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I am replacing my Henredon sofa - I had a non-quality issue and Guardsman couldn't fix the problem, so they are letting me get a new sofa (lesson learned - DO NOT buy 100% cotton fabric!). I have 2 choices: order the same frame - in a fabric I don't love so much - OR get a C.R. Laine sofa and COM w/ a fabric I love. Is one that much better than the other? Thanks for any help.
This is fairly typical for Guardsman or any other 'Protection' process purchased . They rarely can fix things, what they do is give you an allowance towards a new piece. Here's a tip - nothing that is applied to a material lasts, it wears off! Take some water in your hand and with your free hand 'flick' it onto the sofa or chair (it can be leather or fabric, applies to both). If it beads up, you have some protection, if it soaks in, you do not. Most fabric treatments rarely last more than a 6 week or so without re-application.
As to your specific choice, I'd never get a new sofa I didn't care for, just because that's the offer. Whey are they restricting you to a certain fabric on the Henredon? You should be able to pick from anything in the line or your own COM (you may have to put some cash into the order, the Guardsman is pro-rated over time). More details, please!
Thanks for replying, Duane. They didn't restrict me. I could get anything I wanted and gave me the credit for what I paid for the Henredon sofa. My living room is what restricts me! I need an apartment sofa because the living room is small. Not too many manufacturers make the size I need in this store, despite a nice selection. I had a tough time the first time finding a Henredon fabric I liked and once I had to eliminate cotton from my choices (based on this experience) I was even more limited. The C.R. Laine sofa is almost identical to the footprint of the Henredon but was less expensive - enough so that I could COM the fabric i loved from Wesley Hall without having to pay extra. I guess I am just worried about the quality of C.R. Laine - I don't know much about it. Although I guess I shouldn't be so sure of Henredon because they kept messing up the fabric swatches that were replacing the damaged portions of my sofa.
What exactly caused the problem with the fabric on the Henredon? There are different grades of cotton, and its not all bad.....there are some 100 % cottons I would not own, but many that I would not avoid.
I have no 'hands-on' experience with C.R. Laine but looking at their website, it appears they build their piece correctly from what I can tell. If the arms are solid when you push on them, the seat supportive on a test sit, and the tailoring satisfactory then why not give them a try?
Definitely don't settle for the lesser fabric, because every time you look at the sofa you wish you had covered it in the material you really wanted.
My dog urinated on it! :mad: They came out to try to clean it but the fabric was not color safe. I think you are right about not getting the fabric I really like. The sofa sits nicely and definitely feels solid. I also like that C.R. Laine is made in America. So I think that is the way to go. Of course knowing that Guardsman won't cover this sofa makes me even more nervous. The fabric is 52% acrylic and the rest a blend of rayon and polyester so hopefully that will wear well. The woman at the store told me to get some Scotchguard and make sure to reapply regularly. Buying furniture is so stressful!!!
Ah....well, that's tough, urine has enzymes in it and its very hard to get out, usually ruins the cushion core, too. The only thing that will stand up to that in upholstery world is a finished (protected) leather. Any fabric, regardless of what you spray on it, is going to have a hard time repelling animal urine.
Guardsman is nothing more than a declining insurance policy that you buy. They have no magic elixir for the furniture, they're just playing the statistics of money in vs claims paid out. I agree with the woman at the store, Scotchguard is the best, be sure to re-apply when the water test no longer beads up and BE SURE to only spray in a well-ventilated area - Scotchguard is a known carcinogen when in an industrial usage.