errantember (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
errantember) wrote2007-09-13 02:56 am
errantember) wrote2007-09-13 02:56 am
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Holy shit that's a lot of styrofoam!
So I'm in this sort of multi-year ex-girlfriend sofa exchange cycle. I currently have two sofas and a love seat, all from different ex-girlfriends. My most current relationship looks very much like the sex part is over, and, Lo and Behold, she's got a futon I could really use that's headed out the door.
More on all that later.
In preparation for Having More Room and Not Sponsoring Dog-Destruction Art in the Living Room, I've been on a mission this week to take apart the couches so I can get rid of them. The first one I attacked was this truly ugly green naugahyde couch that I've had for at least 8 or 9 years. Although it's appearance is hard to forgive, I've always liked it because it was comfortable, solid, and LIGHT. So light a very weak person could easily move it anywhere by themselves, even if they picked it up over their heads. Your grandma could use it for swatting naughty people. One handed.
But the dogs have trashed at least 80% of the cushions, so it's time for it to go. After peeling off the naugahyde, I discover that almost the *entire* couch is made out of injection molded styrofoam! There isn't even a wooden frame. There are a few tiny scraps of wood to provide attachment points sunk into the foam at various places, but *all* of the rest besides the springs, the cushions, and the skin is 100%styrofoam. And, let me tell you friends, this much styrofoam is fucking *strong*. I almost busted my wrists trying to knock it apart, and after the sledge hammer failed to speed my progress, I was finally forced to resort to my table saw to weaken the larger pieces enough to break them up. It's easy to see why it's such a seductive product. It's (in our current oil economy) cheap to manufacture, easy to inject into any shape, extremely strong for it's weight, and very durable when properly protected. To bad it's such a total environmental disaster. Actually, these days, earth-friendly alternatives probably exist, and this experience makes me wonder how hard they are to use at home...
More on all that later.
In preparation for Having More Room and Not Sponsoring Dog-Destruction Art in the Living Room, I've been on a mission this week to take apart the couches so I can get rid of them. The first one I attacked was this truly ugly green naugahyde couch that I've had for at least 8 or 9 years. Although it's appearance is hard to forgive, I've always liked it because it was comfortable, solid, and LIGHT. So light a very weak person could easily move it anywhere by themselves, even if they picked it up over their heads. Your grandma could use it for swatting naughty people. One handed.
But the dogs have trashed at least 80% of the cushions, so it's time for it to go. After peeling off the naugahyde, I discover that almost the *entire* couch is made out of injection molded styrofoam! There isn't even a wooden frame. There are a few tiny scraps of wood to provide attachment points sunk into the foam at various places, but *all* of the rest besides the springs, the cushions, and the skin is 100%styrofoam. And, let me tell you friends, this much styrofoam is fucking *strong*. I almost busted my wrists trying to knock it apart, and after the sledge hammer failed to speed my progress, I was finally forced to resort to my table saw to weaken the larger pieces enough to break them up. It's easy to see why it's such a seductive product. It's (in our current oil economy) cheap to manufacture, easy to inject into any shape, extremely strong for it's weight, and very durable when properly protected. To bad it's such a total environmental disaster. Actually, these days, earth-friendly alternatives probably exist, and this experience makes me wonder how hard they are to use at home...