Many clients come to us wanting a chemical free couch that promotes a healthy environment and clean air. Fewer people are quite as clear on what that involves. We are here to help our clients understand the ins and outs of eco-friendly couch construction and how that affects the cost of the finished product.
some green features come standard:
We use kiln dried NW Alder, low VOC wood glue and water-based stains in all our frames. Our standard foam is a product called Certipur, which is free of the big-name flame retardants like chlorinated tris, PBDE’s and formaldehyde. You can learn more about Certipur certifications on their website . Very few, if any, of our fabrics are treated with flame retardant chemicals. If you are curious about the fabric you’re interested in just ask and we can check on it for you!
latex
If you would like to get deeper into natural and chemical free materials, we would start by replacing all the polyurethane foam with latex. Latex is either 100% natural or 70% natural and 30% lab made rubber. Unlike Certipur, we can say with confidence that there are no flame retardants or added chemicals in latex. Latex is fairly more expensive than polyurethane foam, but it also lasts at least twice as long as even the heaviest conventional foam. Regardless of whether you get our natural latex or synthetic/natural blended latex, all latex that we carry is certified under Oeko-tex Standard 100.
wool
To further avoid flame retardants, Dacron, our polyester batting, can be swapped out for wool batting. Our wool is GOTS certified and comes from an organic farm with happy sheep. Switching from Dacron to wool batting does not affect the feel of your sofa, but wool can also be used in back cushions as a firmer replacement fill.
upholstery
For clients who are looking for materials that are 100% natural, we offer cotton, linen and wool options. COUCH also carries a line of natural fibers that are organic and have low environmental impact production processes. Going with a heavy-duty velvet, microfiber or leather can be another way to reduce the environmental impact of your couch. While these are not as eco-friendly as natural fabrics, they last a very long time delaying the waste of reupholstery.
price
While an eco-conscious sofa is a substantial investment in your home at roughly double the price of our basic construction options, the results can be well worth it for a truly unique and worry-free couch.