Common Furniture Problems & How to Fix Them Before They Get Worse

Most furniture problems start small. A loose joint. A squeak when you sit. A cushion that feels a little flatter than it did last year. Ignore them & they turn into broken frames & sagging seats, but catch them early & the fix is usually simple & cheap.

Wobbly chairs

A chair that wobbles has a loose joint. The legs connect to the seat with dowels or mortise-&-tenon joints held by glue. Over time, the glue dries out & the joint loosens. If you catch it early, a loose joint can be re-glued & clamped. If you wait until the chair collapses, the dowel or tenon breaks & a repair becomes either more expensive or impossible. When the wobble starts, stop using the chair & call someone.

Squeaky springs

Springs squeak because metal rubs against metal. In an eight-way hand-tied system, the twine that holds the coils in place may have loosened; in a zigzag system, a clip or bracket may have come loose. While the squeak itself isn't dangerous, it may mean something's moving that shouldn't be & if left alone, the spring may shift further & damage the surrounding structure. A repair now may cost less than a rebuild later.

Sticking drawers

Wood expands & contracts with humidity. A drawer that sticks in summer may slide fine in winter. If the drawer sticks year-round, it generally means that the runners are worn or the drawer bottom has warped. Cleaning the runners & applying wax helps; replacing worn runners is a bigger job but is worth doing before the drawer frame gets damaged.

Flat cushions

Foam loses density over time. A cushion that stays flat after you stand up or that you sink into when sat on needs new foam. A cushion that's still firm but that looks deflated may need a new wrap. In either case, fix it before the fabric stretches out of shape. Once the fabric loses its tension, you're looking at a full reupholster instead of a simple foam replacement.

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