Upholstery- ball park costs

NickRobinson

NickRobinson

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Hi all

I'm going to need a refurb on the 'new' boat this year (serviceable but faded 80's check, foam ok)

Usual forepeak, two v singles and infill for double, two saloon singles, large single/small double quarter berth.

Obviously not looking for exact quotes, but a rough idea if you've done similar work recently-

Thanks

Nick
 
Previous owner to me had all the upholstery done inc new foam. 32 footer. V berth up front inc side panels Saloon seating which is also 2 singles and backrests. Large rear double and sides. The receipt was for £2800:eek: approx for materials and labour.
 
Spyro said:
Previous owner to me had all the upholstery done inc new foam. 32 footer. V berth up front inc side panels Saloon seating which is also 2 singles and backrests. Large rear double and sides. The receipt was for £2800:eek: approx for materials and labour.
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We had a Gibsea 96 done 4 years ago using the old foam. Cost was £1400.00. material was at trade price, job done by the guy in our village who mostly does vintage cars and Williams F1 stuff. PM me if you want his contact details. Good luck.
 
Had forepeak, 2 singles and infill, saloon seats and backs plus a single quarter berth plus nav seat and a couple of side cushions in the saloon for £1700 inc new foam
 
Wow! I may join you at needlework classes! I was toying with idea of of having the boat reupholstered and had a vague idea it would cost around £1k using spun gold thread or slightly less using normal thread. I think I'll be giving it a miss - sorry boat, next year maybe!

Cheers, Brian.
 
Get the foam replaced as well, or you will be regretting it a few years later, i have bought foam for my saloon, a dinette seats and backs which seats 4, and a 6 ft bunk on the other side, the foam cost me £260, the material another £120, and the wife's seamstress skills, will be nothing, (maybe a couple of nice choccy's and strategically timed cups of tea, to get the job done sooner...:D:rolleyes:
 
NickRobinson said:
I may need to learn how to use my mum's old sewing machine!
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It is certainly possible. We recovered ours some years ago. Carefully unpick the old cushions and use the pieces as templates. (We re-used the PVC base fabric and zips). Finding and choosing suitable fabric which is durable and can be laundered easily in the future is possibly the hardest part!

The foam will be unbelievably filthy after 10+ years. Many will insist that you MUST replace it with new fire-resistant foam. I soaked and squidged mine several times in the bath until the water was passably clean. They took many days to dry thoroughly outside in the sun. Comfort-wise they are the same as new.

Vic
 
Just had a look again at the receipt it was £2490 I have about 20 pieces plus side panelling some are quite large so I suppose just over £100 per piece. It was an excellent job though with good shaped cushions and quality fabric.
 
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ksutton said:
Tell them it for a camper van. Tell them its for a boat and it goes up 50%
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Agreed. Having been in the furnishings/furniture business I found it hard to believe just what silly money people will pay without shopping around. Bad timing for me though, I'd sold the business before the boat needed doing!

About 6 years ago, had our saloon and quarter berth done by a local non-boaty one man band upholsterer.

4 seat/berth bases, 6 straight back cushions + 4 corners. Labour and material (no foam) £330 cash. No visits to boat, I just took the existing round to him and chose fabric from his swatches.
 
If you go down the DIY route, have a whizz through towards the end of these pics until you get to those of the interior (when it's been re-done that is, not in the 'before' state!)... http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v249/syllogismcheck/Trifle%20an%20Evolution%2025/?albumview=slideshow

The total cost of all the materials was about £700, that includes not just the foam, threads and upholstery fabric but also headlining fabric, sidelining fabric, glues, and other bits and bobs. I can't remember exactly what just the foam and upholstery fabric cost out of the total I spent, but would take a rough estimate at about £200 for the five sheets of foam used, around £170 for the roll of vinyl, plus about £15 on thread. That did the forepeak cushions too and there's lots left over, but it worked out cheaper to buy the entire roll rather than just what we needed at a per metre price.

The cushion covers took a bit over an hour each to make on an old Singer industrial machine I picked up on eBay for £100. About 10 seperate cushions on the boat, so about 20 hours work in total at a guess done a bit at a time over a few evenings. We were lucky in that some of the cushions are simply rectangular however, so there weren't that many curvy triangles or chamfered edges to deal with. The foam took a few hours to measure up and mark out accurately, the curvy chamfered ones taking the time, and a few minutes to cut using an electric carving knife.

 
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I'm just starting on the DIY route. I'm lucky, I grew up in country home and learn't the sewing machine skills from aunty Abby.
Composite foam is £18 a sqr metre. Don't reuse the old foam it will be finished. Composite foam is way more comfortable. Dunelm or The Range is a good place to start for materials, but just a start. Cover the foam in mutton cloth, it stops the covers moving round the cushion. Material can be from £8-£37 a metre, so it's your personal decision.
 
Easy way to get your upholstery recovered.

I found that marrying someone with City and Guilds in soft furnishings who used to run her own upholstery and curtain business is an excellent way to get your boat upholstery done for very little money :D:D:D:D
 
SP2 said:
I found that marrying someone with City and Guilds in soft furnishings who used to run her own upholstery and curtain business is an excellent way to get your boat upholstery done for very little money :D:D:D:D
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Would you be interested in a short term wife swapping arrangement?

Cheers, Brian.
 
upholstery

i got 4 cusions from ikea latex ones used old matresses as templates and with a old singer from local market 15euro made new ones,total cost around 400 euro.Bought hard foam at market 50euro for lounge area.stitched them up.total cost all round app 600 euro ,broken nails and app 20 hours of work.At the same time fitted bed slats instead of massive plates,also from ikea 10euro,sleeos well,vents even better and looks as new.pics next time:D:D
 
For all the pieces for my 286 Feeling, slightly modded from standard, upgraded foam, curtains too; approx. £2000...........

2 forepeak cushions /covers
8 saloon.......
2 aft cabin.......
1/2 doz cabin curtains plus main breton berth (forepeak) curtains.......

by Jeckells, used them before for my Jaguar 27, did a stunning job that was as new 7? years later........
 
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