Shoe Damage to Chair Rungs

Types of Shoes

• One way to avoid damage to the rungs of chairs while allowing shoes in the house is to restrict what types of shoes can be worn. Slippers or soft soled shoes aren't going to cause much damage to a chair rung. Running shoes are also probably safe. Women's dress shoes or men's hard soled shoes, on the other hand, can easily scuff, dent or otherwise damage the rungs.

Family

• Obviously, guests are going to do what they feel comfortable with, and you may occasionally end up with some shoes on your chair rungs. Within your own family, however, encourage everyone to keep his feet off the chair rungs. Even if the shoes don't scuff the rungs, constant weight on rungs can loosen them and make the chair unstable. In addition, feet on chair rungs promotes poor posture and is even sometimes considered poor etiquette.

Finish

• If the finish becomes scuffed, dirty or damaged on your chair rungs, a fix shouldn't be too hard. Clean the rungs regularly with cleaner designed for the material your rungs are made for, whether that be wood, brass or anything else. If you have wooden rungs that are unfinished, apply a layer of protective lacquer or varnish to the wood if you are worried about keeping it in good condition.

Loose Rungs

• If people put their feet on your chair rungs too often, the rungs will eventually become loose. To fix this, you may be able to just tighten some screws, or you may have to take the chair apart and re-glue it. Disassemble the chair and sand off the end of the rung and the inside of the hole before you re-glue it to make sure it sticks. Either tie or clamp the joint together for several hours to ensure you get a tight fit.