Find Out How To Fix A Wobbly Chair In 6 Easy DIY Steps!

Rickety chairs are dreadful to deal with, so we’ve listed steps on how to fix a wobbly chair with wood glue for you! We’ve also included the possible causes and the things you can do to reinforce your chairs. If you’re intrigued, then give this a read!

 

how to fix a wobbly chair

Steps In Fixing A Wobbly Chair Using Wood Glue

 

Step #1. Prepare the materials

You will need the wobbly chair that needs fixing, wood glue, an artist brush, sandpaper, a chisel, and a heavy object for pressure.

 

Step #2. Inspect the chair from underneath

Flip the chair over and look at what’s underneath. Inspect the loose joints and get down to what caused them.

Some people fix their wobbly chairs by themselves. However, they end up only making the problem worse.

For example, if you use metal screws to secure the chair’s joints, the metal will wear the joint of the chair due to constant movement. As a result, it will loosen the joints prematurely.

 

Step #3. Take the chair apart

If it’s your first time taking a chair apart, label the parts. Be sure to label which part is the front or back and left or right. This is so you will not get confused when putting the chair back together.

 

Step #4. Clean out the old glue

Wood glues need a clean surface on both sides, pressure, and a nice tight joint for it to hold.

First, clean the glue residue by using a chisel. Next, break off the pieces of dried glue from the inside of the joint. If you do not have a chisel, you can use a utility knife instead.

Then, sand the inside of the joint to remove the glue residue. Be careful not to rub too much or the joint will get loose. Sand the top of the legs of the chair as well to remove the glue residue and paint.

 

Step #5. Glue the legs back

What are the conditions that wood glue needs to be able to stick? It needs clean joints, tight joints, the right amount of adhesive applied, and pressure. Without these, the joints will become loose again.

Here’s a pro-tip, use an artist brush to spread the glue. This is to ensure the nooks and crannies have been coated with adhesive.

Start by putting glue in the holes. Avoid the mistake of just circling the wood glue around the crevice, which will not cover the whole thing.

Instead, use the artist’s brush to properly coat the entire area, especially the edges. Do this on all four of the holes.

Coat the legs with glue as well. Use wood glue or carpenter’s glue, and stay away from polyurethane glues.

Attach the legs back to the chair, pay attention to the angle of the legs to know which one you should put first. Make sure to do this quickly because glue settles in fast.

It’s better if you use glue with enough set-up time for you to work with. Lastly, use a rubber mallet to line up the legs of the chair.

 

Step #6. Settling the legs

The glue needs clamping pressure to settle in, and it’s easy to do.

First, stand the chair up and put padding on its seat. Then, place a heavy object on the chair and wait for the glue to settle in. After this, your previously wobbly chair is now rock solid!

 

What are the causes of a wobbly chair?

There are several reasons why your chair is suddenly wobbly. First, it may be due to general usage and the chair’s capability to hold weight. Some chairs cannot have more than a few kilograms, and this places tension on the chair.

Not to mention, we tend to move around when we sit. This stresses the joints of the chair, causing them to loosen and become wobbly.

Another reason is time. Some chairs age faster than others, and with age comes weakened joints or broken wood.

A common cause of a wobbly chair is a failed DIY. Some may use screws that are not appropriate for the wood, while some improperly use glue, resulting in a rickety chair.

The last cause of a wobbly chair is poor craftsmanship. If the quality of the wood or the craftsmanship is mediocre, the chair will be unsteady in no time.

 

Things you can use to reinforce your chairs

The chair parts are entirely interconnected, so a problem in one area would affect the other parts. This is especially true with the back joints of the chair since it is the place that gets the most stress due to pressure. You can attach armrests to your chair to ease the tension and give support to the back of the chair.

Leaning back gives great stress to the back of chairs, too. Another thing you can do to support the back of the chair is to place hip huggers. You can also opt to use corner blocks for reinforcement or glides to alleviate the stress of sliding on your chairs.

 

Conclusion

After knowing how to fix a wobbly chair, you should know how to take care of it. Better yet, properly inspect your chairs’ sturdiness before buying them so you won’t have to worry about wobbly chairs for a long time.

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