Food and other perishable items have expiration dates clearly stated on the labels, making your safety secure and well-known. Determining those without expiration dates can be challenging, however, such as your home furniture. How do you know when it’s time for an update or replacement, without sacrificing your limbs, backs, and other parts of your body?
A ripped open sofa is a telltale sign, as with a chair with a broken leg. These are potentially dangerous, however, so the idea is to know when to replace them before things get awry. The signs aren’t always so clear, unfortunately, leaving many homeowners working with furniture long past their lifespan.
Remember: no piece of furniture is made to last forever. If you’re unsure about your furniture, there are ways to determine its current life and possible warning signs. While it can be difficult to let go of your favorite recliner, that first couch you’ve bought after your wedding, or the dining table set housing your freshly-picked flowers replacing them before they fall apart completely is the most ideal.
If your piece is showing any of these signs, it’s time to hit your local furniture store:
Sagging interior and exterior
If your furniture’s structure has been compromised, such as a sofa, the padding and support your limbs thank you for will be gone. This may happen as a result of worn cushion seats, but the culprit is almost always a damaged frame and broken springs. Every move you make will be accompanied by popping and creaking noises, which can be frustrating to deal with. Although your furniture can still be remedied, have it checked to determine the age and the actual cause of sagging.
Frustrating creaking noises
Closely tied to sagging, creaking noises happen every time you sit or move on your sofa or chair. This could pertain to structural damage, which wood and metal components are already either broken or in the state of soon breakage. This leaves you with an uncomfortable sitting spot, resulting in stiffness and aches. If this is the case, it’s best to replace your furniture with a new one.
The presence of odors, rips, and stains
Given the amount of traffic your household gets, your chairs, mattresses, sofas, tables, and even bar stools will eventually incur damage. You’ll accidentally tip chairs over, rip the sofa seams, dent the dining table, stain the mattress, and so on. Natural wear is a sign of a loved item, but remember that there is a fine line between wear and falling apart. Minor damage can be fixed, but lingering odor, huge rips, and untreatable stains mean replacement.
Outdated decor
This may be quite different from the rest, but as with other aspects of your life, replacing the old with new is always a welcome change. Furniture trends come and go, and if you’re still sporting those 80s neon kitchen cabinets, complete with creaking noises, you’ll need to have them replaced.
Fill your space with pieces that match, as this helps you make the most of your home. There’s nothing wrong with replacing them simply because you want to improve your living conditions—so go ahead and invest!
The Bottom Line
Although not stamped with expiration dates, furniture around your home is never built to last. They’ll eventually wear and tear, prompting you to buy new pieces to replace them. Unfortunately, waiting until they completely fall apart can be a safety hazard.
A couch, for instance, can suddenly collapse with someone on it, causing wires to puncture the skin. A bar stool can topple over, sending the user down the concrete floor. Worn furniture can be accidents waiting to happen, so keep these signs in mind!
If you’re on the hunt for furniture stores in Vancouver, Accents@Home is the place to go! Built on a dream and promise of always delivering quality and excellence, we’ve made sure that your upscale furniture remains affordable for everyone. Coupled with unparalleled customer service and dedication, we’ve now become one of the leading furniture retailers in British Columbia.
Allow us to serve you—browse through our collection today!