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Holding a churchgoer's attention often starts at the bottom. A comfy seat can decrease distraction and increase your parishioners' ability to focus and participate during a worship service. But pew padding can wear thin over the years. Here's why, as your pews show signs of age, you may want them reupholstered:

Savings. The cost of reupholstering is generally one-third to one-half what it would cost to purchase new pews.

Appearance. Reupholstered pews can improve the look of your church.

Maintenance. Many consider Scotch Guardﾮ-treated fabric easier to maintain than finished wood.

Here are a few basics to keep in mind when considering your options for three kinds of pews.

Noncushioned
If your old wooden pews have enough depth to hold the required padding, you may want to upholster them. Caution: Smaller pews may lose their original roomy feel once padding and fabric have been installed. For best results, make sure the pews you want upholstered have at least a 15" seat and an 18" back.

A quick test can determine how much padding you'll need: Place on the pew two pieces of polyfoam large enough for one person to sit on. Use 2"-thick polyfoam on the pew seat and 1"-thick foam on the back. Sit on the polyfoam, evaluating the cushions for comfort. Do you feel pushed forward and crowded out of the pew? Try removing the back piece and testing again. If the seating space is still unpleasantly tight, you may need to consider purchasing new pews.

Some reupholsterers may work out of their shops, constructing a 1/4" plywood layover to fit the dimensions of your pew seats. They may attach 2"-thick polyfoam to the plywood, for instance, and wrap the board with new fabric. At your church site, the plywood sections will be fastened to your pews with paneling nails or Velcro®. Reupholsterers also can install the foam and fabric directly to your pews on-site. Note: The acoustics of your room will change when uncovered wooden pews are upholstered.

Seat-Cushioned Only
If the pews you want to upgrade are already cushioned, you'll want your reupholsterer to check the condition of the existing polyfoam. If the foam is in good shape but the fabric is worn, the reupholsterer will need only to cover the seat with new fabric, though some refurbishers believe it's best never to install new foam on top of old fabric or foam. It won't even be necessary to disassemble the pew for recovering as long as the existing seat cushion tapers down toward the anchoring area near the bottom of the interior side of the pew back.

You may, however, wish to increase the comfort of your cushioned pews even if the existing foam is in good shape. Ask to have a new layer of 1" cushioning added over your existing fabric before covering with the new fabric. Caution: Make sure the new fabric is anchored well. Many worshipers have a tendency to slide forward when sitting on the pew, loosening the fabric and foam in the process.

A pew with deteriorated foam cushions calls for a bit more work. Before adding new foam and fabric as described above, your reupholsterer will have to remove the old cushioning and fabric, taking care to remove the fabric from the seat ends as well. If you're lucky, you may have cushioned pews with lift-out seats that can be removed by unscrewing them from the bottom of the pew.

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