Upholsterer

Summary

Make, repair, or replace upholstery for furniture or transportation vehicles.  Familiar with standard concepts, practices, and procedures within the field.  Rely on limited experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals.  Perform a variety of tasks.  Work under general supervision.  Exercise a certain degree of creativity and latitude.  Typically report to a Maintenance Supervisor or Maintenance Manager.

Examples of Work

Job functions are specific duties that would be included in the essential functions of the job description.  These functions are not all-inclusive nor do they cover the full extent of the duties performed.

• Fit, install, and secure material on frames, using hand tools, power tools, glue, cement, or staples
• Read work orders, and apply knowledge and experience with materials to determine types and amounts of materials required to cover workpieces
• Build furniture up with loose fiber stuffing, cotton, felt, or foam padding to form smooth, rounded surfaces
• Examine furniture frames, upholstery, springs, and webbing to locate defects
• Draw cutting lines on material following patterns, templates, sketches, or blueprints, using chalk, pencils, paint, or other methods
• Make, restore, or create custom upholstered furniture, using hand tools and knowledge of fabrics and upholstery methods
• Measure and cut new covering materials, using patterns and measuring and cutting instruments, following sketches and design specifications
• Maintain records of time required to perform each job
• Discuss upholstery fabrics, colors, and styles with customers, and provide cost estimates
• Repair furniture frames and refinish exposed wood
• Operate sewing machines or sew upholstery by hand to seam cushions and join various sections of covering material
• Pick up and deliver furniture
• Interweave and fasten strips of webbing to the backs and undersides of furniture, using small hand tools and fasteners
• Sew rips or tears in material, or create tufting, using needles and thread
• Attach bindings or apply solutions to edges of cut material to prevent raveling
• Attach fasteners, grommets, buttons, buckles, ornamental trim, and other accessories to covers or frames, using hand tools
• Adjust or replace webbing, padding, or springs, and secure them in place
• Remove covering, webbing, padding, or defective springs from workpieces, using hand tools such as hammers and tack pullers
• Stretch webbing and fabric, using webbing stretchers
• Design upholstery cover patterns and cutting plans, based on sketches, customer descriptions, or blueprints
• Make, repair, or replace automobile upholstery and convertible and vinyl tops, using knowledge of fabric and upholstery methods
• Collaborate with interior designers to decorate rooms and coordinate furnishing fabrics

Education and Experience

• A high school diploma and three years of appropriate experience
• Appropriate vocational/technical training may substitute at an equivalent rate for the required experience
• May operate University of Florida (UF) vehicles
• Perform other duties, as assigned

Licensure and Certification

Florida Class E operator (driver) license (if required to work at remote locations)

Supervision

This position may include supervisory responsibility.

To see common career pathways for each position at the University of Florida please visit the Career Paths section of the UFHR website.