The Guide to Patio Sling Chairs Repair

Patio chairs are very comfortable pieces of furniture, perfect for lounging outdoors. But because they are used a lot and exposed to all kinds of weather, they can get damaged over time, especially the sling component. If this happens, don’t despair. Patio sling chairs repair is not as difficult as it seems. In fact, you can easily do it yourself if you just follow the simple steps that we have laid out for you in this article. 

Before we get started, though, you need to first figure out what kind of chair you have. The steps for all kinds of patio sling chairs repair are basically the same but there are a few extra steps for certain models. So what you need to do is to determine whether you have a one-piece sling chair, a chaise lounge, a 2-piece sling chair, or an ottoman. 

One-Piece Patio Sling Chairs Repair

This is the kind of patio chair that has just a single piece of fabric for the sling and is very simple to replace. Start by measuring the size of your sling so that you can get the right size of replacement. Measure across the top and bottom widths, as well as the length. 

Next, you need to take off the damaged sling. You can do this by removing the end caps and gradually sliding the fabric off the frame of the chair. To make the task easier, you can unhinge one of the rails to which the fabric is attached. This will loosen the fabric, making it easier to pull off. 

You can then install the new sling fabric by doing the previous steps in reverse order. Slide the fabric onto the frame of the chair. Do it gradually to avoid getting wrinkles and make sure that the top and bottom edges are perfectly aligned. Screw back the rail if you removed it, then put the end caps back on. 

Chaise Lounge Sling Repair

The steps for doing a patio sling chairs repair on a chaise lounge are very similar. However, you need to do two separate sets of measurements because the back and the seat of this kind of patio chair are separate. That is, you need the top and bottom, plus the length of the back, as well as the same measurements for the seat. 

To remove the old sling, the best way is to take the back of the chair out first. This will give you more room to work on the seat portion. Then you can unhinge one of the rails of the seat to loosen the fabric, which you can then pull out of the seat rails quite easily. As for the back of the seat, these have a spring brace that keeps the fabric taut. You can use a clamp to press on the brace, which then loosens the fabric, allowing you to pull it out effortlessly.

You can then install the new slings by first putting the appropriate spline into both edges of the fabric and then sliding them into the same rails from whence you pulled out the old slings. Do the same thing for both the back and the seat. Reattach the rails to the frame and put back the end caps and you're done. 

Two-Piece Patio Sling Chairs Repair

Replacing a two-piece sling chair begins, again, by getting the correct measurements of your sling. Then you should prepare the tools that you need so these will all be handy when you start the repair. The essentials are a flat head screwdriver for removing the end caps, a drill to easily loosen the screws on the rails, and two clamps for removing the sling on the back portion of the chair. You would also need a pair of pliers for pulling out an old sling that is quite stubborn, and a razor knife to completely cut out the old sling.

To remove the old sling, you begin by taking out the end caps using the flat head screwdriver. Try to do it gently so that you can still use the caps, although these are easily replaced if they get broken. 

In the previous two types of patio sling chairs repair, we had dismantled the frame to make the removal easier. But this time, we will do it another way, which is to cut through the sling right down the middle. Then you can pull both halves of the sling down the front for the seat, and upward and out of the rail for the back. 

You still need to remove the back in order to install the new slings more comfortably though. With the back out of the way, turn the chair to the side 

and remove one of the rails of the seat from the frame. Slide in the new seat sling into the removed rail, then onto the other one, always making sure that there are no twists or wrinkles. 

For the back, clamp the frame to make it slightly narrower. This makes it easy to slide the fabric into the back rails. Install the sling the same way you did with the seat, then put the back and the seat back together. Make sure you tighten all the hardware very well. Finally, cut off all the excess rods then affix the end caps once again. 

Ottoman Patio Sling Chairs Repair

Measure the width of your ottoman sling to the outer edges of the rail, as well as the length, which goes from the front to the end of the rail. With this done, take off the end caps on your ottoman and slide out the old sling. 

Before inserting the new one, it would be better to unhinge one of the rails first. This will allow you to slide in the new sling more easily since it will still be loose. Get your new sling ready by inserting the rods on either side. Then slide the fabric into the rails of the ottoman one at a time. Reattach the rail that you have temporarily removed, then put all the end caps back on.

As you can see, it's not that hard to do your own patio sling chairs repair. There are no special skills required, although a steady hand and some tools would come in handy.