Can I glue a PU faux leather cushion to a wood bench?

February 5, 2020 10:03 AM

The bench is actually a toy box which has been painted and has a wax protective coat. How can I make the cushion stick?
posted by MiraK to Home & Garden (12 answers total)

Response by poster: Alternatively, I can return the faux leather cushion and purchase a fabric one with a slip-resistant backing. I would still need to glue that one down too, though, because I doubt the backing is strong enough to stay put on a toy box with no edges holding the cushion in. What sort of glue might I use with a slip resistant backing?
posted by MiraK at 10:07 AM on February 5, 2020 [1 favorite]

The usual answer for how to stick X to Y is contact cement, but you best be sure that you want X and Y to be together pretty much forever.
posted by seanmpuckett at 10:18 AM on February 5, 2020 [2 favorites]

You could go for a more flexible/removable solution by getting self-adhesive velcro tapes for bench and cushion.
posted by seanmpuckett at 10:19 AM on February 5, 2020 [6 favorites]

Thistothat.com suggests these pairings.
posted by fiercecupcake at 10:21 AM on February 5, 2020 [3 favorites]

Are there any slats or legs you could tie the cushion to?

Anecdotally, I once purchased a slip-resistant bench cushion with similar skepticism about the backing, but it really worked.
posted by the_blizz at 10:22 AM on February 5, 2020 [1 favorite]

you best be sure that you want X and Y to be together pretty much forever

and if you are, you should probably strip the wax coating off before trying to glue to it. Paint thinner or turps should work for that. If a bit of the paint comes off as well, no biggie if it's under a cushion, right?
posted by flabdablet at 10:39 AM on February 5, 2020 [2 favorites]

For permanent, 3M VHB tape will bond nearly anything. They even make a version that'll bond acetal.

For temporary, what about those sheets people put under rugs to stop them from sliding? They're cheap, work pretty well in their usual application, and could be trivially cut to size for your use.
posted by aramaic at 10:40 AM on February 5, 2020 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Oh hey thanks! I didn't think I wanted something removable, but the idea of using velcro tapes is sounding extremely appealing, just because I have a ton of those at home already. Thank you all for chiming in!
posted by MiraK at 11:08 AM on February 5, 2020

Lots of upholstery is fastened with tacks. Little black tacks if they are out of sight. Tacks with shiny brass heads if visible.
posted by SemiSalt at 11:36 AM on February 5, 2020

How about using velcro strips? The ones with a sticky side. You could stick one side to the bench, and the other to the cushion. Maybe tack the ones on the cushion with a stitch or two?
posted by primate moon at 5:23 PM on February 5, 2020

Stick-on velcro tape comes off. I'd staple-gun velcro to the bench and maybe sew it to the cushion.
posted by theora55 at 7:28 PM on February 5, 2020 [2 favorites]

I'd second Semisalt's suggestion of tacks. PU leathers are often a textured layer of plastic glued or heat bonded to a fabric backing. As the PU wears that top layer cab begin to crack and peel away from the fabric. Different grades of PU had different degrees of adhesion between the plastic and fabric layers. Gluing leaves the possibility of the plastic and the fabric coming apart from use.
posted by Jilder at 10:18 PM on February 5, 2020