Futons Articles: Why buy a futon? The advantages to owning a convertible futon frame in your home. Article by Futons.org (Date 12-28-07) Many of us have or know of someone who owns a futon frame. They seem to be of value to the home but many people just aren't sure why they should buy a futon. In this article we'll take a look at the advantages that futons offer over conventional furniture and how they can benefit not only you but your friends and family as well. Perhaps you have short narrow hallways or older doorway openings that aren't wide enough for conventional furniture. Maybe you have an attic loft that is located in a place that makes it difficult to get furniture into. All of these issues are easy to overcome when you own futon furniture. Futon frames come unassembled in flat boxes and are typically in 6 main parts. This makes it very easy to take each piece one by one into a room and assemble it in the room. Mattresses are packaged separately and are folded lengthwise in half to make them easier to move around. The way futons are packaged make them the perfect piece of furniture to fit into any room. Another advantage that futons offer is that the fabric coverings can be changed out to keep up with new trends in furniture. Conventional furniture can also have its fabric changed but will often cost in excess of $400-$500 to recover. Futon coverings start at $49 and matching accessories like pillows, bolsters and the fabric itself can be ordered to match allowing you to coordinate the look of any room in your home. With futons you get what you see. You can view the construction easily since the mattresses are placed on top of the wood futon frames which have nothing else manufactured over them. This gives you the opportunity to examine the frame to see how connections are made. Such as if the frame is using brackets to reinforce problem areas. How the slats are incorporated into the frame and so on. Conventional furniture often won't provide you the opportunity to see the inner framework as dust coverings are placed at the bottom of the furniture and over seat sections and the fabric is already upholstered over the frame. Futon furniture allows you the chance to see what you are buying and helps you to determine the best frame for your home. Futons are also very useful for families who move often but don't always have friends or family around to help them move their furniture. Because futon frames break down into smaller easier to manage components it makes sense in owning futon furniture due in part to being able to be moved so easily. They also can be transported in a mini-van, suburban or even some station wagons when broken down into individual components. Most conventional furniture like upholstered sofas require at minimum a long bed pickup truck or larger moving van to transport them. In this article we've taken a look at the many advantages that futon furniture offers. How it can easily be put into difficult to access rooms. The way your fabric can be switched out inexpensively to create a new look. The ability to see the frame and inspect it before purchase unlike conventional furniture which is covered and inaccessible. Futons are also easy to move since they break down smaller and don't require larger trucks to transport them. These are just some of the many examples of why futons just make sense and why they offer value and advantages over other types of furniture. So if you're looking for something for that hard to get to room in your home or perhaps you need furniture that can be on the go just like you, futon furniture can provide you what you need. Visit your friendly futon retailer for more information on finding the futon that's right for you. Not all covers are created equally The importance of ordering the right size futon cover. Article by Futons.org (Date 11-23-07) Futon covers are typically made to fit up to an 8" thick mattress. This means if you own a futon mattress that is 6-8" thick than your mattress should fit into the cover. But what happens if you own a 9" or 10" thick mattress. This could be a problem. Not so. Many futon cover manufacturers offer for a fee to change the loft or size of the corner of the futon cover to fit your selected mattress. When placing your order through a retailer simply let them know how thick your mattress is and your special order cover can be ordered to fit your mattress. Not everyone realizes that this is an important step in the selection of your new covering. Another important thing to do before ordering your cover is to verify the size of your mattress. You can do this by measuring the width and length of your futon mattress to determine its size. 54x75 is typically a full size. 60x80 is a queen size. 39x75 is a twin size. 54x54 is a loveseat size. 28x54 is the modern chair size. 28x21 is the modern ottoman size. Many other sizes exist and you can always contact your futon retailer to help you determine what size you have before ordering your cover to make sure you're getting the right size. Futon maintenance Changing oil and fluids for your car. Using the allen wrench for your futon. Article by Futons.org When you first purchased your futon included was a small allen wrench that was used to tighten your frame. This handy little tool went around and tightened the 8 bolts in the arms of your futon that connect the stretchers and once you were finished you had a great looking assembled futon frame. You may have decided that your need for the allen wrench was done and decided to toss it away. This was probably not a good thing. As futons are used the bolts in the arms gradually loosen over time and as they continue to loosen the weight of the mattress and people everyday can put un-needed stress on those bolts at the connecting points. If these bolts are left untightened gradually they will start to bend from having become loose and one day you may be looking at a stretcher rail on the ground that has had bolts bend out of it from the rail loosing up against the arms. This is a very sad thing when this happens and much like putting oil in your car to prevent engine damage this too could have been prevented. The allen wrench should be brought out every 6 months to a year and used to tighten up the bolts on the outside of the arms. Doing this will keep the connection tight and will help reduce wear. Another thing to do is look at the pins that connect the seat and back section together as well as the pins that connect the nylon rollers. Make sure the little cotter clips are still attached through these and if they aren't put them back in or purchase repalcements to make sure these pins don't work loose. Just a little maintenance for your futon a couple of times a year will keep it in great condition. Futon mattress slipping issues Why won't my mattress stay in place and how can I make it! Article by Futons.org The number one complaint about futon mattresses is not that they are uncomfortable but that they keep slipping down on the frame. Either the mattress is brand new and hasn't been broken in yet or perhaps the frame itself has a slick surface to the slats. Either way something needs to be done or this is going to continue to drive you crazy. Is there any relief in sight? Perhaps there is. Futon manufacturers have long been battling this issue. Metal frame manufacturers designed handles on the seat sections. Most people thought these were great for operating the frame but they also did a great job of keeping the mattress in place. Wood futon frame manufacturers however decided to use something that the rug and cabinet industries use. It goes by many names. Sticky fingers, gripper, non-slip pads and the list goes on. Basically it is the material used under rugs and inside kitchen cabinets to keep things from moving around. Such an inexpensive solution to an issue that has driven many people crazy with what to do with the slipping futon mattress. If you are having this issue visit your local futon retailer or home store that sells this grip material. Make your slipping futon mattress stay where you want it to.

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