Furniture repair

Most furniture breaks in a handful of predictable places: a hinge torn out, a drawer off its runners, a wobbly chair, a shelf sagging under books, edging that has come unstuck. Furniture repair usually costs a fraction of a new piece and takes a single visit.

The most common repairs

• hinges torn out of the board: reinforcing the hole with a glued dowel or moving the hinge;
• drawer runners: replacing or adjusting them, with new wheels and catches;
• chairs and tables: regluing and clamping loose joints;
• shelves: extra supports or a thicker replacement shelf;
• edging and doors: re-gluing edge banding or replacing a single door.

Chipboard versus solid wood

Chipboard furniture, which is most shop-bought furniture, has one weakness: a screw that has pulled out will not hold in the same hole twice. The handyman then fills the hole with a glued dowel or a special insert, or moves the fixing a few millimetres. Solid wood gives more options: it can be reglued, have a tenon replaced, and be sanded and refinished. Chipboard that has swollen from water usually cannot be saved, and the whole panel is better replaced.

How to describe the job

For each piece, say what happened and add a close-up photo of the damage plus one of the whole item. If you know the maker, IKEA for example, give the model, as it makes finding parts easier. The handyman brings common hinges and runners and orders unusual ones after seeing the piece.

Common questions