Fix Your Wobbly Outdoor Furniture: Chairs, Tables and More

We've spent almost three decades building wooden outdoor furniture, and we've seen every wobbling problem you can imagine. Here's what we know: your furniture probably isn't broken. It's just assembled wrong, maintained wrong, or both.

Wooden outdoor furniture wobbles for predictable reasons, and each reason has a different solution. A wobbly dining chair requires completely different fastening than a wobbly Adirondack chair. A loose table leg needs different treatment than seasonal wood movement.

This guide covers exactly how to diagnose your specific problem, fix it the RIGHT WAY, and prevent it from happening again. 

TL;DR (How To Fix Wobbly Outdoor Furniture?)

To fix wobbly outdoor furniture, re-tighten bolts using the sequential method, repair stripped holes with dowel and polyurethane glue, use Eagle Claw 304/316 stainless fasteners, and perform quarterly maintenance.

Why Your Wooden Furniture Wobbles: The Four Root Causes

Understanding why your furniture wobbles matters because the wrong fix wastes your time. Here are the four reasons your furniture keeps moving, ranked by how often they actually happen.

Loose Fasteners (40% of Wobbling)

This is the straightforward one. Bolts back out or screws loosen because the initial installation didn't account for vibration, wood creep, or seasonal movement. If you can hand-tighten a bolt and the wobbling stops (temporarily), you've found the culprit.

If you just tighten and leave it there, the bolt will loosen again within a week or two. Why? Because the wood absorbs and releases moisture, the fastener vibrates under weight, and your original tightening probably didn't use proper technique.

Stripped Bolt Holes (30% of Wobbling)

Your hole's enlarged. The wood fibers that held the bolt are crushed or torn out, so now the bolt spins without tightening or pulls right back out under load. This happens when the original pilot hole was too big, when you over-tightened (crushing wood fibers), or when the wood was too soft for the fastener size. Simple tightening won't fix this—you need to repair the hole first.

Seasonal Wood Movement (20% of Wobbling)

Wood moves with humidity. In summer when moisture levels rise, your tabletop can expand by a quarter inch or more. Come winter, it contracts back. Connections that were perfectly tight in July can loosen by November.

This is completely normal—wooden furniture expects this—but most people don't maintain accordingly. You'll need a seasonal maintenance routine, not a permanent "fix."

Joint Failure (10% of Wobbling)

Your furniture's glued joints are failing. The original adhesive broke down or was never the right choice to begin with. If all the bolts are tight but entire sections of the frame still move, you've got a glue problem. Bolts alone can't fix a bad joint; you need to disassemble and re-glue properly.

The RIGHT WAY to Fasten Wooden Outdoor Furniture

This section teaches the methodology that works for every furniture type. We use this in every build we make, and every repair technique below references these principles.

Pilot Holes: The 65–75% Rule

Before you put any fastener in wood, you drill a pilot hole. This sounds obvious, but most wobbling problems start here—people skip this step or get the size wrong.

A pilot hole should be 65–75% of your fastener's diameter. This prevents wood splitting and ensures the fastener grips properly. Too small, and the wood splits. Too large, and the fastener spins without holding anything.

• #8 wood screw (0.164" diameter) → pilot ~3/32" (0.094")
• #10 wood screw → pilot ~5/32"
• M6 bolt → pilot 4mm

Use Brad point drill bits—they prevent the wood from splitting better than standard twist bits. Drill perpendicular to the surface, at moderate speed. Vacuum out the sawdust before you install the fastener. These details matter more than you'd think.

Adhesive: Polyurethane Beats PVA for Outdoor Furniture

PVA (polyvinyl acetate) is what most people know as "wood glue." It's easy to use, clamps fast, and sands well. But outdoors? It fails. Year one it's at around 95% strength. Year two it drops to around 80%. By year three you're looking at around 60% and falling. After five years outdoors, PVA joints can fail completely.

Polyurethane glue (for example, Gorilla Glue) is waterproof and stays at 95% or higher strength even after five years of outdoor exposure. It:

• Expands as it cures (about 3x the original size), so it fills gaps
• Needs slightly damp surfaces to cure (light mist, not soaking)
• Needs about 24 hours for full cure

For outdoor furniture, polyurethane is non-negotiable.

