DIY Patio Furniture Repair

Painting and cleaning.

• 1

  Wash your furniture with warm soapy water. Rinse thoroughly. Wait until completely dry. Check to see if metal on your furniture is rusty or scratched.

• 2

  Sand any rusted metal with sandpaper until smooth. Use primer on any metal that is exposed after sanding. Paint the metal by patching with a sponge used for painting. Remove fabric and glass as necessary to paint. Paint large areas with a painting sponge or by spray painting it. Use paint that is rust resistant.

• 3

  Let dry thoroughly and put chairs and tables back together unless further repairs as outlined below are required.

Repairing Sling Back Furniture

• 4

  Remove plastic end caps from both ends of the sling rails using a flat head screwdriver and/or pliers, gently prying them, being careful not to break them. Unbolt both sling rails using a penetrating oil such as WD 40 to remove them. Remove the sling from the rails by pushing the material back into the rail using both hands and then tugging on it.

• 5

  Spray the edge of the sling rails with warm soapy water if you are unable to remove the sling. Wait a few moments and remove the sling with pliers.

• 6

  Buy slings that are the same size as the old sling and that match the rest of your set, keeping in mind that the material does not have to match exactly, but can be color coordinated. Insert plastic sling spline into the side of each sling. Slide the fabric through the rails.

• 7

  Line up the holes in the sling rails with the holes in the chair frame. Replace bolts starting at the bottom of the chair. Begin by finger tightening the bolts until all bolts are in place.

• 8

  Stand behind the chair and stretch the sling upward, eliminating any wrinkles left in the bend of the seat. Tighten all bolts. Replace any spreader bars by bending slightly in middle. Replace end caps by tapping with a rubber mallet or with a hammer after covering caps with a soft cloth.

Repairing Vinyl Wrap Furniture

• 9

  Use scissors to cut all vinyl straps that need replaced. Remove the old vinyl straps from the frame by pulling on it until it breaks loose from the frame. Measure the distance from hole to hole on the frame, making sure to wrap the tape measure around the chair frame two times. Multiply the resulting measurement by .9, then add one inch. Start by cutting only one vinyl strap.

• 10

  Drill a 3/16 inch hole, 1/2 inch from each end of the strap. Trim the corners off each end of the vinyl strap. Place the strap in boiling water for a minimum of 5 minutes. Remove the strap, which should be the consistency of a wet noodle, with tongs. Dry the strap and dip both ends into baby powder being careful not to burn yourself (you may wish to wear gloves).

• 11

  While hot, insert plastic rivet into one end of vinyl strap and insert rivet in hole underneath chair. Wind the strap around the frame 2 times. Stretch the strap across the chair and wrap it around the other frame 2 times. Inset the rivet through the hole in the strap and then into the hole underneath the chair.

• 12

  Slide the vinyl into place over itself. Repeat for the remaining straps, cutting and boiling several straps at a time.

Repairing Webbed Furniture

• 13

  Remove screws holding any webbing that needs replaced. Measure piece of webbing you removed, both length and width. Use webbing the same width as the webbing you are replacing.

• 14

  Attach the webbing on one end with the screw your removed or with a new screw made for the purpose. Attach the screw underneath or from the back of the chair. Weave the web in and out through the other pieces of webbing. Attach the other end with a screw from the back or underneath the chair.

• 15

  Repeat as necessary until all webbing that needs replaced has been replaced.