How to Replace Vinyl Strapping for Patio Chairs

Summer is here, and you'll want to use your patio chairs! However, perhaps some of the patio chair’s vinyl strapping is broken and has seen better days. Never fear, this blog post will tell you how you can replace the vinyl strapping on your patio chairs so they’re ready for summer.

Equipment and Tools

Let’s first look at the tools and equipment you need:

• A drill with a ¼” drill bit
• Pliers
• Screwdriver
• Wood to drill onto (to save your workbench from damage)
• Replacement vinyl strapping for patio chairs
• Rivets (these depend on the size you need or the size of the pre-drilled holes in your existing chair)
• Tin Snips
• Flexible measuring tape
• Cotton gloves (to handle hot straps)
• Tongs (to remove hot straps from boiling water)
• Boiling water

Set Up Your Working Area

You will need access to boiling water. An easy way of doing this is to have your things set up with a propane tank and a turkey fryer, for example, to get your water boiling. It does not have to be set up like this, but you will need your water to be boiling near to your workspace. It is not good walking through the house each time with a boiling strap!  The hot water is there to allow your straps to become more stretchy so that you are able to stretch them to fit your patio chair snuggly.

How to- Steps

Replacing the straps is easy if you follow these simple instructions.

1. Firstly, remove old damaged straps from the chair’s frame. If the rivets are dried out, they might be easy to remove. If not, you might need to use some pliers. Also, having a small screwdriver might come in handy to clean any debris or rust out of the hole.
2. Drill any new holes if you need to or widen any existing holes if necessary.
3. Take the cloth tape measure and wrap it around the frame where the old straps were. Start at one end, wrapping it round to the hole for the rivet and across the other side and around the hole. Note down the measurement and then take off ten percent. For measurement of 24" you should have a 21.5" and your new measurement. The length is reduced so that the straps end up tight on the frame as the vinyl becomes more pliable when putting in hot water.
4. If you bought a strap roll, cut at the length of vinyl strapping using the tin snips to your new measurement and trim off the excess edges and corners so that they won’t be visible or bulky when wrapped around the chair. 
5. Set a couple of them together and drill holes, in each end, around ¼” away from the end. Make sure you do this onto your wood block to protect surfaces and your hands.
6. For pre-cut vinyl straps: if you want to order your straps pre-cut or want to order them already made, simply fill in the measurement fields in the product page and order them to size. 
7. Place the straps into the boiling water.
8. After 3 or 4 minutes, remove a strip of vinyl from the hot water using the tongs and whilst wearing the gloves to protect your hands. Shake off excess water and put in the rivets if you haven’t already
9. Stretch the strap from one side to the other of the frame to install it, and push the rivets into the holes.

It’s that simple! Your patio chair should be as good as new in next to no time!

To watch the full tutorial video: