Furniture Repair in Sarasota, FL

Wood furniture repair: the problems we see most

Some pieces show several of these at once, which is why we look over the whole thing rather than just the complaint that brought it in.

Why does furniture in Florida houses come apart?

Hard floors play a part. Tile and terrazzo, common in Sarasota's mid-century block homes and newer builds alike, give chairs no cushion when they are dragged or tipped, and every jolt goes into the leg joints. Humidity does the rest: glue lines swell in wet summers and shrink in air-conditioned winters until they let go.

Then there are earlier fixes. We regularly take apart chairs held together with nails, drywall screws, metal corner brackets or foaming polyurethane glue. Each one buys a little time but makes the proper repair harder.

Seasonal homes add a third cause. A house closed for the summer with the air conditioning set high lets humidity climb, and chairs that were tight in April can come back loose by November.

How do we find out what actually failed?

We start by racking each chair gently to feel which joints move, then turn tables over to look at cleats, corner blocks and how the top is fastened. We note any previous repairs, identify the old glue, and test the finish in a hidden spot so we know whether it is shellac, lacquer or something tougher. Those answers decide how the piece comes apart and what finish will blend with it.

Chair repair and table repair: picking the right fix

Re-gluing versus injecting glue

Squirting glue into a loose joint is quick, but new glue does not bond to old glue or dirt, so it seldom holds. Taking the joint apart, scraping it clean and re-gluing wood to wood is slower and lasts far longer. We inject only where disassembly would do more harm than good.

Repairing versus replacing a part

A clean break along the grain can be glued nearly invisibly. A shattered leg or a rung with a crushed tenon is better remade from matching hardwood in our shop, then colored to match. We explain the trade-off on each piece.

Hardware and drawers

Worn drawer runners are replaced, sagging bottoms are refit so they can move with the seasons, and stripped screw holes are plugged with new wood so hinges and pulls bite again. Dovetailed drawer boxes that have come apart are re-glued at the original joints rather than nailed back together.

Water damage furniture repair: white rings versus dark stains

The color of a water mark tells us how deep it went. A white or cloudy ring sits in the finish, and it can often be cleared by drawing the moisture out or gently blending the finish, with no stripping. A gray or black stain means water got through the finish into the wood. That usually calls for removing the finish in that area, lightening the stain with an oxalic acid bleach, and refinishing the surface so it matches.

Swelling is a separate problem. Solid wood that got wet often flattens again as it dries slowly. Particleboard and MDF that swelled, a common sight after storm flooding, rarely recover. Our post on removing water rings and sun fading covers what to try before calling us.

Your repair, start to finish

1. 1

   Photos first

   Send pictures of the damage and the whole piece; most repairs can be sized up roughly from good photos.

2. 2

   Bring it in

   Set a time to drop it off, or arrange for us to collect it if it is too heavy to move yourself.

3. 3

   Inspection and quote

   We check every joint and confirm the repair, the timing and the cost before starting.

4. 4

   Take apart and clean

   Failed joints are separated, old glue is scraped off, and broken parts are repaired or remade.

5. 5

   Glue-up

   Joints are re-glued and clamped square, then left overnight to set fully.

6. 6

   Touch-up

   Scratches, rings and new parts are colored and finished to blend with the rest of the piece.

7. 7

   Pickup

   We call when it is ready, and you collect it or we deliver as arranged.

Furniture repair in Sarasota: timing and cost factors

Glue needs clamp time and finish needs drying time, so even a simple repair spends a night or more in the shop. A single chair is quicker than a set of eight, and a new turned leg adds drawing, turning and finishing steps. We quote after inspection, and the main factors are:

• How many joints have failed, and how many pieces are in the set
• Earlier repairs with nails, screws or foaming glue that must be undone
• Parts that need to be made rather than glued
• Whether a touch-up will blend or a whole surface needs refinishing
• Collection and return trips, when requested

Local conditions add a few variables. Dining sets used on tile floors tend to arrive with several loose joints at once, which changes the count more than any single break. Pieces that sat wet after a storm may need slow drying before glue will hold, and a set collected from an island condo adds elevator and parking time to the trip.

Do furniture repairs fall under any rules?

Freestanding repairs need no building permit from Sarasota County or the City of Sarasota, and no Chapter 489 contractor license, because no part of the house changes. Two rules are still worth knowing. Under the STURDY Act, the Consumer Product Safety Commission's stability standard (16 CFR Part 1261) covers dressers and chests made on or after September 1, 2023; older pieces predate it, so anchor a repaired dresser to the wall before it returns to a child's room. A built-in hutch or bar with a sink or lights is disconnected by a licensed plumber or electrician before we work on it.

Habits that keep joints tight and tops clean

Lift chairs instead of dragging them across tile, and put felt pads under every leg. Ask family and guests not to lean back on two legs. Use coasters and placemats, and wipe up condensation from iced drinks before it sits. Keep good pieces away from air-conditioning vents, where dry air shrinks joints fastest.

For older pieces with sentimental or collector value, the gentler methods of antique furniture restoration are the better route.