Fastener Material: Stainless Steel Only

Galvanized fasteners seem cheaper, and they are. But they're a false economy. In coastal areas, galvanized bolts show visible corrosion in 3 to 6 months. The fastener starts eating itself, and your connection weakens.

• 304 stainless steel works inland and in freshwater environments, lasting 10 to 20 years. It prevents rust staining on cedar or redwood.
• 316 stainless steel (marine grade) is required within about 1 mile of the ocean. It handles salt air where 304 will corrode.

Never mix fastener types. A galvanized bolt next to a stainless steel fastener creates galvanic corrosion, and both metals deteriorate 2 to 3 times faster.

Proper Tightening: The Sequential Method

You can't just tighten bolts one at a time until they're "tight." You'll warp the furniture, strip holes, and create uneven pressure that loosens again quickly.

The RIGHT WAY uses two passes:

First pass (partial tightening)

1. Install all fasteners loosely.
2. Hand-tighten each one about a quarter turn past snug (no wrench yet).
3. Measure the frame diagonally (corner to opposite corner).
4. Adjust pieces until both diagonal measurements match (frame is square).

Second pass (sequential final tightening)

1. Use a wrench now.
2. Find opposite corners or bolt pairs.
3. Tighten corner 1 ("snug plus 1/4 turn").
4. Tighten opposite corner 2.
5. Tighten corner 3, then opposite corner 4.
6. Go around 2 to 3 times until all bolts feel even.
   

Always use:

• Flat washer under the bolt head
• Flat washer on the opposite side
• Lock washer between the flat washer and the nut

Pattern: Head to Flat Washer to Wood to Flat Washer to Lock Washer to Nut.

1. Dining Chairs: Stop Wobbling at the Seat-to-Back Connection

Dining chairs usually wobble where the backrest connects to the seat. People sit, stand, lean back, and over months that repeated motion loosens fasteners. You end up with support arms that have literally had screws back out, and now the backs feel loose.

Standard repair fastener: Eagle Claw 304 stainless #10 x 2" (inland) or Eagle Claw 316 #10 x 2" (coastal)

If your bolts are just loose, re-tighten using the sequential pattern:

1. Hand-tighten all bolts.
2. Check diagonals and square the frame.
3. Tighten in opposite-corner sequence with a wrench.

Check quarterly because dining chairs take a beating.

If bolts spin and won't tighten (stripped holes). your holes are enlarged. Fix with a dowel repair:

1. Drill out the hole to about 3/8".
2. Glue in a hardwood dowel with polyurethane.
3. Let cure 24 hours, sand flush.
4. Re-drill a proper pilot hole.
5. Reinstall with Eagle Claw 304 #10 x 2" (or 316 near the coast).

Upsizing from the original #8 to a #10 spreads load, reduces re-stripping, and turns a temporary fix into a long-term one.

If the whole back moves even with tight bolts, that's a failed glue joint. Disassemble, clean old glue, use polyurethane, clamp 24 hours, then reinstall with Eagle Claw stainless using the sequential tightening method.

2. Adirondack Chairs: Address the Spreading Problem

Adirondack chairs are comfort kings but geometrically tricky. Those wide, laid-back sides create outward pressure that wants to spread the legs apart.

Standard fasteners: Eagle Claw 304 #8 x 1 5/8" or #10 x 2" for key joints

If the chair feels solid when you sit but wobbles sideways, that's frame racking and spreading.

1. Tighten base bolts using the sequential method.
2. Focus on front and rear leg joints first.

If the legs keep spreading, check for diagonal or cross-braces underneath.

• If braces exist: make sure they're tight and using proper stainless fasteners (Eagle Claw 304 or 316).
• If braces don't exist: you may need to add them to prevent long-term spreading. Fasten braces with Eagle Claw #10 x 2" or upsized where needed.
  

