Stacking Chairs

When space is at a premium or when the user has a room that needs to perform more than one function, great flexibility can be achieved by using stacking furniture. In today's busy environment many clubs, schools, hotels and restaurants will choose to buy stacking chairs over regular chairs because of the convenience that this type of seating can achieve. The main benefit of using these stacking chairs and stacking tables in a school setting is that at the week's end the furniture can be stacked in a small space making it much easier for the cleaners to do their work. In a club or hotel the benefits are the same plus there is an added flexibility in being able to clear a large area for other uses for eg for indoor sport or for dancing.

There are many types of stacking chairs available, usually with steel or aluminum frames, from those with simple curved plywood seat and back to fully upholstered armchairs that can give comfortable seating for the user for many Hours. Wooden frame stacking chairs are also available, but the buyer must make sure that when stacking chair destroy the fabric and foam in the chair, because over time it can permanently destroy the place and looks very messy.

This problem probably does not occur with metal stacking chairs, because it is much easier for producers to avoid contact between the seat of the chair until the chair frame to build.

This is moreeffectively achieved by use of square section tubular rails across the legs of the chairs. These stacking rails also help the stacks of chairs rise vertically without tipping forward or back so that the chairs can be safely stacked higher - often 12 or more without problem. To stop the stacking bars from scratching the painted coating of the chair below, small rubber circular buffers are attached. When considering purchasing metal stacking chairs it is important to ensure that these will be fitted or the paintwork will soon start to get scratched and the frames will soon look tatty.

The advantages of steel stacking chairs are the price - generally cheaper than aluminum and wooden chairs - and the strength, although the buyer should ensure to ask what dimensions the steel tube section is and what gauge the wall thickness is. 19 or 20mm square section is usually the size used with 18 gauge being the right wall thickness to give enough strength for many years of use. The steel frame can be finished in a great range of colours with black, gold or silver being the most popular. The manufacturer can offer a wide choice of fabric colours and patterns. Again it is wise to ask for a specification of the fabric used to see that it conforms to the British standard for fire retardancy and that the fabric has been tested for abrasion resistance. This is the 'Martindale test' for resistance to wear during use whereby an independent testing facility uses a machine to continually rub the fabric until it is destroyed, counting the number of rubs needed so that a figure can be given. A minimum 'rub test' result should be 15,000, with some fabrics made for severe contract use giving over 50,000 rubs before wearing down.

Aluminum framed stacking chairs usually have larger section tube, between 25 and 30mm and have the advantage over steel of lightness without compromising their strength. Also, because the aluminum tube is extruded in manufacture, the tube can have an attractive longitudinal design that makes the chairs look a little more select than the steel ones. On the downside the aluminum stacking chairs cost more so the buyer must weigh up the benefits before making a decision about their purchase of stacking furniture.

Most stacking tables have steel frames that can be bought with the same frame colour as the chairs or contrasting colour. They are produced in a limitless range of sizes and usually have tops that are either melamine faced or with an even more hardwearing high pressure laminate plastic layer so that they can be easily cleaned and will withstand the extra pressure of having several other tables stacked onto the table tops. Real wood tops are really not suitable for stacking tables since the pressure of the stacked tables will certainly mark the tops below.

Welded frame stacking tables give the best frame longevity although self assembly stacking tables are available more cheaply where the legs bolt on to the frame. These give good service if the assembly is suitably rigid, but may need the bolts to be tightened from time to time which is a hassle that is avoided with fully welded frames. Once again the frames can be purchased in many colours and the tops in a great variety of finishes either imitating woodgrain or in single colours.

In alternative to stacking tables are folding tables which normally use a steel leg mechanism that locks when the legs are opened and should lay completely flat when the folding table unit is closed. These are available with plywood or realwood - usually pinewood - tops or with high pressure laminate plastic facing, which is ideal if the tops are to be used for food preparation as it is easily cleaned.

The advantage of folding tables is that they take up less space when folded and can be stored horizontally or vertically making them easier to store in smaller spaces.

For outdoor use all aluminum stacking furniture is favourite. Usually these have polished aluminium frames that are lacquered to stop the aluminum from discolouring after getting wet. These stacking chairs are complemented by aluminum framed stacking tables with polished stainless steel tops on chipboard or medium density fibreboard forms.

For the best weather protection these tables can be bought with edges that are wrapped around the fibreboard or chipboard. Cheaper versions are available with a plastic glued edge but these allow the ingress of water which inevitably means that the fibreboard will swell up, causing the top to be deformed.