Furniture: assembly & repair
Common breakdowns and home repair — what's realistically DIY
By failure type
Wobbly chairs/tables
Cause — dried-out mortise joints or loose bolts. Disassemble, clean old glue, reglue with wood PVA clamped 24h. Bolted — retighten, add lock washers.
Sagging doors
Loose hinge — use longer screws (50–60 mm) or glue a matchstick into the hole. Uneven gaps — adjust cabinet-hinge screws.
Sticking drawers
Wooden runners — rub with paraffin/soap. Roller slides — clean dust, lubricate with silicone. Sagging — glue a strip or replace runners.
Scratches & chips
Wax pencil in matching color — for scratches; filler sticks for deeper damage. Water-swollen chipboard can't be restored — replace or trim and re-edge.
Sofa springs / bed slats
Broken slat — replace whole (measure width/thickness). Torn webbing — access via bottom cover without disassembly.
Hardware replacement
Handles, hinges, slides — buy with a sample: hole spacing (96/128/160 mm) is critical for handles. Hinges have 26/35 mm cups.
DIY-able: retightening, gluing, hardware swaps, touch-ups. Call a pro: broken load-bearing panels, sofa spring units, large veneering. PVA cure time — 24h clamped.