How long should furniture last, and when should I replace it?

Key points

• • Cushion cores can be replaced for a fraction of a new sofa
• • A creaking or shifting frame is the one failure that ends a piece
• • Reupholstery is worth it when the frame is kiln-dried hardwood
• • Rotation and humidity control extend upholstery life more than any product

What each category should give you

Upholstery: 12–20 years at the premium tier, 8–12 at everyday quality, 4–7 at entry level. Solid hardwood tables and case goods: 20–50 years. Plywood-core engineered pieces: 7–15. Particleboard-core pieces: 3–7. Outdoor furniture in Florida: 5–10 years for powder-coated aluminum, less for untreated metal.

Repairs worth making

Replacing foam cores, re-tying or replacing springs, re-gluing chair joints and reupholstering a sound hardwood frame are all high-value repairs. Each typically costs a fraction of replacement and buys years.

• • New cushion cores: often 10–20% of a new sofa
• • Chair re-gluing: inexpensive and highly reliable
• • Reupholstery: worthwhile above roughly the everyday-quality tier

Signals that it is time

A frame that creaks or shifts when you sit, a seat deck that dips visibly between cushions on a stapled frame, or odor that returns after professional cleaning. Those three are where repair money stops making sense.

Making what you own last

Rotate and flip cushions every few weeks, keep indoor humidity at 45–55%, condition leather twice a year, keep upholstery out of direct slider light, and tighten frame hardware quarterly. None of it is expensive and all of it adds years.