One of the mainstays of mid-century modern design is upholstered seating with an ultra thin profile, often offering only thin slab cushions resting on a minimal frame. To achieve this, bulky conventional spring cages and other foundational support materials were replaced with elastic rubber webbing. Made by Pirelli, these straps were essentially giant rubber bands with layers of reinforcing fibers to give firm but flexible support. You see these used commonly in loose cushion Danish furniture and office furniture like these Allsteel chairs.
It was a fine idea except for one little detail—natural rubber only has a lifespan of about 20 years. At 30 years the straps soften, lose elasticity and sag. At 40 years they petrify completely and shatter when flexed. You’ve probably experienced this if you’ve ever sat on a vintage chair or sofa and fell uncomfortably far into it (or fell completely through the bottom). The blue chairs above were no exception.
Underneath the straps were stretched far out of shape and were hard and brittle causing the seats to sag. They needed to be replaced, and fortunately it isn’t a tough job at all. I’ll show you how.
Supplies: 2″ woven elastic webbing, webbing clips and vise grips.
First and foremost, you’ll need the right supplies and tools. Although Pirelli webbing is still available, it is expensive and supply is limited. Plus it will be prone to the same deterioration over time. An alternative is woven elastic webbing. I bought a 1,000 foot roll from a boat supply company online (I have a lot of projects that need this stuff), but you can get it from any upholstery supply store by the foot. Be sure to buy the right width (2 inch is the most common) and the type made for seats rather than the stretchier type made for seat backs. Note that jute webbing may be easier to find locally, but it is not the same thing and it will not work. Some furniture will need webbing clips that allow the straps to fit into slots, other pieces will simply have the strapping tacked to the frame. If you need clips, you’ll also need a bench vise or a good pair of vise grips.
My chairs used clips that fit into slots in the steel chair frame. Although I had hoped to replace the straps entirely from the underside of the chair, I discovered there was not enough space to finagle the clips into their slots with the upholstery in place. After cutting off all of the old strapping (do this outside, the rubber disintegrates into a fine powder that gets EVERYWHERE) I also removed the little clips that hold the upholstery in place and carefully removed the vinyl and foam to expose the chair frame. On loose cushion furniture you’ll have easier access as the strapping usually isn’t concealed.
Then I was ready to cut the straps. The most important thing here is not to cut the straps too long or too short. If they’re too long, there won’t be enough support and the seat will sag. If they’re too short, you won’t be able to stretch them all the way across the frame. To get the length right, I attached a clip to one end of the webbing and inserted it into the frame. Then I stretched the elastic webbing as taut as I possibly could and marked where it touched the opposite slot. I cut the webbing at the mark, attached the other clip and then stretched it and snapped it into place. To attach the clips, simply slide it over the end of the webbing and use a vise or vise grips to close the clip so that the teeth grip the webbing. Once complete, I replaced the upholstery and upholstery clips.
The difference is night and day. About an hour of work turned two saggy and completely un-sittable chairs into sleek and comfortable ones without any reupholstery. On wood framed pieces with concealed strapping it might take a little reverse engineering to figure out how to best access the webbing, but the principle is the same. So next time you find a saggy sofa, buy with confidence knowing you can easily shore it up yourself.
29 Comments
Thanks so much for this very helpful post, Austin! I had been looking for just this kind of advice.
Thanks, Austin. I figured that’s how you do it but your post gave me a little more confidence after ordering the stuff to get the job done. Have a good 4th weekend.
Hi Austin,
Great article. Not sure if this comment will find you but thought I’d try my luck anyway.
What type of webbing wold be best?
I see they come in different stretch percentages. As in rubber 50% stretch, rubber 60% stretch, rubber 100% stretch, rubber 110% stretch etc. What does this all mean?
I am planning to build a comfy lounge sofa. I will have pretty thick seat cushions, so I assume the webbing needs to be pretty firm?
