Refinish Outdoor Wood Furniture
Learn how to quickly, and simply, refinish outdoor wood furniture with just one product! Make your patio furniture look better than brand new.
Hey there friends! I thought Id share a little outdoor post today. And an easy way to refinish outdoor wood furniture.
I hadnt planned to post about this when I began the project so I didnt get the before before shot of the furniture. I was simply working on our outdoor areas to make them nice so we can enjoy our summer out here. If you follow along on , you might have seen some stories I shared while I was refinishing the furniture. AND on our patio that my husband also was working on.
But as I finished up sanding the furniture, I thought, hey, this might be helpful to my readersI might ought to share it on the blog!.
And so I took this before photo
This was after my son pressure washed them for me and I did a light sanding on them.
As you can see in the photo, I did have a crack in the piece of wood on the bench back, so glued and clamped it before staining.
Add A Protective Coat
If you arent applying a protective enamel finish to your painted metal furniture, Henry says youre doing it wrong. A final clear coat of oil-based urethane will provide added durability and help prevent future damage to the furniture, she says. She recommends sticking with an oil-based enamel, versus a water-based one, since they last longer and often create a brighter finish.
Replacing A Mesh Sling
BEFORE YOU START
· Order a new sling: To find width, measure from the center of one rail to the center of the opposite rail at the bolt locations typically found at the top and bottom of the sling. To find length, lay a cloth tape measure along the top face of one rail so it follows the rails curvature.
1. Slash the old sling down the middle with a utility knife. Remove the end cap on each side rail.
2. Slide the two halves of the sling out of their tracks in the chairs rails. Loosen but dont remove the bolts that attach the rails to the chair frame, then pop out the spreader bar.
3. Remove one rail entirely. Hold the sling with its hem side to the back and slide its nylon rod into the track of the rail thats still attached to the chair frame.
4. Slide the detached rail over the slings other nylon rod. Bolt this rail back on the frame. Tighten the loose bolts on the opposite rail to make the sling taut.
5. Reinsert the spreader bar. Use a pipe clamp to spread the rails slightly if need be, bend the bar a bit to make it fit, then hit it with a rubber mallet to restore its shape.
6. With a wire cutter, trim each rod flush with the end of the rail. Push the end caps back on the rails.
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Painting Outdoor Furniture The Before
One VERY lucky Saturday morning , I found a bench and 2 chairs on the curb at the end of our block!
They had excellent bones!
The bench and chairs were very sturdy and strong but looked very beaten up!
There was no way, I wasnt going to pick them up!
Especially because we had been shopping for patio furniture
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I found this vintage metal loveseat at a yard sale last summer for $20, but it sure didnt look like this when I got it.
Up until last weekend, this is what it looked like.
Lots of peeling paint and rust, topped off with a thick layer of pollen.
Have some metal outdoor furniture that you need to repaint? Here how to get a paint job that looks good and lasts.
Outdoor Furniture Repair: How To Fix A Vinyl Strap On A Lounge Chair
You know how it is, with all that wear and tear in the garden, sometimes patio furniture breaks. You have the choice of paying to get it repaired, throwing it away, or you could fix it yourself! Learn how to wrap a double vinyl strap in this step by step guide and repair your furniture on the cheap.
If your pool lounger or patio chaise lounge is missing a strap, you can order a vinyl replacement here or you could even cut one to size yourself. With over 50 vinyl strap colors to choose from, vinyl strapping replacement is a cost-effective way to make your outdoor pool patio and lawn furniture look like new. Sunnilands founder Jeff will show you how in this video.
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Patio Chair Webbing Replacement Easy How To Guide
Updated: Eric Clark
Patio chair webbing will naturally fade and get damaged over time, with use, exposure to the elements, and exposure to the sun. You could always throw your pieces away and buy new ones, but does that make sense? Replacing the webbing on your existing patio chairs is often much cheaper than purchasing a whole new chair, and it is surprisingly easy. In this article, we have produced a quick guide to patio chair webbing replacement, and we look at several options for patio webbing materials and colors.
Replacing your furniture webbing is an easy, fun task you can accomplish in about an hour per chair. You can make all of your chairs match with a similar fabric, or go wild with multi colors.
Use your imagination and dont be afraid to be daring!
