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Thread: Seeking info on Temple Furniture brand

  1. #1
    TMark Guest

    Default Seeking info on Temple Furniture brand

    My wife and I have been sofa shopping for a couple of months and have seen several...many brands of sofas. The latest sofa (which feels comfy and my wife likes) is a Tailor Made sofa by Temple Furniture in Maiden, NC. The sofa feels great, and has 8-way hand tied springs, but the store owner told me that the frame is made of plywood (with no formaldehyde - he's a stickler for safe furniture) and is stapled. I don't remember if he said whether the frame was also screwed. From what I have read, 8-way hand tied springs are great, but would a quality sofa also contain plywood for a frame?

    In my recent search of sofa brands ratings, I have yet to see Temple Furniture listed in any category. It seems as if they fly under the radar.

    Can anyone tell me anything about Temple Furniture? Good or bad?

    Thanks

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Seeking info on Temple Furniture brand

    A long time ago I was a Temple Furniture Dealer. It is a decent, if unimpressive line. I categorize it as Utility furniture, for someone that wants basic service duty and it not interested or concerned with the finer points of furniture making or style. Don't let the plywood scare you off, because about 95% of all furniture companies use it these days except they call it "engineered hardwoods", which is gobble-gook for Plywood.

    Pure Bond is the trade name for most of the formaldehyde-free plywood that is available today, however it's a veneered plywood not used in furniture frames. Formaldehyde glues are still quite commonplace on most plywooods.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  3. #3
    TMark Guest

    Default Re: Seeking info on Temple Furniture brand

    Thank you, Duane. I appreciate the feedback.

    The strange thing is that other than the Temple website, when I do a search their name doesn't seem to pop up anywhere. I don't know how they stay in business if they aren't well known or not mentioned much.

    We are not large people and we don't have young kids, so whatever kind of sofa we get will not be abused. So...maybe a Temple sofa is what will suit us.

    Also, can you tell me the best grade of fabric to get? Right now, my wife picked out a fabric that is grade 4 (we haven't ordered the sofa yet). Is there a way to tell how durable each grade of fabric is?

    Thanks again,
    Ted

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Seeking info on Temple Furniture brand

    Fabric Grades are nothing more than pricing grades - what the vendor has to pay per yard for the material, its no sign of quality or durability. You can ask your dealer to get you the rub value of a particular fabric, also known as a Wyzenbeek test.

    http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/mart...b-tests-200348

    These are not always easy to get, the dealer will have to call the maker, and the maker may have to call the fabric mill, so be prepared to wait a day or two for an answer. As rub values increase, the hand, or softness, usually decreases and the fabrics become stiff and scratchy. Find a good balance.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  5. #5
    TMark Guest

    Default Re: Seeking info on Temple Furniture brand

    Thanks again, Duane.

    Someone else told me that plywood is not a good frame to use with 8-way tied springs because of the lateral tension on the plywood, which may cause it to separate. Is this true?

    If not a Temple Furniture sofa, what would you recommend? The dealer we have worked with has Taylor supplying him with formaldehyde-free plywood and fabric that has no fire-retardants. Do you know of other sofa manufacturers that do the same but with better quality than Temple?

    Thanks,
    Ted

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Seeking info on Temple Furniture brand

    Not true at all. Most every furniture company out there is using Plywood frames and they hold up very well. 95% of the furniture industry is using plywood frames, it keeps the prices down. A solid wood frame has no flex to it - none. And that keeps your webbing (which is what the springs ride atop) taut along with steel reinforcement bands. That tautness means the suspension will last decades, if not generations. Plywood has more flex in it, so the suspension is not going to be as solid as it ages.

    Take Century furniture for example. They offer frames built of solid maple (Signature Line) and the same frame as a plywood unit (Cornerstone, etc.). When I buy stock for the floor I can choose, and I normally will pick Plywood because my customer walking in the store is not wanting to pay $ 800 more for a solid wood frame on a wing chair. A few will, but if they pick up the price tag and see $ 1,999 for the plywood unit, and I tell them its $ 2,799 for the identical piece in solid maple, the majority will stay with the $ 1,999 priced unit.

    I think you are may be getting incomplete information from the Temple Dealer. Ask him the brand of plywood used, because formaldehyde-free is not commonplace and would carry a high premium. My guess is they cannot give you the brand name of the plywood that you could verify. As to fabrics, no fabrics have flame retardant in them - none. The flame retardant is in the cushions and that whole mess was caused by the State of California changing requirements so often the industry would just make the change and they would then change the values. So a number of companies just gave up trying to please California and now put disclaimers on their pieces saying "Does not meet California Standards", etc.

    As of July 2014, Hancock and Moore has removed all fire retardant from their cushion cores and all chemicals. This is pretty much the industry standard at this time. California keeps changing the spec on Proposition 65, and the 2013 Tech Bulletin 117 is the current standard, in which manufacturers can use fire retardant, but it has to be disclosed. H&M, and many other makers elected to just eliminate it entirely - so that's where we are at on it. Leather is a very effective fire retardant in and of itself, and in fabrics versions of the upholstery it will have a fiber barrier layer as many fabrics are flammable. Apparently this is one of those 'moving target' issues where the laws and regulations in California are in a constant state of flux and the industry has to try to keep up.

