Church seating is a large investment, so you want to get as many years out of it as possible. Unfortunately, church chairs wear out over time and need to be replaced. Are you wondering whether your current seating is adequate? Here are the signs it’s time to replace your church chairs.
The Foam Padding Has Worn Down
Do your seats feel hard? Can you feel the frame when you sit down? As time goes by, the foam padding in the seat wears down and provides less protection. Cheap or recycled chair foam will break down even faster and leave you feeling the hard foundation beneath.
Virgin foam is the best padding option when looking for a church or banquet chair with a long lifespan. Some chair manufacturers only use one layer of foam, but a dual layer of foam provides superior comfort and durability.
Components Are Breaking
If you notice that many of your chairs have components that are breaking, you should consider replacing your seating. Some problems reduce the functionality of your chair, while others can be dangerous. For example, if you find screws falling out, this is a safety hazard that needs to be addressed immediately.
Chairs are made with many different fastening systems, some better than others. The ideal option is secure, steel-to-steel T-Nut fasteners. Wood screws or steel-to-plastic systems are not as strong.
Chairs Are Not Balanced or Level with the Floor
Most chairs come with floor glides to stabilize the chair for a non-rocking stance. These glides are usually available in multiple types for specific applications such as hard flooring (wood, concrete, vinyl), carpeting and multi-surface applications.
If just one of the glides breaks off, the stance of the chair will be uneven. Check to see if your chairs are rocking back and forth, tilted in one direction, or feel unbalanced.
Fabric is Ripped, Frayed, or Stained Beyond Repair
Chair fabric will experience fraying over time, and for the most part, this will not impact functionality. But keep in mind the type of impression your church chairs will make on visitors. If the majority of your chairs have worn and faded fabric, large rips or tears, or permanent stains, this will not give a good impression to new worshippers. If you can see foam sticking out, or find yourself taping tears in the fabric, it’s probably time to replace those chairs.
Did you know? All fabrics are susceptible to fading due to UV exposure from sunlight or many types of lighting (particularly those used for TV). Deep colors such as maroons and dark greens are especially susceptible. Try to minimize your chairs’ exposure to UV rays. While not intended for outdoor applications, ChurchPlaza fabrics are treated to provide a level of UV protection. Additionally, our fabrics are treated with MoistureBarrier protection.
Your Chairs Have Unsafe Components
Some chairs release unsafe levels of chemical emissions, including formaldehyde and TDCPP, a flame retardant that is listed as a known carcinogen under California’s Proposition 65. Chairs that were manufactured decades ago may be at increased risk since there have been stricter regulations in recent years. If you don’t know whether your chairs are safe, consider getting them tested by a reputable laboratory.
When browsing new church chairs, look for assurances that the chair is produced with low/no emissions materials. Ideally, the manufacturer will have an independent certification to corroborate their claims. For example, the Materials Analytical Services, LLC (MAS) is an independent laboratory and consulting service that issues an MAS Certified Green certification to materials they have tested for low chemical emissions into the indoor environment. Many ChurchPlaza chairs have earned this certification.
Your Chairs Cause Discomfort After Long Periods of Use
You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable sitting through a worship service or church activity. Aches and pains are a clear sign your chairs need to be replaced.
The typical church service probably doesn’t last long enough to cause chronic pain or back problems. Still, if your attendees consistently find themselves in physical discomfort at the end of worship services, you should probably start looking for new seating.
If you’ve decided it’s time to replace your church seating, we invite you to browse our website and learn more about the components that go into each ChurchPlaza product. We’ve even invested in great church chair accessories.
