Click Here for Patio Direct Vinyl Strap Colors

Helpful Hints for Repairing or Replacing Vinyl Straps

Download our Help 4 Straps illustrated instructions for your printer (requires Adobe Reader)

If you cut the vinyl straps by hand  -- it just takes patience  to cut the quantity of straps you will need.  You can punch rivet holes with a leather punch (available at many hardware stores) or  drill rivet holes in a stack of vinyl straps..  Your straps will still need to be  s--t--r--e--t--c--h--e--d  to fit properly.  Our general rule of thumb is to measure the vinyl strap length by measuring center-to-center between the frames

• Double-Wrap technique -- add 6" to center-to-center measurement.  Typical rivet hole size is 7/32" -- our most common rivet for single wrap is our #30-514.
• Single-Wrap technique -- add 1" to center-to-center measurement.  Typical rivet hole size is 1/4" -- our most common rivet for single wrap is our #30-516.
• Clip Technique -- use the center-to-center measurement.  Use either our #30-800  Aluminum "E" Clip for 5/8" square frames or our #30-801  Aluminum "S" Clip for 1/2" square frames.

The most accurate technique to measure vinyl strap length is to use a flexible tape measure -- measure the route the strap follows -- around the frames -- from hole-to-hole -- and then cut the straps from 87% to 90% of this measured path.

A typical chaise lounge with 2" wide vinyl straps, double-wrapped, has approximately 34 straps and requires about 70' of vinyl strap.  A typical chair with 2" wide vinyl straps, double-wrapped, has approximately 18 straps and requires about 35' of vinyl strap.  Please allow for about 5% extra material for scrap, etc.

For the home owner -- we recommend you get a stock pot or large pot you have around the house -- fill it with water and bring it to a boil.  As you are ready to begin strapping, immerse a handful of vinyl straps in the boiling water.   The vinyl straps will need to be about 200^oF to  s--t--r--e--t--c--h   for installation.  Now ... for the next part, you need to be very, very quick (we suggest you do some "dry runs" to practice before you actually start).  Quickness is "everything" -- as when the vinyl straps are hot -- they easily stretch to install -- but ... when they cool, even Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 3 could not stretch a cold vinyl strap.  You can use a pair of hot dog tongs -- quickly snatch a strap from the pot of boiling water and quickly wipe off the remaining water droplets with a dry rag (as the straps cool -- water droplets may dry to leave a spot).  Without wasting any precious time, install the two rivets in the holes you have pre-drilled at the ends of the vinyl strap -- position and press one rivet in the frame -- then  s--t--r--e--t--c--h  and install the other rivet on the other side.  (Replacement rivets and other parts are shown on our website under "Replacement Parts".)

This whole installation process is a snap and easy when the vinyl straps are hot -- but ... you need to work quickly.  My sister, Dana, can strap a chaise in about 10 minutes (a typical chaise with 2" straps has about 34 straps) -- suggesting an average of about 15-16 seconds per strap.  You don't need to break any records -- but ... we are trying to stress the "working quickly" to make the job easy.  When my sister does a big condo or resort strapping job -- she uses a similar process -- she actually bought a big turkey boiler (like the ones they sell at hardware stores -- the size that you boil the turkey in a kettle of peanut oil over a propane burner) -- just for portable strapping jobs.   The factories do thousands of feet of vinyl strap each day -- so they have made the investment in forced air furnaces that keep the straps at least 200^oF -- but actually, the hot water still works good and heats uniformly.

Most straps will be installed with plastic rivets or pins (see the different rivets Patio Direct offers on our website under "Repair Parts") -- but we have come across frames with "slots" that require vinyl straps with "notches".  If you need to install your new vinyl straps with a "notch" like the original equipment -- you'll need to "retrofit" your vinyl strap installation to a single or double wrap installation -- as the special "notch" cut into those vinyl straps is not available.   Patio furniture manufacturers and outdoor furniture refinishers, like Patio Direct, have punched or drilled holes in the back of the frame to accept  rivets -- and these holes can be either 7/32" or 1/4" (select the appropriate size rivet) -- and most use a double-wrap process.

Double-wrapped vinyl straps are the most reliable and less likely to unwrap or come loose prematurely -- but it's not obvious how to install the vinyl strap with this method.  Take a hot vinyl strap -- install the first rivet / pin -- wrap the partial wrap -- then wrap again -- then  s--t--r--e--t--c--h  to the other side well past the frame -- this time spiraling the first wrap either about or below the rivet hole -- then spiral the partial wrap and install the rivet / pin.  If you've worked quickly -- the vinyl strap should still be hot -- and you can slightly stretch and slide the spiral wraps over themselves -- and you have completed a double-wrap installation.

You can buy replacement vinyl straps and repair parts (like the plastic rivets or pins) from Patio Direct.  We can cut the vinyl straps to length (with a hole in each end for mounting) -- or sell the vinyl strap by the roll.  Just tell us the color number of the vinyl strap -- specify either a 1-1/2" or 2" width -- and the cut length.

Order your replacement vinyl strap for your pool or patio furniture (chaise lounges or chairs) from Patio Direct.  Our vinyl strap is 100% virgin vinyl with UV and mildew inhibitors -- not the thinner plastic strap sold by many of our competitors.  Order by the roll, by the foot or cut vinyl strap lengths in any of our colors.

Download our Help 4 Straps illustrated instructions for your printer (requires Adobe Reader)

Click Here for Patio Direct Vinyl Strap Colors