How to Install Seating Slings
Just as there are several ways to remove fabric slings from outdoor patio furniture frames, there is more than one way to replace them. The steps shown below are almost the reverse of the procedure for removing the slings.
Let’s take a typical chair as an example. Similar design and construction are used for all types of sling patio furniture, so pretty much any other type of sling can be replaced using the same principles. Please read the steps below completely before starting your sling replacement project.
Here’s a step by step guide to installing a seating sling in a patio chair…
[1] Insert the Sling into the Sling Rails
Feed one end of the sling into the channel of the first side rail. Obviously, the hemmed edges should be behind or under the chair. Note: Do not cut the plastic spline to length yet.
Sometimes, lubricating the rails before inserting the slings can make the job easier. There is a lot of friction involved when dragging a sling fabric through the side rail channels. If you can’t pull them through, you may lubricate the channels with a little soapy water to make the job easier. Another option that works well is to rub a cake of bar soap over the edges of the sling, where the spline is located.
Here’s another trick to make the job easier: Leave the sling rails bolted into the chair frame. Insert the first side of the sling into one of them. Then remove that sling rail. Feed the other side of the sling into the rail that remains bolted to the chair frame, positioning the first (loose) rail appropriately as the sling slides down into the track. Doing it this way helps to hold the rails in place as you push on them with the new sling. You could also hold each channel in a vice, but be careful not to scratch them.
[2] Do Not Trim the Splines
The ends of the splines should be left sticking out of the channels, because they tend to move when strretching the sling fabric in the side rails. Leave them long; you will be cutting them off after the slings have been stretched.
[3] Mount the Sling Rails into the Frame
Start by loosely bolting one of the side rails into position. Screw the bolts/nuts only enough to hold the rails in position so the other side can be mounted before tightening. Do this for all the bolts.
[4] Stretch the Sling and Tighten the Bolts
IT IS RECOMMENDED TO USE A TOOL TO SPREAD THE SLING RAILS, SO THE BOLT THREADS DO NOT GET STRIPPED.
Make sure the sling is aligned to the front edge of the sling rails. Tighten ONLY the front bolts, under the seat, a little at a time for each one, until fully screwed in.
Use a pair of pliers to stretch the sling fabric from the top of the chair. The tightness of the previously stretched fabric at the front of the chair should stop the sling from moving from there. You are now taking up the slack in the length of the sling, so that it aligns with the top of the sling rails at the back of the chair. It’s a good idea to clamp the stretched sling to the top of the rails with two pairs of small vice grips, to stop it slipping back and leaving a gap at the top of the chair.
Tighten the ramaining nuts or bolts, a little at a time for each one. Make sure the sling remains stretched so it reaches both ends of the rails. You cannot stretch the fabric after the side rail bolts are tightened.
[5] Insert the Spreader Bars
This can be the most difficult stage of replacing your slings. We have a spreader tool for rent to make this easier, but an ingenious person will devise a way to stretch the side rails apart enough to insert the spreader bars! One way is to use two pieces of 2×4, cut long enough so together they are the right length, with a hinge attached in the middle. You can also purchase a pipe clamp with a reversable end to make it push out instead of in.
[6] Trim the Splines
Now you can cut off any excess spline. Make sure it is trimmed flush with the end of the side rail, or even a little shorter, so the end caps will insert fully. Be careful not to cut the sling fabric.
[7] Replace the End Caps
Using a plastic or wooden mallet, tap the end caps back into position on the ends of the side rails. As mentioned in the article on removing them, these plastic caps are often brittle from years of exposure to UV sunlight and can break easily, so be gentle.
How to MeasureHow to RemoveSling FabricsPlace an OrderTool RentalSling Replacement Service