Contents
How To Repair Wrought Iron Patio Furniture
Your vintage wrought iron patio furniture may no longer be as sturdy as it once was. If the joints have become loose and the welds cracked or soft, you may wish to repair it. Welding the broken parts is the only real solution to this problem. If you have training in arc welding, you can certainly perform this repair yourself. It requires nickel melted into the join from both front and back. If this is not a process with which you are comfortable, it makes sense to take your 1960s wrought iron patio furniture to a shop where the joints can be strengthened.
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Patio Chair Webbing Replacement Screws
Use these screws to attach the lawn chair replacement webbing to your furniture tube. These screws are a must, and should fit any tubular aluminum patio furniture frame.
Each package contains 20 screws, and for most chair models, youll need one screw per strap end.
Count the number of straps, vertical and horizontal, and multiply by two to determine the total number of screws youll need per chair.
If you dont plan on using webbing replacement clips, use a washer to help take the load off of the screws, and to slow down the fraying process.
- Screws for Lawn Chair Re-Webbing Furniture
- Works on Tubular or Wood Furniture
- Rust and Fade resistant
How To Redo A Pair Of Worn Out Patio Chairs
Todays post is a continued series of furniture flips that were done by YOU guys! Last year we held a contest looking for 10 furniture pieces to feature on our website, and we loved this patio chair redo.
This project was done by Mitch and Melissa Haynie from American as Texas.
They picked up these two old patio chairs that had definitely seen better days. They were being held together by tape and had no seat cushions. Many people would have discounted them as trash and not messed with them, but like a true picker, Mitch and Melissa saw life in these they saw an opportunity to redo these patio chairs.
The first thing they did was cut away all the fabric and tape that was attached to the metal. They used Bio Wash to help remove the tape residue, and then scraped them down with a metal brush to get ready for paint.
Once the metal was clean and smooth, they painted the chairs with a Rust Stop oil-based enamel paint in a medium grey.
The next part is really impressive to me. Mitch cut pieces of cedar wood into planks, and beveled all the edges beautifully.
Then they sealed the wood in an outdoor polyurethane before putting the seats and backs together.
Look at how the patio chair redo turned out! So beautiful!
They added cushions too, but I personally just love the look of the cedar wood. Such a great patio chair redo!
Check out Mitch and Melissa over on their Facebook Page American as Texas.
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How To Refinish Outdoor Furniture
Now that you know what has been causing the damage to your outdoor furniture its time to get into the refinishing process to reverse Mother Natures ill effects.
There are so many types and brands of wood finishes on the market it may seem daunting, but it essentially comes down to maintenance. Oil finishes and exterior stains require a cleaning and refreshing of the finish nearly every year.
The process is simple since there is no finish to sand off. It only requires a good cleaning and reapplication of the stain or oil.
Protective finishes like spar urethane and varnishes last longer but to redo the finish youll be sanding most of the old finish off and reapplying multiple coats again.
Pick the finish that seems right for your project and region and stick with it. Changing finishes from year to year can cause problems with compatibility.
Pick a shady working area like the garage or workshop to do your refinishing and lay down a drop cloth or some plastic. For the best results you want to refinish outdoor furniture in a place protected from rain, excessive dust or leaves and away from direct sunlight which can affect the drying of the finish.
Work On The Chain Stitches
Now, bring the cord back up the chair just as you did before underneath the center bar and up over the top of the frame. This time, pull the loop around the frame and back in between the cords.
Grab the new loop with the crochet hook and pull it through the first loop making your first chain stitch.
Same as before, make sure this new loop rests on the fattest part of the hook. Pull the free cord tight and continue back down the chair frame.
You will repeat this same procedure across the frame until youve created enough cords for your pattern.
Your first couple of chain stitches may have three cords, the rest will only have two. This is fine, just be sure to count the number of cords you need for your pattern correctly.
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Time To Refinish Your Metal Patio Furniture
I am not going to lie and say that this doesnt take a little elbow grease and time, but the furniture looks so much better after it is repainted. You almost cant tell that those weird rust marks were on the chair.
And since I cant afford new patio furniture every few years, this is the second best thing: making it look like new!
What about you? Could your patio furniture use a little face lift? I hope this inspires you to DIY a little patio furniture refresh yourself.
Want another outdoor spray paint project idea? Make these 5 gallon bucket planters to add a pop of color to your outdoor decor.
Want to try out another furniture facelift project? Check out how to refinish a folding table for another DIY furniture flip.
Tips For Refinishing Wooden Outdoor Furniture
This outdoor dining space has teak patio furniture on a wood deck.