If moisture is the main trigger If the wobble gets worse in humid months and eases in dry months, that's seasonal movement. Plan on quarterly tightening and make sure all bracing uses stainless (304 inland, 316 coastal).

3. Dining Tables: Handle Multiple Bolt Systems and Uneven Surfaces

Dining tables typically use several bolts to connect legs to an apron or frame. One over-tightened or under-tightened corner makes the whole table rock.

Standard table fastener: Eagle Claw 304 #10 x 2" (or 316 coastal)

If your table wobbles side-to-side, first check if the floor is level:

1. Put a level on the tabletop.
2. If the bubble is off, shim the legs until the top is level.

Then:

1. Loosen all leg bolts slightly.
2. Square the frame (check diagonals).
3. Tighten back up using the sequential method with Eagle Claw #10 x 2".

If bolts keep loosening, you're probably tightening unevenly or missing lock washers. Rebuild the connection with:

• Proper washers and lock washers
• Sequential tightening
• Eagle Claw stainless fasteners (no galvanized)

4. Garden Benches: Manage Long-Span Wobbling

Garden benches are long spans, so they love to rack with one corner pushing forward while the opposite pulls back.

Standard bench fastener (light to medium use): Eagle Claw 304 #10 x 2.5"

Heavy-use bench (3 or more people, daily use): Simpson SDWS #10 x 2.5" structural

If the bench feels twisted,

1. Measure diagonals from corner to opposite corner.
2. If they differ, your frame is racked.
3. Loosen slightly, square the frame, then tighten using sequential method.

If wobbling returns every season, the bench is long and small wood movement shows up as wobble.

• Plan quarterly tightening.
• Make sure all frame bolts are stainless Eagle Claw (no galvanized).
  

If the bench regularly carries 3 or more people, upgrade critical joints to Simpson SDWS #10 x 2.5". SDWS is structural, tested for high load, and holds preload better under heavy, shifting weights.

5. Rocking Chairs: Prevent Loosening from Repetitive Motion

Rocking chairs have repeated, rhythmic motion that slowly works fasteners loose.

Standard rocker fastener: Eagle Claw 304 #10 x 2"

If bolts loosen once or twice a year, that's normal for rockers.

1. Tighten using the sequential pattern.
2. Don't over-tighten because rocker blades and leg joints can crack if crushed.

If you're tired of chasing looseness

• Use blue threadlocker on Eagle Claw fasteners.
• Tighten sequentially and let the threadlocker cure.

6. Lounges and Chaise Chairs: Manage Extended Frame Stress

Lounges have long frames that want to sag and twist under full-body weight.

Standard lounge fastener: Eagle Claw 304 #10 x 3"

Heavy-use daybeds: Simpson SDWS #10 x 3"

If the leg rest droops under weight,

1. Tighten all frame bolts using sequential method.
2. If sagging remains, add a brace or additional fasteners.
   

Use Eagle Claw 304 #10 x 3" for normal lounges, and Simpson SDWS #10 x 3" where people are effectively using it like a bed.

If bolts loosen regularly, schedule quarterly tightening. Verify stainless fasteners and correct pilot holes.

7. Sectional Sofas: Manage Multi-Piece Connections

Sectionals are multiple frames bolted together. Each connection is a wobble candidate.

Frame fasteners: Eagle Claw 304 #10 x 2"

Connector hardware fasteners: Simpson SDS connector screws (for sectional brackets)

If one section shifts relative to another,

1. Isolate that connection.
2. Tighten frame bolts with Eagle Claw #10 x 2".
3. Make sure the sectional brackets are using Simpson SDS screws, not generic wood screws.

Simpson SDS is purpose-built for bracket connections and holds far better than generic screws.

If the whole sectional feels unstable,

• You may need more brackets plus Simpson SDS fasteners.
• Treat each section as a small bench: square and tighten each, then lock the sections together.

8. Picnic Tables: Handle Heavy-Duty, High-Use Wobbling

Picnic tables get hammered with kids climbing, adults shifting, and weather all year.

