Summer has finally arrived, so, it’s a good time to start thinking about how your yard and patio look. Ugly patio furniture can be a direct reflection of the upkeep in your home. Broken outdoor furniture is not only ugly, but it can be dangerous too! Patio furniture repair kits come with a variety of tools and materials to help you repair almost any piece of outdoor furniture. If you’re planning to replace the cushions on your patio furniture this summer, why not give it a little maintenance too? Patio furniture requires a little more upkeep than indoor chairs, sofas and love seats because of Mother Nature’s natural beatings. Don’t even think about trashing that outdoor furniture until you check out some of these repair supplies and tools.
When shopping for outdoor furniture sets you should try to find a package that matches the fabric of your chair. If this isn’t an option you may be stuck replacing the fabric, the cushions, the straps and everything else on the chair to make it match. This isn’t always a bad thing, though, because it may just give your furniture the brand new look you were looking for!
If you are an experienced sewer you can buy outdoor fabric in bulk at a variety of online stores. This may be the best option to repair or replace your patio cushions if you’re on a tight budget. Remember that you must purchase durable fabric that is specifically made for the outdoors. Most of this type of fabric is constructed from vinyl coated polyester sewn in a mesh-like fashion. If you’re not comfortable with a sewing machine just save yourself the hassle and buy a prepackaged cushion kit.
Replacing Vinyl Straps on Outdoor Patio Furniture
Oftentimes the vinyl straps on patio chairs break off and render them useless. These can easily be fixed with a vinyl strap replacement kit if the chair’s framework is still in-tact. These kits usually contain about 180 feet of vinyl strapping which are about 1.5-2 Inches wide. They also contain other tools like screws, nuts, bolts, screwdrivers, work gloves, rivets, cutting tools, instructions and more. It really all depends on the type of kit you’re looking for and its price.
Make sure to choose a kit that has the straps in the color that you prefer. There are many different varieties out there so it would be worth it to shop around. Make sure the rivets, screws, bolts etc. in the kit match up with furniture you wish to repair as well.
Do You Really Need a Patio Furniture Repair Kit?
A repair kit isn’t always necessary if the furniture is only broken in one area. However, it’s not always easy finding individual parts that will work with your specific furniture. Common individual repair parts sold online are:
• Inserts
• Rim clips
• Brackets
• Sled runners
• Axle caps
• Rivets
• Straps
• Cushions
Preserving your outdoor furniture with plastic covers, approved cleaners and special cleaning brushes will help prevent the need for repairs in the future. It’s very important to use cleaners and brushes that are specifically made for use on outdoor furniture. Tap or chlorinated pool water may damage the furniture more instead of making it cleaner. Proper cleaning and care will add years of life to any teak, wicker, iron cast or other outdoor furniture that you may own.
Sometimes refinishing and repairing outdoor patio furniture can be too much of hassle for the average consumer. If you’re one of these people you may want to seek out a professional instead of doing the work yourself. Professionals will usually offer powder coat finishing options that can provide a durable finish for any outdoor metal furniture. A powder coat finish will prevent cracking and is resistant to corrosion and rust. Patio furniture repair kits will come in handy for those on a tight budget though. Repairing, repainting and refinishing patio furniture can also be fun and rewarding for those who enjoy working with their hands. Just make sure to take your time and only use materials that are approved for outdoor conditions.
Good Luck!
We recently had a huge storm that left some of our patio furniture in need of some repairs, and we are wanting to have them fixed before we have to put them away for the winter. I like how you pointed out that if there are those that don’t like to get their hands dirty or the repairs are to much then it might be a good idea to hire a professional service to come in and fix them. To me, this is probably the best option for us since neither my husband or myself have any idea with what we are doing.
Thanks for the suggestion to find a replacement kit with the same fabric as the broken furniture so you don’t have to replace the cushions, too. The legs on my patio chairs broke, and I don’t want to have to buy a new set. Maybe I can try finding a replacement kit, or maybe I can find a professional repair service to fix them.