Due to the fact that wooden outdoor furniture is often exposed to the elements, including rain, snow, ice, sunlight and extreme heat, these pieces require very specific care, maintenance and upkeep on at least a semi-regular basis.
For many individuals, refinishing wooden outdoor furniture is viewed as a complete mystery or an annoying task. Rather than purchasing new furniture or paying professional painters and repairmen, you can easily refinish wooden outdoor items by following a few easy, basic tips.
Removing the Old Finish
Perhaps the only benefit of wooden outdoor furniture being exposed to the elements is the fact that this often loosens old finish, allowing for a relatively painless removal.
Whether you are attempting to remove wood stain or paint, the easiest first step to take in removal of the old finish is to use a power washer or high pressure hose . Spraying the furniture with a power washer or high pressure hose not only removes dirt and debris, but often removes excess flaking of the original finish.
Once the item has thoroughly dried, sanding is typically required to remove the remaining finish and ensure a smooth and even surface.
Applying the New Finish
Allowing the New Finish to Dry
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Aluminum Lawn Chair Diy Repair
This post may contain affiliate links that I receive commissions from purchases made. Click HERE for my disclosure statement.
Have an old aluminum lawn chair that needs repair? Follow these easy instructions and bring back the retro glory of that chair.
Fathers Day is right around the corner and looking for a gift for Mr. G is really hard. He doesnt like fancy or electronics, but his passion is fixing things around the house.
After going through his shop, I noticed he didnt have anything cordless. Then it came to me that a cordless drill would be the most perfect gift for him.
He was so happy to receive his early Fathers Day BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX drill and was ready to use it.
First Project to work on was an old aluminum lawn chair which was handed down to me by my parents. I love that chair. Its easy to store and lightweight to carry to any function and its an American Classic!
But, it was in bad shape and needed to have all the webbing changed.
It was a miracle no one sat in it and fell through. It was time to give it a facelift.
While his new drill was charging up, hubby began removing all the old webbing. Next, it was time to give it a good scrub. The arms were nasty!!
The aluminum was in bad shape too. It was still just as sturdy, it just needed a good cleaning.
You can find lawn chair webbing online and we got ours on eBay. Hubby used the old webbing for a length pattern. for each strand.
What Is A Double Wrap Vinyl Strap
The double wrap is the process of wrapping a vinyl strap over the top of the frame and around it once to hide the rivet of the frame. Its a bit tricky to get used to but once you get the flow of it youll be fixing all your broken outdoor furniture with ease.
Tools & materials you will need: tape measure, vinyl to cut, or pre-cut replacement strapsrivetsfor a double-wrap chaise, a pot with a lid full of boiling water, tongs & heat-proof gloves or similar, a block of wood, a drill, cutters or tin snips.
Time it will take: This is no more than a 10 minute job if you get that water boiling and ready to cook those straps right from the start.
Step 1: Remove the old strap
Pull off the old, broken strap until you have the frame with the empty holes underneath. If your lounger frame is a little dirty, nows your chance to give it a quick clean.
Step 2: Measure strap size
Hold your tape measure around the edge of one hole. Wrap your tape twice around the frame until it meets the edge of the second hole. Image. Then loop the tape measure around the other side of the lounger and wrap in a similar way. Pull it tight and measure the length.
Now deduct 10%. We do this because the vinyl is stretchy and you want your straps to be tight around the chair. If we didnt deduct 10% and installed it, it would be sloppy and loose when you sat on it.
In Jeffs example the tape was 33 inches. Minus 10% will mean 33-3 =30.
Step 3: Make the straps
Step 4: Install the straps
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Start Weaving On Straight Parts Of The Chair
To start your chair, youll want to place your roll of macrame cord on the ground inside the macrame chair frame. This is the easiest placement of the cord for the entire weaving process.
Starting on the seat bottom frame, make a double square knot, leaving about 6 of slack at the end. Keep in mind that you are only going to weave on the straight parts of the chair frame, leaving the rounded edges bare.
Starting The Horizontal Weave:
The steps for starting the horizontal weave are exactly the same as the vertical weave, the only difference is that this is where your pattern comes to life! So you will be doing some extra weaving during these steps.
Some things to keep in mind as you start your horizontal weave is that you will start at the front seat of the chair and have your roll of cord either to the left of you or underneath the center of the frame as you did before for the vertical weave.
You will start on the bottom seat and work towards the back and finish it off just as you did the vertical weave. Then you will start the back of the seat frame as a separate weave.
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