How to Repair Cracks in a Chair Seat

Furniture makers seldom fashion chair seats from a single piece of wood. Instead, they glue planks together edge-to-edge to form a single plank wide enough for the seat. One of the problems that can arise as a chair ages is that the glue holding these laminated joints together fails, and the joints begin to separate. This gives the appearance of cracks on the seat -- and if you don't fix it, the seat will eventually fall apart. Seat cracks are sometimes, but not always, accompanied by loose legs and seat spindles. Fix these after you've repaired the seat.


Cover the floor with old newspaper or plastic, and place the chair upright on top of it.


Work a flathead screwdriver into one of the cracks and force it open. If the crack isn't wide enough for the screwdriver, turn the chair over and tap a chisel into the crack from underneath to widen it.


Squirt carpenter's glue from a bottle along the top of one side of the crack, allowing the glue to sag down into the crack.


Wait for the glue to begin to drip from the bottom of the chair onto the floor, then fit a bar clamp across the front of the seat and tighten it to close the crack. Clamp the back of the seat in the same way.


Clean the glue that oozes out of the crack with a damp rag while the glue is still wet. Let the chair sit overnight, then remove the clamps. You can begin using the chair immediately.