As outdoor furniture, patio chairs need to be placed outdoor. As a daily routine, it is not easy to cover or move these furniture pieces inside, and the majority of us leave them outdoor. No doubt these chairs have a great build, the continuous exposure to sunlight, snowfall, rain, etc. robustly damages the vinyl strapping, eventually breaking the straps. However, the good news is we can easily replace the broken straps at home. Here, we will have a complete guide on how to restrap patio chairs?
Sunlight has UV and dries up the vinyl, making it inflexible and brittle, resulting in discoloration. Lack of cleaning, accumulation of urine, wine, drinks, oil, and other spills further boosts the damage to the strapping.
Three different types of systems have been used to attach the vinyl straps to the chair frame.
- Rivets
- Pegs
- Metallic screws
Mostly, you will find the first two options while the last one is not common. Here, will cover the methods that make use of rivets.
Items required for Re Strapping
- Boiling water
- Vinyl strapping
- Measuring tap
- Scissor
- Vinyl strap cutter
- A flat piece of wood
- Drill machine with a ¼” bit
- Pliers
- Rivets (apply the attachment method that is already been used on the chairs)
- Hand pop rivet gun
- Screwdriver
- Thermal gloves (any heat resistant)
- A clean piece of cloth (to clean chair frame, etc.)
Step to follow
Removing Old Straps
- Set a working station and keep children away during the whole process.
- Take the scissor and carefully cut the old vinyl straps to be replaced. Pull out all pieces of straps by removing the fasteners from the chair frame. Some rivets are hard to remove, make use of pliers or screwdriver to remove such fasteners.
- Take a piece of cloth to clean the frame thoroughly. Make sure there is no dust, debris, or other leftovers on the frame. Clear the wholes of the chair frame by using a screwdriver.
Preparing New Straps
- Take the measuring tape to measure the length of the new strap. Place the tap over the rivet hole of the frame at one end, wrapping it around and across the other side and around the hole. Reduce your original measurement to 10 percent. This results in the accurate and tight installation of the strap on the frame as the boiling water make the vinyl stretchable.
- Use the vinyl strap cutter to cut the new strap from the strap roll. Cutting should be done to 10% less measurement. Alternatively, you can order the pre-cut vinyl strap from a store.
Tip: Better to cut one piece and proceed with it till the end. This will point out any errors in measurement and installation. Once done with the first one, go for the other straps.
- Place one end of the strap on the wood and make a hole (½ inch away from the end) into it by using the drill machine. Do the same with the opposite end.
- Pour the boiled water into a container, bucket, etc. (don’t use the plastic one). Put the strap into the hot water. Wait for 4-5 minutes.
Installing New Strap
- Wear the gloves and remove the strap from the water by using a tong. Remove excess water by shaking it slowly.
- Put the rivets into the strap and stretch the strap from one side to the other side of the frame. Now push the rivets into the whole. You’re done.
- Do the same steps with other straps, and your patio chair with a new look is ready.