Thanks
Hi. The lower the percentage of stretch, the more taught the webbing will be. For a seat foundation, you’d probably want 50 or 60%. For seat backs you can use materials with more stretch if you like. Be sure to stretch the material appropriately when you attach it and that you’ve built an adequate grid to support the seat. Older pieces usually only use webbing going one direction, but fully upholstered pieces often use a grid with straps going both directions. This is the product I usually use: http://www.rochfordsupply.com/shop/Webbing/Furniture_Webbing/Elasbelt__(Latex_or_rubber)_Webbing_-_for_furniture_seats_and_backs/index.html
Hope that helps. Good luck!
Thanks for your blog! A question about the “woven elastic webbing” and 50 or 60% stretch you reference. The Rockford Supply link you provide has “Elasbelt” webbing at 20% stretch. I am doing seats. Will the Elasbelt at 20% work?
I have an older wicker sofa with the Pirelli rubber bands which are rotting and breaking. However, it appears to be clipped into a wooden frame slot. Can I pop out the old clip in the slot with the Pirelli and then reuse or buy new clips for Elasbelt web. I don’t want to destroy the integrity of the frame. Could I use heavy duty staples. I tried to find someone in our area to do this but not much luck as they said it was a labor intensive project. Your advice will be appreciated.
Hi Linda, sorry for the slow reply, we’ve not been too active on here lately. It’s hard to say exactly what might work for your sofa without being able to see it. If your rubber webbing has clips molded into the rubber, you will need a different product called Fagas Straps. They’re still in production though a little pricey. If they have metal clips clamped onto the end (not molded into the rubber) you can easily replace them with Elasbelt. Any place that sells the webbing usually sells the clips too.
Austin,
I have a rocket frame with slots and plan 6 one direction and 4 the other.
I just did the first strap but think the clip doesn’t take quite the entire 1/2″ I measured for the slot in the frame. When you wove them, did they take up much of the slack or make each length considerably tighter? Or if they’re snug to start with, weaving them won’t shorten them, or create too much drag?
Hi Laurie, when you cut the straps, they should be considerably shorter than the span of the frame. I believe these straps have a stretch of about 20%, so you only want to cut the strap to be about 80-90% of the span. It should take a bit of might to pull the straps into place and once installed they should be taught like a drum. The weaving really won’t take up any slack, so make sure and get each strap as taught as you can.
I was so happy to see your blog. I have been wanting to fix my sagging furniture for quite some time. I have two chairs and a couch (outdoor). I flipped my chair over to take a look at the clips… low and behold there are no clips. The straps are wound around twice on each end and stapled to the metal (or could be aluminum) frame. How do I replace that? Any suggestions?
Cindy I have the same type of furniture you do apparently. I just found the webbing I want to use on Amazon (where else LOL) but I’m not sure how I’m going to attach it. I was thinking about using self-tapping screws. Did you ever get an answer to your question? Have you completed your project?
Thank You
Unfortunately I never did get an answer so I just got in touch with a company that does this type of work and am waiting for an estimate. I guess no DYI for me this time ☹️
Thanks Austin. A really clear article and easy to follow. I spent the last few hours browsing through numerous articles in French and English on this subject, many of which were interesting but seemed incomplete. It was a pleasure and relief to finally come across your article. I am replacing the old, disintegrating Pirelli webbing on all the chairs of a dining suite with fabric based elastic bought in France similar to your recommended Elasbelt. My main interest was in the tensioning of the webbing which you addressed clearly. I had no wish, in six month’s time, to see a guest disappearing through a seat bottom during the soup course! Thanks again.
Thanks for this advice. I’m trying to replace the plastic rattan on metal framed sunloungers. There is obviously no fittings for clips. What would your advice me to secure the elastic webbing. Would stitching work.
I have furniture that has a removable metal frame with stapled straps. What would you suggest I do to make modifications? I can drill holes where the three staples are for each strap . What do I do to prevent fraying ends of the strap? Fold them over? Chris and I have the same questions.
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