Guides · from the workshop
Upholstery guides from someone who does it every day
Straight answers to the questions boat owners, restaurants and offices ask us most: when to re-cover and when to replace, which materials hold up in Florida, and how to look after them. Written by Dmitri Nikitine, owner of Lantana Upholstery, with twenty years in the trade.
Reupholster or Replace Boat Seats? How to Decide
When re-covering boat seats beats buying new ones, when it does not, and a five-minute check you can do at the dock. From a Palm Beach County upholsterer.
BoatsWhat Affects the Cost of Boat Upholstery
Why boat upholstery quotes differ: pieces, foam, seat bases, materials, stitching and access. Explained by a Palm Beach County upholsterer.
BoatsHow Long Does Marine Vinyl Last in the Florida Sun?
Why boat vinyl cracks and fades in South Florida, why the thread usually fails first, and what actually makes marine upholstery last longer.
BoatsMildew on Boat Seats: What Works and What Ruins Them
How to clean mildew off marine vinyl safely, what to avoid, why pink stains rarely come out, and when the real problem is wet foam.
BoatsWhy Boat Seats Go Flat and Hold Water: A Guide to Marine Foam
Standard, quick-dry and closed-cell foam explained: why boat seats collapse and soak up rain, and which foam belongs where on a boat in South Florida.
Boat canvasWhen to Replace a Bimini Top: Signs Your Canvas Is Done
Fading, leaks, rotted thread, corroded zippers, cloudy clear vinyl: how to tell when a bimini top or enclosure is done, and how to make the next last.
CommercialRestaurant Booths: Reupholster or Replace?
When reupholstering restaurant booths and banquettes makes sense, when new seating is the better buy, and how to do it without closing the dining room.
CommercialOffice Chairs: When Recovering Pays Off and When It Doesn't
Are your office, conference and reception chairs worth recovering? What to check in the mechanism, frame and foam, and how to do a floor after hours.