Webbing & Base Hessian

Every piece of upholstered furniture will have webbing applied to create a strong seat and firm base, which supports the rest of the upholstery. Webbing is also used on the arms and back to reinforce padding and stuffing.

There are several types of webbing, all of which are suitable for different applications. Three of the most common include Black & White English, Jute and Pirelli webbing.

Black & White English Webbing is one of, if not, the strongest upholstery webbing and is traditionally used to support double cone springs. This webbing is especially recommended for seating due to it’s strength, which comes from the cotton herringbone weave.

Jute Webbing is the most common webbing used and is made of a strong fibre grown in India. Jute webbing is widely used for supporting the back and arms but not recommended for use as a base under sprung seats.

Pirelli Webbing is a rubber webbing mainly found on Ercol, Parker Knoll and Cintique furniture. Pirelli makes a firm base for a seat cushion and is usually fixed with a metal clip that then slots into a groove in the frame rather than being stapled or tacked.

For un-sprung upholstered furniture, Base Hessian is applied straight over webbing to enforce this strong foundation. If springs are used, they are tied down on top of the webbing before hessian is applied. Similar to webbing, there are various types of hessian. Mainly differing in weight for use on specific parts of the frame or when layered over springs.

As part of Plumbs re-upholstery service we will replace any worn or damaged webbing and hessian. If there is no damage to either we will tighten the layers to make them as secure as they were when new.

To restore your much-loved piece of furniture to its former glory we will re-upholster it using similar types of techniques with which it was made. The materials used will also be the same quality if not better!