FAQ

Access will not be an issue. Almost every sofa beds manufactured by Kates & Co can be disassembled and then reassembled once delivered into the your room.
If you’ve purchased a model that can be disassembled then we guarantee access.

Durability is inextricably tied to the design  process.

FORM AND FUNCTION 
There are a few to consider factors within the durability equation.
The structure (FORM) must be able to perform and withstand its intended use (FUNCTION)
It Is pure logic that if one uses top-quality and durable materials then those materials should FUNCTION for a very long time under appropriate use .
Anther part of the “quality-durability equation” is determined by how those materials are incorporated into the final product and whether the desired functionality (FUNCTION)  can be effectively achieved by the end product (FORM).

Unfortunately there is a “quality paradox” in the furniture industry … Any craftsman can use the most durable of materials, however if the engineering is flawed then a serious shortcoming may result in the final product. Under normal use that weak link can, in one way or another, ultimately lead to product failure.
For instance, virtually anyone with little training or experience can make a sofa bed. Many minimally trained individuals are working in mass-production factories and at times entrusted with making product-design decisions. The unfortunate reality is that in this globally competitive market, there is a pervasive design and production philosophy of “it’s good enough” so let’s ship it out even with a few shortcomings.
In order to remain competitive some manufacturers will compromise on quality somewhere along the line whether it be design, materials or construction-related.
Should there be one of these product shortcomings, then it is the consumer left “holding the bag”.

At Kates & Co, our manufacturing philosophy is … The client must receive a product that far exceeds in value the price he or she paid for it.
Uncompromising, meticulous design-engineering + high quality durable materials = the ideal value of a long lasting product.
In other words, “quality can be measured by how long a product stays in the shape it was when you bought it”.

FABRICS
We’re often asked about fabric quality.
Shoppers will often mistakenly equate the cost of a fabric with its quality.
In their minds, quality reflects durability but this is not necessarily so.
The question should more appropriately be posed as … How durable is the fabric?
There are some very expensive fabrics with low wear-ability that are not intended for seating areas that will experience heavy use.
Likewise there are fabrics that are far less costly that will “seemingly never wear out”.
The kind of frame a fabric is stretched over is also a factor to consider in manufacturing.
Some fabrics will have stellar performance and durability on some sofa frames yet fail to provide satisfactory service on others.
At Kates & Co the fabrics we use on products we manufacture will offer you exceptional wear regardless of price.
Wear-ability ranges from nothing less than exceptional and on to the extreme.
Our partner mills stress their fabrics to point of destruction in order to determine wear-ability and this allows us to make wise choices while upholstery shopping for our clients.

FRAMES
At Kates & Co we design our own upholstery frames and have been building them in our own woodworking shop for many years.
Through a CAD/CAM design-engineering process we develop structural frame concepts and then build samples.
We then literally stress them to the breaking point in order to predict durability.
Now with decades of frame design-engineering experience behind us, we’re at the point of knowing the structural viability before the product is even built.
On several occasions clients have told us they were downsizing and our sofa was the only furniture being taken to the new home.
They said “it was as good as new” even after over 10 years of daily use.
FRAME MATERIALS
Originally we employed a traditional hardwood “stick-frame” methodology that is still prevalent in North America.
Like many others we discovered it eventually had a number of serious shortcomings and therefore converted to a modern European technology.
Wood continues to “breathe” even after being harvested.
Our northern climate experiences extremes of temperature and humidity.
Variations in temperature cause expansion and contraction of wood.
Variations in humidity cause swelling with moisture absorption (hydration) and then contraction as the wood dries(dehydration).
This may seem innocuous however, a few unfavorable phenomena may result.
First is the possibility of wood frame components warping with its many obvious side effects.
The second is stress on frame joints where even the most advanced adhesives and doweling techniques are known to have failed.
Ultimately the whole frame is affected and parts can either break, develop squeaks or otherwise fail.
Kiln drying hardwood mitigates this phenomenon to a degree but there is a serious issue that has not yet been overcome.
Well seasoned timber harvested from “Old Growth Forests” tends to have very tight “growth ring” structures that are extremely stable. These timbers absorbs far less moisture than those taken from new growth forests. That’s why you may have noticed antique furniture can often seem to never warp.
As our forests are depleted and we rely more and more on younger tree stands the solid hardwood frame technology becomes far less attractive alternative.
Enter the European engineered wood frame manufacturing technology …

WARRANTY
Our top of the line “Signature Series” Sleepers are  manufactured by Kates & Co in our own factory and carry a 5 years warranty, the specific terms of which can be viewed at our resource center.
We know this warranty is pretty safe for us to offer because although some of our sleepers hav been out there for 44 years, we’ve rarely ever been asked to provide warranty service.

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