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Re-web and re-pad a chair seat

Most sagging seats need new webbing underneath, not a new chair. Elastic webbing gives a springy modern seat; jute webbing is the traditional base under springs and stuffing.

Time
An afternoon per seat
Level
Beginner

What you needHow to reweb a chair seat with elastic webbing

What you need

Untick what you already have. Options shown are the most common; change them on the product page or in the cart.

Materials
Elastic Chair Webbing, 2 in Wide, Black, 32, 40 or 160 ft RollBlack rubber-latex elastic webbing, 2 in wide, for the springy support under seat cushions on chairs and sofas. Rolls of 32, 40 or 160 ft.
Upholstery Foam for Chair Seats, 2 in Thick, 20 x 20 to 24 x 72 inPolyurethane upholstery foam, 2 in thick, for dining chair and drop-in seats: 20 x 20 or 24 x 24 in squares, or a 24 x 72 in sheet for benches.
Upholstery Batting for Chair Seats, Polyester 1/2 in or CottonSoft batting wrapped over the foam before the fabric: it rounds the edges, smooths the top and stops fabric rubbing. Polyester 1/2 in or cotton.
Black Dust Cover Fabric (Cambric) for Upholstery, 60 in or 36 inBlack nonwoven dust cover fabric, or cambric, stapled under a re-upholstered seat to keep dust and loose filling in. 60 in x 3 yd or 36 in x 6 yd.
Jute Upholstery Webbing, 3.5 in Wide, 10 yd (30 ft) RollNatural woven jute webbing, 3.5 in wide on a 10 yd roll: the firm, traditional base woven across a seat frame under springs, padding or a drop-in seat.
Metal Clips for 2 in Elastic Chair Webbing, Packs of 10, 20 or 40Flat metal end clips for 2 in elastic chair webbing: pressed onto each strap end, they hook into the slot along the seat frame. Packs of 10, 20 or 40.
Tools
Upholstery Staple Gun Kit, Manual, with T50-Type Staples and RemoverManual heavy-duty staple gun with about 3,000 T50-type staples and a staple remover, for cane on cabinet doors, seat webbing, fabric and dust covers.
Upholstery Staple Remover and Tack Lifter, Single or 5-Piece SetFlat notched lifter that slides under old staples and tacks and levers them out without splitting the wood. Single tool or a 5-piece set with pliers.
Webbing Stretcher for Jute Upholstery Webbing, HardwoodHardwood paddle with short spikes that grips jute webbing and levers it tight against the frame, so you can tack or staple a firm, even seat base.
Upholstery Tacks, Antique Brass, 7/16 in Domed Head, 100 or 500Round domed decorative tacks in an antique brass finish, 7/16 in head, for finishing rush, seagrass and upholstered seat edges and for nailhead trim.
Optional
Cantilever Chair Replacement Cane Seat, Bentwood Frame, 4 FinishesA ready-made bentwood seat frame with open weave cane already pressed in, for B32-style cantilever chairs. Unscrew the old seat, screw on the new.

How it is done

  1. Take off the fabric and old webbing, and photograph how it was fixed.
  2. Fix the webbing front to back first, stretched evenly, then weave the side-to-side strips through.
  3. Cut new foam to the seat and cover it with a layer of batting.
  4. Pull the fabric over, staple the middle of each side first, then the corners.
  5. Staple a dust cover underneath for a clean finish.

Tip: Photograph the old seat before you take it apart: the webbing count and spacing are the best guide.

Full guides

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