Patio Furniture Vinyl Strapping: Measure it Right!

Here’s how to accurately measure your pool furniture before replacing its PVC straps. If you fail to measure the right way it’s likely that they will fail to be tight enough and they will sag and be uncomfortable, or worst case, you may not be well placed to install the straps at all without tearing them.

But first, let’s talk about how NOT to measure the vinylstraps for your project!

A critical no-no is to take out one of the straps and use it as the template for the incoming ones. You see, the straps are not simply fitted onto the chair frame — they must be heated and stretched on, so that when they cool down, they become tight to a degree that would fail to be possible otherwise. Not installing them in this fashion will ensure that your straps will be floppy.

Having mentioned that, we shall now debate the correct way to do it. There are a few steps:

1. Take off all of the old straps. This can occasionally be a little complicated to do. I have found the easiest way is to utilise a pair of heavy snips, garden shears, or a very sharp knife and just cut them all right through the middle.
2. After cutting the straps, pull out the fasteners. There are 2 main sorts of fasteners: plastic rivets and metal clips. The plastic snaps can just be jerked out by pulling on the cut end of the strap in a jerking motion. Metal clips can usually be pulled off the chair frame, but now and then you may have to encourage them with a screwdriver.
3. Once all the straps and fasteners are fully removed, this is the best time to scrub the furniture frames.
4. Now for the details of measuring. For this you’ll use a cloth tape measure, like a tailor would use. You can get by with a flexible metal (builder’s) tape measure, nonetheless it is much easier to do with a fabric tape. Start at the rivet hole on one side of the frame. Then wrap the tape measure round the frame in the same way the strap was wrapped. This may suggest you will have to go twice round the frame in the case of double-wrapped strapping. Then continue taking the tape over to the opposite side of the frame and again wrap it the same as the strap was wrapped. The measurement is taken at the rivet hole at this side. For our example, let’s imagine it was 24″.
5. You are not finished yet! You have to make allowances for the stretching you are going to do. Deduct roughly 10% off the first measurement. In our example, 10 percent of 24″ is 2.4″ which I change to 2-1/2″. Subtracting this from 24″ leaves 21-1/2″ and that is about how long your straps have to be.

Get additional information on the proper way to install vinyl strapping and order your strap from our web site. There are videos and illustrated guides there to help with your vinyl strap project.

Donna Thompson is employed by Pipefine Patio Furniture, which has been in the outdoor furniture business in Florida for over 40 years, both as a manufacturer and retailer. The company sells replacement outside cushionsand patio umbrellas in addition to vinyl straps. This is one of several articles on replacing vinyl straps. Full instructions for properly measuring and installing straps can be found at the firm’s website.