get custom panel board cushions produced?
Yes, Vision Furniture can produce custom panel board cushions with access to a full line commercial grade synthetic leathers that are stylish and beautiful. So, we don't just off white and black.
And, we can produce the cushion with your material too. Minimum orders apply.
If I buy panel board cushions can I still stack my chairs?
Yes, Vision Furniture's panel cushion is one of the few on the market that is actually cut to the style of the chair seat so that it allows for stacking properly. And, the styling is much better too.
And, it is not a problem to stack the chairs with the vinyl cushion, but have caution when stacking too high or leaving the chairs stacked with the cushion for long periods of time because of the chance that the foam will get worn in the cushion areas that have spindle pressure.
For long periods of stacking, like in between seasons when the chairs are not being used, we recommend removing the board cushions from the chairs and stacking wood on wood.
Can I get a slip cover or shower cap cover made for my board cushion?
Yes, we can manufacture a custom slip cover in any of our custom fabrics such as bengaline or poly spun so you have access to many color options.
Our covers are sewn professionally and are easy to put on and take off.
They are called a shower cap style because of the elastic band that allows it to fit snug around our board cushion.
Also, our cushion is fitted for our style of board cushion so it looks clean and professional.
