Best Outdoor Fabric for Recovering Dining Room Chair Seats

Over time, the seats of dining room chairs can become worn, faded, or stained. Recovering the seats with new fabric is an affordable way to update their appearance and add new life to your dining space without the cost of buying new chairs. When selecting a fabric, durability and stain resistance should be top priorities since dining chair seats need to stand up to daily use and accidental spills.

Outdoor fabric is specifically designed to endure sun, rain, wind, and moisture making it incredibly durable. It also repels stains, can be easily wiped clean, and comes in stylish colors and patterns that enhance any decor.

Why Recover Dining Chair Seats

Recovering dining chair seats is very affordable compared to purchasing new dining chairs. It also allows you to customize the look of your dining space by choosing fabric that matches your style and home decor.

Reasons to recover dining chair seats include:

• Refresh the appearance of dated or worn dining chairs
• Hide existing stains, scratches, or flaws
• Revitalize wood chair frames that are still structurally sound
• Change color scheme or style of chairs
• Coordinate fabric pattern with table runners or curtains

Reupholstering the chair seats yourself offers big savings over hiring a professional. And using durable outdoor fabric means the recovered seats will withstand years of mealtime use.

Choosing the Best Fabric for Durability

When evaluating fabric for dining room chair seats, durability should be the top priority. The fabric needs to resist tearing, fraying, and becoming threadbare despite daily use and life's inevitable spills and stains.

Look for These Durability Factors

Outdoor fabric is inherently durable to survive the elements outside, making it perfectly suited for high-traffic dining chairs indoors. Features that make it extra durable include:

• Dense weave: Tightly woven threads resist snags and tears.
• UV protection: Sun protection retains color and prevents brittleness.
• Mildew resistance: Stands up to moisture from spills and cleaning.

Fabric Coatings Prevent Rips

Laminated vinyl or polyurethane coated fabric has an extra layer fused to its surface, making scuffs and punctures unlikely. Fluids bead up on coated fabric instead of soaking in so stains wipe away easily.

Choose Stain Resistant Fabric

Stains are inevitable on dining chair seats. Kids will spill juice and adults will drip salad dressing. Look for easy-clean fabrics that let you wipe stains away without scrubbing. Here's how the best fabric options resist stains:

Solution-Dyed Acrylic Fabric Resists Stains

Solution dying locks color into the acrylic fibers so spills don't leave permanent stains. Solution-dyed acrylic stands up well to weather and sunlight outdoors and cleans up beautifully indoors.

Coatings Cause Liquid to Bead Up

Vinyl, polyurethane and silicone coatings give fabrics a slick surface that makes spills bead up. A quick wipe with a damp cloth removes residue before it leaves a stubborn stain. These coatings renew easily to maintain stain resistance.

Maintain Dining Chair Seats Easily

To retain their fresh look, dining chair seat fabric needs simple periodic maintenance. Spot clean after spills immediately. Occasionally wipe down with mild soap and water. Then rinse and let air dry.

Why Outdoor Fabric is Easy to Clean

Made to handle rain, dew and sprinklers, outdoor fabric cleans up easily. When dirt builds up, spray it off with a garden hose! Then let the sun and breeze dry it naturally.

More Options for Easy Care

• Olefin fabric resists staining and wipes clean with soap and water.
• Laminates let stains be wiped right off with a damp cloth.
• Vinyl and polyurethane coatings also resist dirt and renew with cleansing.

Choose Fabric Appearance You'll Love

While durability and stain resistance come first when choosing dining chair fabrics, appearance is important too. The color, print, and texture should complement your room decor and style.

Select a Color Scheme

Neutral solids smoothly blend into any dining room design. Or pick vibrant colors and patterns as bold accents. Monochromatic palettes keep the harmonious vibe. Contrasting colors pop dramatically.

Consider These Factors as Well

• Sheen - matte or shiny
• Pattern scale - small or oversized prints
• Texture - flat wovens or textured knits
• Style - traditional, modern, coastal, etc.

Know What Makes Outdoor Fabric Ideal

Fabric made specifically for outdoor use naturally meets the most critical standards for recovering dining chair seats. Here's what makes outdoor fabric so perfect for this use.

Outdoor Durability Transfers Indoors

Outdoor fabrics like solution-dyed acrylic and polyester are woven tight and treated for UV and mildew resistance. These innate durable properties serve beautifully indoors too.

Outdoor Fabrics Repel Spills and Stains

Fabrics meant for patio and porch furnishings are designed to withstand the elements outdoors. Rainwater, sunscreen, pollen and dirt wash away easily. Spills wipe up instead of soaking in and staining.

Vivid Colors and Captivating Prints

Outdoor fabric is available in a rainbow of colors from energetic brights to nature-inspired neutrals. Dynamic prints like florals, geometrics and paisleys further express personality. This variety provides endless options to complement your dining chair style.

Compare Fabric Types for Seat Covers

How does outdoor fabric compare against other material options like cotton, leather and microfiber for recovering dining chair seats? Let's weigh their attributes.

Vs. Cotton

While cotton boasts suppleness and breathability, it lacks durability. Seams easily fray and rip, and stains are extremely difficult to remove. Outdoor fabric outperforms cotton in longevity.

Vs. Leather

Leather dining chairs emit an elegant vibe but gradually crack and peel over time. Spills permeate the porous surface causing instant stains. Outdoor fabric is more stain resistant and far more affordable.

Vs. Microfiber

Microfiber starts out easy to clean but gets matted down and dingy looking with regular use. Outdoor fabric maintains better stain resistance and cleans up easier long-term.

Prepare Outdoor Fabric for Use

Once you've selected the perfect outdoor fabric for your dining chair seats, proper preparation ensures it applies smoothly and neatly for a professional finished look.

Prewash Fabric Before Sewing

To allow for any shrinking, launder fabric prior to cutting and sewing. Use mild detergent in cold water, then air dry. Repeat washing and drying a second time.

Let Fabric Acclimate 24 Hours Before Cutting

Many outdoor fabrics are packaged while still warm from manufacturing. Allowing them to relax 24 hours prevents shrinkage later. Refold along different creases periodically while acclimating.

Step-By-Step Reupholstery of Dining Chairs

With durable, easy-care outdoor fabric in hand, you're ready to transform the seats of your dining chairs. Follow these basics steps for a successful do-it-yourself upholstery project.

Remove Old Fabric Completely

Take off the existing fabric by pulling out staples, glue, and tacks securing it. Scrape off leftover foam and stuffing until you expose the wooden frame.

Attach New Padding and Fabric

Cut foam and fabric several inches larger than the seat. Stretch fabric over padding, fold edges under, and staple, glue or tack to frame bottom. Keep fabric grain straight and smooth with no puckers.

Draw fabric to the frame front. Fold under excess fabric, miter corners, then adhere fabric to sides with staples or glue. Take care not to stretch or twist the fabric.

And that's it! Durable, easy-care outdoor fabric lets you refresh your dining chairs affordably. Follow our upholstery tips and soon you'll be hosting friends and family on renewed seats you'll love.