Repair a stool.

Stool repair in the UK is mostly a small but skilled job — typical cost £40–£180 per stool depending on the fault and the design. Bar stools, kitchen stools, accent stools and traditional joiner-made pieces all fall in this bracket. Fixes for the most common problems (loose joints, worn pads, broken backs, gas-lift failures) are cheap and quick.

The decision to repair vs replace is sharper for stools than for chairs because stools tend to be cheaper to begin with. Repairs make sense for solid timber stools, antique pieces, designer or commercial-grade items, and matched sets where finding identical replacements would be tricky.

Common stool problems and what they cost

Common stool issues by type

• Bar / kitchen counter stools — gas-lift failure (won't stay up or won't go down), wobbly base, worn footrest, torn vinyl seats.
• Wooden 4-leg stools — loose joints (most common), split seats from heavy use, leg cracks at fixings.
• Upholstered accent / piano stools — sagging seats, torn upholstery, broken hinged-storage lids.
• Traditional joinery (oak, elm, ash stools) — usually heritage pieces; need period-appropriate techniques and finishes.

Gas-lift bar stools — the most common repair

Gas cylinders fail after 3-7 years of regular use. Symptoms: stool sinks slowly under weight, won't rise when adjusted, or feels wobbly even when locked. Replacement is cheap (£15-£40 for the part) and quick (15-30 minutes); most upholsterers and furniture repair specialists keep common sizes in stock.

Gas cylinders are sized by class (Class 1-4) and length. When ordering, measure the original or take the failed cylinder to the supplier for a match. Get one with adequate weight rating for the heaviest user.

Re-gluing wooden stool joints

The classic carpenter repair. Old PVA or hide glue fails over time, particularly on stools that get racked sideways (people standing on them, sitting awkwardly). Repair process:

1. Disassemble the joint by gentle tapping and pulling.
2. Clean off old glue from both surfaces — important for new glue to bond.
3. Apply fresh PVA (modern) or hide glue (traditional/antique).
4. Reassemble and clamp until set (usually 24 hours for full strength).
5. Wipe excess glue off finished surfaces while still wet.

£40-£90 per stool for a single-joint repair; £80-£140 for a full disassemble-and-reglue.

Things people often miss

• Solid wood vs veneered — solid wood stools take screw repairs and replacement parts well. Veneered or chipboard cores often fail at the fixings; sometimes not worth repairing.
• Set integrity — repairing one stool of a set: get them all checked while the upholsterer is there. Loose joints develop in pairs as the set ages together.
• Seat pad regulations — re-covering an upholstered stool seat must use fire-retardant fabric and filling. Reputable upholsterers comply by default.
• Fixings stripped — repeatedly tightening screws into the same hole strips the wood. Repair: dowel + re-drill, or a longer screw of larger diameter.
• Wobble at the legs — sometimes the floor is uneven, not the stool. Test on a perfectly flat surface before commissioning a leg shorten/extension.

Frequently asked questions

Want a local pro to handle this? A furniture repair specialist or upholsterer will fix most stool problems quickly and cheaply. Worth doing for any stool you'd otherwise be sad to lose, particularly matched sets and quality solid-timber pieces.