Sometimes we are asked to manufacture a seat cushion that utilizes more “natural” materials which means no foam and no fire retardants. Finding the right materials is a challenge given the strict fire code regulations we are required to follow in California.
Cotton is not an option because without a fire retardant treatment it is flammable. Down and feather, although naturally fire dampening, is much too soft for most people when used as the sole component of a seat cushion. 100% natural latex does not meet California fire codes.
 |
| Spring unit and a roll of wool batting. |
Wool however is both naturally fire dampening and can also provide good support in a seat cushion. We construct our wool cushions two ways. We use either a spring core that is wrapped with wool batting or we can make a solid wool cushion. Either construction is very full and round. You can see in the pictures the relative distance between the boxing measurment on the cover and the much higher crown in the middle.
 |
| We will wrap the spring unit with several layers of wool. |
 |
| Spring/Wool or Solid Wool cushions have a very high crown. |
In the spring core / wool wrapped cushion, we build a spring unit and then wrap it with wool batting until we have buried the edginess of the spings. Springs are available in in different guages which can be soft, medium or firm.
 |
| Solid Wool Cushion |
Also, wool on it’s own can be layered to make a firm, fluffy cushion.
Thanks for the post. I wanted to make completely natural seat & back cushions for my two armchairs, but couldn't find a way and finally bought some foam. But I found the seat cushions the shop recommended are rock hard, so have decided to get them cut down to half the depth and cover them with layers of something natural. The feather wraps seem to be astronomically expensive. Could I use wool to wrap the foam?
ReplyDelete