But Can We Fix It?

Having done this sort of thing for over 20 years now, there are days when patio furniture repair tasks can be a wee bit predictable--particularly at the end of the season, when we get our weekends back! This is the time I take a look around my own backyard, both to think about my furnishing/designing goals for next season, as well as to assess what might need fixing after this past summer's activities.

When doing the latter the other day, I noticed one of our older sling-chaise lounges had the sling torn up. As I went to grab my measuring tape, I had an awful thought:

Isn't this the chair that I really can't fix myself?

Whereupon I reached for my trusty Chair Care Patio Furniture Repair Replacement Sling FAQ. Sure enough, there it was: The Welded Stabilizer Bar!

Ugh. Yes, I have that. Allow me to share the following, because it'll save you hours of trying to measure something you're ultimately going to need additional professional help with:

Are there sling chairs that are too hard for the do-it-yourself fixer to fix?

While the majority of replacement slings can be installed by the customer, there are a couple that we strongly recommend you NOT try to install.

WELDED STABILIZER BARS AT THE BACK OF THE FRAME
Some chairs and chaise lounges have welded stabilizer bars at the back of the frame that give the chair back strength. The stabilizer bar cannot be removed, making the installation and correct fit of the sling very difficult. We highly recommend that you not attempt such installations at home.
SLING RAIL OPENING IS ON THE SIDE OR AT THE BACK OF THE FRAME
Chair Care Patio only makes sling for patio chairs and chaises where the opening of the sling rail is positioned at the front of the chair. Occasionally you will see sling furniture where the sling wraps around the side or to the back of the frame. These slings are very difficult to install for the homeowner. And, our measuring formula does NOT WORK for this style of chair. This furniture also has welded stabilizer bars at the back making EXTRA DIFFICULT to install. Please do not order slings for this style of furniture from our website. They will not fit and you will NOT be able to get them installed. It takes a professional installer to complete this project.

Please inspect the construction of your patio sling chair or chaise lounge prior to ordering. Here is an example of a chair with the sling rail opening to the side and not the front.

If you find yourself with this dilemma, or have questions about it, please drop us an email at [email protected]. We're happy to provide clarity on this. We want to be absolutely up-front with our customers--we don't want you to order slings you can't use and can't return because they aren't installable as a DIY project by anyone other than the pros. 

Meanwhile, my torn-up chaise lounge will have to wait until I can get 'er into the shop for repairs. I do so love, though, that these types of chairs are not so common (naturally, I have a set of four, so grateful that only one needs fixing :)) Hmmm. I see that webbed aluminum chair that I've been putting off the re-webbing on is still waiting for me to fix it. That should keep me busy for a few days. In fact, I can even get the webbing on sale!

Until next time!