Ten Steps to Fix Wicker Furniture Reed Damage or Missing

Introduction

You are likely to be amazed if you require to repair wicker furniture which has its wicker reeds damaged or missing. Finding someone competent and willing to assist you will be difficult to locate to at best, and the price will likely be prohibitive in the event of serious damage. In certain instances you might find that repairs may cost greater than the worth of the furniture. If that is the case, then you should consider repairing it yourself. You will want to repair the furniture piece, even if it is not part of a set. In these cases it’s a good idea to fix the problem yourself and keep the broken piece from becoming a waste. Although it is tedious however, it’s certainly possible.

This article demonstrates the repairs needed to a wicker love chair, which was damaged after a dog chewed the Reed. It was not possible to find a reed that was the same color or size. We used the closest match reed we could find. The client was extremely pleased as we were able keep her furniture, which was part of a matching set which was no longer in stock.

You may require tools:

• Conventional Pliers
• Needle Nose Pliers
• Wire Cutters
• Wire the consistency of the consistency of Paper Clip
• Replacing broken or missing wicker furniture Reed

It’s not easy to fix furniture made of wicker and it is. But, this course focuses on replacing damaged or missing weaved reeds that are weaved in one direction, and is not designed for highly complicated woven sections. It’s very simple to fix small issues and it can be very enjoyable to tackle it yourself. Once you have a feel for it, it’s really not bad at all and it will require some patience.

10-Steps to Replace Missing Or Damaged Reed

1. Find damaged Reed

The first thing to do is evaluate the damage you’re trying to repair and determine whether re-weaving can be sufficient. It is easy to assess the damage to the wicker weave reed and determine the extent of the missing or damaged reed. It is important to know what repairs are required.

2. Determine the Reed Material: Size Shape, Color and Shape (Resin or natural)

To make the necessary preparations for replacement, you must determine what type of material you will require in addition to the diameter and the color of the reed. Wicker can be made using synthetic or natural resin materials. Whether you use natural or resin reeds, the style and size of the reed may vary and so can the shades.

3. If you are able, take the opportunity to take a sample of Reed

In order to acquire the correct replacement reed, you may need to collect an example of the damaged reed or from the reed which has excess sticking out from a concealed place beneath your furniture. If you are able to get the sample and present it to the vendor, you stand an increased chance of receiving the right replacement or one that’s close enough to live with.

4. Decide the quantity of Reed required

It is essential to figure out the length of the reed piece that you’ll need to fix the damage. Make sure you estimate and then add more. Be aware that having leftovers can be beneficial when you place an order. Keep spare reeds in for the event that you require them. It’s a cheap insurance policy in case you need to repair the damage.

5. New Reeds are available from Wicker Dealers

If you want to purchase a new reed, visit the place which you bought the furniture. If that fails, you can contact an wicker dealer for repairs supplies. Natural wicker is easy to acquire whereas resin reed is more challenging since there are many different suppliers offering a variety of kinds, sizes and colors. Certain reeds can’t be substituted with exact matches and you might need to choose a different color or size. We have found that war wounds can add some character to your furniture.

6. Be aware of the weave Pattern

Before starting the process, you must examine the weave pattern. After you have removed the damaged reed you might not recognize the pattern you need to copy when you wave the new reed. Take a close look and know how you will weave your new reed in. It is helpful to see the furniture from the other side. right arm.) And then see what it appears similar to in an area which isn’t damaged or lacking reed. A clear image might help as well.

7. Clean up damaged Reed

Remove the damaged reed using the help of wire cutters or another similar device. The end of the remaining wire must be removed in a direction that is pointed away from the surface. Leave at least 1-2 inches of the reed that was originally tucked down under the surface. To hold a piece reed in place properly, the more you weave it in the more secure it will be. Therefore, if you’re able, try to remove enough of the original reed to ensure that you can weave back into a picture over and under the cross members at least four to seven times. You can go further if you like. In smaller areas, you might have no other choice but to use a quick weave between two cross members. In those instances, you might have accept it being slightly loose as you weave the new piece in. But its perfectly acceptable as you ensure that the woven piece isn’t ripped out.

8. Use a wire tool to help pull the Reed back up

If you’re preparing to weave your new reed into place, you will need a tool to assist you in performing the weave. The reed will be woven between and beneath the cross-member. You will not be able to pull the reed up to the surface without using a wire tool to connect and pull up the reed. Make a wire tool out of a paperclip, or any other similar-sized wire. If you put the cane on a crossmember, grab the wire with your fingertips and pull it up from under the crossmember. You need to bend one end of the wire to form a hook sufficient to grab the reed and pull it back up to the surface. It might take some trial and error in order to get the hook to perform as you would expect. The hook should be straight as it pulls the cane in between the laterals. Bend the opposite end so that you give your finger something to pull upwards onto the tool while pulling the reeds up.

9. Cut and Weave New Reed Into Place (Tuck Ends in Where Needed)

There are usually new reels that are longer than 36 inches. These will typically be larger than the length you require to replace one piece of reed. Make use of all the length of reed while weaving, and then trim the excess when you’re finished. This will help ensure that you don’t waste the money you have spent. It might be possible to cut shorter lengths that are more manageable when waste isn’t an issue. Use the wire tool that you designed to help you weave the reed. You can hold the end of the reed and lower it below the surface with the hook on the end. This will enable you to pull the pattern together.

Note: In order to make the natural wicker reed flexible enough to bend prior to weaving, it needs to be soaked in water at minimum 15 minutes.

10. Stain and Seal Natural Wicker

You will need to paint or stain the natural wicker product you purchase if you plan to fix it. After staining but not painting, you can seal the stained reed with clear acrylic paint. You won’t need to paint or seal if your wicker is natural and untreated. Go to your hardware store and purchase the least amount of stain you can locate. Follow the manufacturers instructions on staining. Buy a can of clear coat with acrylic spray and paint the affected area to seal it. If you want to apply the spray to the entire surface.

Paint only the area that is damaged or all of it to finish the task. For more details, refer to our tips for Painting Wicker Furniture and Painting Wicker Furniture Articles.

Two points are crucial to be aware of:

You will need longer length than the distance between start and end of your weave because weaving uses more reed than you might otherwise think.

You should leave at least 2 inches extra on each side of your new reed to prevent it from pulling out.