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The Cutting Table · a question, worked through

The metal bars on my teddy sofa arrived with rust-looking spots. Are they rusty?

Brown freckles on brand-new steel will make anybody frown. Before you frown too long, fetch a clean cloth and let the bars tell their story.

Answered by

The Elder of High Point · · Updated

Pinned by Harlan

The quick answer

No, the spots on new teddy sofa bars are oxide residue left from production, not rust, and a wipe with a cloth usually removes them. The residue can survive the checks and cleaning the bars get. If it won't come off, or a bar is damaged, burred or doesn't fit, send the workshop a photo; in past cases replacement bars went out.

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Key facts

  • Spots on new floor sofa bars are oxide residue from production, not rust.
  • The residue can remain even after the bars are checked and cleaned.
  • A wipe with a cloth usually removes it.
  • The metal bars are made by an outside supplier.
  • When cleaning failed, or a bar was damaged, burred or didn't fit, a photo led to replacement bars in past cases.
  • The bars are steel tube about ⅝ in (16 mm) in diameter, in a silver chrome finish.
  • They ship in a small separate box, about 16 x 16 x 2 in (40 x 40 x 5 cm) and about 9 lb (4 kg).

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“They came rusty.” What the brown spots really are

Every so often a box opens and the chrome bars of a modular floor sofa look like they wintered in a barn. Brown spots, a little discoloration, maybe a few flakes on your fingers.

The workshop's answer has been the same each time: that is oxide residue left over from production, not rust. The bars come from an outside supplier, and the residue can hang on even after the bars have been checked and cleaned. It looks a good deal worse than it is.

“So what do I do with them?”

  1. Wipe every bar

    Take a clean cloth down the full length of each bar. Most of the time the spots come away on the cloth.

  2. Look again in daylight

    Check the ends and joints too, where the bars slide into the corner pieces.

  3. Photograph what stays

    If a mark won't budge, or you find a burr, a bend or a bar that won't fit, take a clear photo and send it in messages.

  4. Ask what happens next

    After the photo, ask the workshop what it will do; in past cases replacement bars went out. The support bars pattern shows how they go back together.

“We have little ones in the house.”

One parent wrote that they could not have rust anywhere near their children, and I understand that down to my boots. The reply didn't argue with them. Wipe the bars; if the marks stay or the metal keeps flaking, send a photo and ask the workshop what it will do.

Nobody should have to live with a metal support bar they don't trust. Have you put a cloth to yours yet, my friend?

If the spots on a sofa bar survive a wipe with a cloth, or the bar is burred or won't fit, take one clear photo. In past cases that was all it took for new bars to go out.

Harlan Pruitt
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    The metal bars came looking rusty and a bit flaky. Are they safe to use?

    The workshop's answer

    The workshop explained it's oxide left from production, not rust, and it usually wipes off with a cloth. The bars come from an outside supplier; when wiping didn't fix it, new bars were sent.

  2. A common question

    My chrome bars have brown spots and some discoloration. Is that rust?

    The workshop's answer

    Not rust, the workshop said, but residue from production that can stay on even after the bars are checked and cleaned. A cloth usually takes it off. If it won't, or a bar is damaged, send a photo; replacements have gone out in those cases.

  3. A common question

    The bars look rusty and one doesn't seem to fit right. Are they bad?

    The workshop's answer

    The rusty look is production residue that can be wiped off. If a bar still won't fit or the marks stay, send a photo; in past cases new bars were sent.

  4. A common question

    Is the floor sofa covered by a warranty?

    The workshop's answer

    Ask the workshop directly and keep its answer in writing, my friend. Send a photo of the defect the day you find it; in past cases the workshop replaced the part.

Questions buyers ask next

Should I use a rust remover on new floor sofa bars?

Start with a plain cloth, which usually takes production residue off. If the marks stay after wiping, send the workshop a photo instead of treating the old bars yourself; replacements have followed in past cases.

Who makes the metal bars that come with the floor sofa?

An outside supplier makes them, not the workshop that sews the cushions. That's why the bars can arrive with oxide residue from production, even after they've been checked and cleaned.

What counts as a damaged sofa bar worth reporting?

Marks that won't wipe off, burrs on the metal, a bend, or a bar that won't fit into the next piece. Photograph the problem clearly and send it in messages; in past cases replacement bars followed.