Standard table fastener: Eagle Claw 304 #10 x 3"

Heavy-duty (parks, families of 5 or more, rental or Airbnb use): Simpson SDWS #10 x 2.5 to 3"

If wobbling starts within months,

1. Re-tighten everything sequentially.
2. If bolts still loosen, replace key joints with Simpson SDWS #10 x 2.5 to 3".

Simpson SDWS is engineered to stay tight under constant shifting, thermal cycling, and vibration.

If the table lives outside year-round,

• Tighten 4 times per year (start and end of each big weather season).
• Always use stainless (304 inland, 316 coastal) to avoid rust streaks on the top and legs.

9. Porch and Deck Chairs: Handle Lighter-Duty Wobbling

Porch chairs usually see lighter use but still loosen over time.

Standard porch fastener: Eagle Claw 304 #8 x 1 5/8"

If your porch chair wobbles,

1. Treat it like a dining chair but with lighter duty.
2. Tighten quarterly instead of monthly.
3. Use Eagle Claw 304 #8 x 1 5/8" for typical joints.

If your porch chair still wobbles, upsize to Eagle Claw #10 x 2" where the wood allows.

10. Side and Accent Tables: Prevent Loosening from Movement

Side and accent tables get dragged, bumped, and moved around. That motion loosens connections.

Standard side table fastener: Eagle Claw 304 #10 x 2"

If bolts loosen after you move the table,

1. Tighten using the sequential method.
2. Add lock washers if not present.
3. Use Eagle Claw #10 x 2" stainless to prevent corrosion and staining.

11. Storage Benches: Handle Dual Stress (Seating + Storage)

Storage benches carry weight on top and on the bottom (inside the box).

Standard storage bench fastener: Eagle Claw 304 #10 x 2.5"

If the lid sags or the top feels spongy,

1. Check interior supports and hinge bolts.
2. Tighten all with Eagle Claw #10 x 2.5".

If the seat surface wobbles,

• Treat it like a garden bench top: square the frame, tighten with the sequential method, use proper stainless fasteners.

12. Ottomans: Simple Four-Leg Stability

Ottomans are simple but get kicked, slid, and dragged constantly.

Standard ottoman fastener: Eagle Claw 304 #8 x 1 5/8"

If your ottoman wobbles,

1. Tighten all leg fasteners.
2. Make sure all four legs sit flat, shim if needed.
3. Use Eagle Claw #8 x 1 5/8" for reassembly.

13. Bistro Sets: Lightweight Three-Piece Systems

Bistro sets are small, light, and show even tiny amounts of looseness.

Standard bistro fastener: Eagle Claw 304 #10 x 2"

If the table tips easily,

1. Tighten the base connection using Eagle Claw #10 x 2".
2. Make sure the frame is square and the table sits level.

If the chairs are loose,

• Treat them like dining chairs, but with lighter expected loads.
• Use Eagle Claw #10 x 2" for key joints.

14. Wooden Swings: Safety-Critical Fastening

Swings are a different category because any wobble is a safety issue.

ONLY use: Simpson SDWS #10 or larger structural fasteners (316 or coated depending on coastal vs inland)

Before each use

1. Check every suspension bolt by hand.
2. If anything moves, don't use the swing until it's fixed.

For repair or installation

• Use Simpson SDWS structural fasteners on all critical joints.
• Install with: Head to Flat to Wood to Flat to Lock to Nut.
• Tighten using the sequential method.
• Make sure the frame is perfectly square (equal diagonals).

Maintenance

• Check monthly in heavy-use seasons, quarterly otherwise.
• Swap out any rusty or sketchy fasteners with Simpson SDWS.

Fasten Your Wobbly Outdoor Furniture the RIGHT WAY

Wobbly outdoor furniture is almost always fixable. The real difference is whether you use the right glue (polyurethane), use the right fasteners (Eagle Claw 304/316 or Simpson SDWS/SDS), drill correct pilot holes, tighten in sequence, and commit to simple seasonal maintenance.

Do that, and your wooden outdoor furniture stops wobbling, stops creaking, and starts feeling like what it should've been from the start: solid, predictable, and safe for the long haul.

If you need expert advice on what screws to use to fix your wobbly outdoor furniture, ask one of our experts.