Dining Room: what a handyman does
Dining rooms mostly need furniture and trim repaired: wobbly chairs, loose table legs, scuffed walls and a light fixture over the table. A handyman can take apart, reglue and clamp chair joints, tighten table hardware, secure chair rail and swap a chandelier on existing wiring. New wiring and valuable antiques go to specialists.
Jobs we take on
Tap one to add it to your list.
- Take apart, clean, reglue and clamp loose chair joints
- Tighten table leg bolts, brackets and extension hardware
- Add felt or rubber glides under chair and table feet to protect floors
- Re-secure chair rail, wainscot and baseboard trim
- Patch and repaint wall scuffs at chair-back height
- Swap a chandelier or pendant on existing wiring and set the hanging height
- Hang a heavy mirror, art or a buffet-top shelf
- Assemble hutches, buffets and benches, and anchor tall pieces
- Install curtain rods and hardware on dining room windows
Signs it is time to call
- A chair that racks, creaks or wobbles when you sit down
- A table that rocks or a leaf that no longer lines up
- Scuffs and dents on the wall behind each chair
- A chandelier that sways or hangs lower than before
- Chair rail or trim that has separated from the wall
What is not a handyman job
Moving a light to a new spot, adding a ceiling box or a dimmer circuit, and any flickering or hot fixture go to licensed electricians. Refinishing valuable or antique furniture, veneer repair and upholstery go to a furniture restorer. Removing walls to open the room is a remodel and out of scope.
Plumbing, electrical and roofing go to licensed independent contractors.
What a visit looks like
- We confirm the scope from your photos before the visit
- We confirm the current rate before work starts
- We protect floors and tabletops while we work
- We clean up glue, dust and packaging when we finish
Common questions
Why do my chairs keep loosening after I reglue them?
Woodworker's Journal says all the old glue has to be removed first. If the wood fibers in the joint have worn away, the joint needs to be rebuilt with new wood, or filled with epoxy as a second choice. Wood also shrinks and moves over time, so squeezing glue into a loose joint does not last.
Can you repair an antique or valuable dining set?
We can tighten hardware and simple loose joints. Woodworker's Journal advises hiring a working professional for valuable furniture, because gap-filling repairs take cabinetmaking skill. For an antique, ask a furniture restorer, and tell us if you are not sure which kind of piece you have.
Can you replace my chandelier?
Yes, when it is a like-for-like swap on existing wiring and the ceiling box can carry the weight of the new fixture. We check the box when we arrive. Moving the light, adding a box or fixing flickering wiring is electrical work for a licensed electrician.
My table wobbles. Is it the legs or the floor?
Both are common. We check the leg bolts and brackets first, since loose hardware is the usual cause. If the table is sound and the floor is uneven, adjustable glides or shims can steady it. A warped top or cracked leg may mean the table needs a restorer.