    However, there will still be disclosure warning labels on all H&M products shipping into California, and that is due to the nail trim. There is some lead used in the brass nails and though it will not leech, and no one is going to digest the nails, they must put the warnings on due to that. If that is a concern then you can always order a piece with a nail delete.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  7. #7
    TMark Guest

    Default Re: Seeking info on Temple Furniture brand

    Thanks again, Duane - I'm really getting an education on sofas...more than I ever anticipated!

    So, here's a quote from the local dealer's website that I think answers your question regarding the type of plywood (and a bit more) - if you have the time, please let me know whether it sounds right:

    We use eight-way hand-tied springs on frames made of a combination of hardwood and furniture grade plywood made specifically for upholstery frames from hardwoods certified as sustainably harvested by SFI.

    Hardwood frames can dry, warp, crack, and sometimes creak over a period of ten or more years. We therefore use an American made plywood that is made with soy glues, without added urea formaldehyde or toluene, constructed from sustainably harvested hardwoods specially for furniture construction.

    Our eight-way hand tied springs require hardwood solids in areas where we need to nail in the twine tying the springs. Eight-way hand-tied is generally known to be the oldest and most dependable foundation for lasting upholstery. We use sinuous (also called "no-sag" or "zig zag" springs) only in the tight backs of some sofas and chairs.

    These construction methods result in exceptionally strong frames made with sustainably harvested materials, many recycled materials, and zero flame retardants in the batting, polyurethane foam, smolder barriers, and Dacron. Our expert partners then cut fabric with professional skill, laying patterns out by hand when necessary, and the entire factory adds lasting value as the piece moves through a state-of-the-art factory in rural North Carolina.


    Also, in regard to flame retardants, the website has this:

    We use 100% polyurethane foam with zero flame retardants. Our foam is of exceptional, long lasting quality, which enables us to offer lifetime warranty (a single replacement free of charge, though shipping charges may apply). While it is known that some polyurethane foam can emit toxic gases, it’s cheaper foams made with carcinogenic urea formaldehyde fillers and drying agents like toluene that cause eye and respiratory irritation, nausea, headaches, etc.

    In 2013 we asked Dr. Heather Stapleton at Duke University about polyurethane foam. Her unofficial summary was that cheaper foams can be dangerous, but better, sturdy, and more expensive premium foams are not the source of any significant concerns with respect to indoor air quality.

    We do not offer natural latex foam seat cushions, because we found the cost was too high for most people who asked. Substitution of the foam seat cores for natural latex alone roughly doubles the cost of the furniture.

    Smaller spaces require a combination of style and practicality. We strive to provide safer and healthier solutions with affordable design flexibility.

    We know our standards for non-toxic come with some compromises, but we do what is possible while keeping it affordable. Removing the carcinogenic flame retardants was our main focus; finding suitable alternatives made from clean, dependable, biodegradable/recycled materials is also important to us. Developing an affordable alternative to poly foam seat cores will take more time.

  8. #8
    CondoSofa Guest

    Default Re: Seeking info on Temple Furniture brand

    My designs, made just for my store by Temple Furniture, as well as Temple's own frames (including those on the Tailor Made line) do include hardwood fastened to the plywood frame. Click image for larger version. 

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    I'm Ross Endicott at Endicott Home Furnishings. We designed a line of smaller furniture with Temple that is only sold through our store in Maine (and on our website). I had heard that someone had quoted our website on a blog that discussed Temple sleepers, and this might be it. I hope drcollie was able to provide you with the information you needed. As your local dealer, I do appreciate your desire to verify our claims, and would welcome your inquiries directly, here at our store. Feel free to email me through our website, or reach us via phone or stop right in...

    We have participated in efforts to remove chemical flame retardants, beginning back in 2007, and are proud to share that as a result of years of effort working with local environmental policy strategists here in Maine, our legislature voted to override the governor's veto of LD 182, and we now have the most comprehensive legislation in the USA protecting our state's consumers: a blanket ban on chemical flame retardants sold in new furniture.

    As an advocate for healthy living and living well in smaller spaces, I hope you will come by and say hello, share your thoughts and concerns, and see what we are all about.

    Thanks!
    - Ross

  9. #9

    Default Re: Seeking info on Temple Furniture brand

    I hadn't heard of Temple furniture until coming across your post, but it seems like a company that's committed to making a good piece of furniture, if utilitarian, as the drcollie mentioned. I wonder if it seems like they fly under the radar because it seems like a smaller, family-owned company. Their limited exposure may not necessarily mean that their furniture isn't worth as much consideration as it may otherwise deserve.
    Last edited by drcollie; 02-16-2020 at 10:24 PM.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Seeking info on Temple Furniture brand

    Embedded links are not permitted in forum posts. Your posts appear to be spam, and your reference to your embedded links have been removed. A second incident will result in your being banned.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

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