If you’ve ever checked out the curb on trash day, you have probably noticed how common it is to see broken wooden chairs awaiting their one-way trip to the local landfill. Too often, wooden chairs are thrown out when all they need is a quick fix. If you have a wooden chair with a broken leg, don’t replace it– learn how to repair it with EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive.

Loose Legs

Using chairs frequently can cause legs to become loose. It also happens over time because as wood ages and dries out, it shrinks. As a result, the joints between the parts of a chair can sometimes come loose. This problem can be repaired by forcing glue into the joints. It’s important to choose a high-performance wood glue such as EcoGlue Premium Wood adhesive that will form a strong bond and maintain flex strength, heat resistance and adhesive strength over time. Instead of replacing your favorite chair, follow these steps to repair a chair with loose legs:

1. Examine joints to find any loose ones. Repair all joints at the same time.
2. Separate each joint as much as possible to make it easily accessible.
3. Clean off old glue from the ends of the chair legs and from the inside of the holes. (Use a scraper, chisel or knife if necessary.) Make sure to remove all old glue, because the new glue will not stick to it.
4. Apply EcoGlue Premium Wood adhesive to both the tenon (the end of the leg or stretcher) and to the inside of the hole.
5. Reassemble the parts using a rubber mallet or clamp if necessary.
6. Hold the joint together, and drill a hole from the underside, slightly smaller in diameter than your wood screw at an angle to the joint.
7. Drive in a screw longer than the diameter of the tenon part you are repairing. The screw will hold the joint until EcoGlue Premium Wood glue dries (initial bond forms in 30 minutes, 100% strength is reached in 24 hours) and prevent it from becoming loose again.

Check out this post from TLC for instructions to repair broken back rails, spindles, slats and other structural parts.