Seat Weaving Rates
Rate Schedule for Seat Weaving
The rates listed on this web page are effective January 1, 2012.
We conduct rate reviews on both regional and national levels to provide our clients with the most competitive rate schedule we can. We use a Flat Rate Schedule in most of our projects, so you know the total price of the project before we begin. The rates listed below do not involve counting holes or gathering detailed measurements. The rates we state below are competitive with current markets in our region. If we find a broken seat rail, we fix it, so the final product you receive is guaranteed to last.
The listed rates cover materials for the seat reweaving (except for Shaker seats), removal of old seat material, chair rail prep, re-gluing of joints, and minor chair repairs.
Free estimates are provided.
Payment Schedule: 1/2 down at the time services are engaged and the balance at the time of final billing.
Discounts are applied for seniors, projects that involve multiple chairs (a set of dining room chairs, for example), and for established collectors, antiques dealers, and furniture refinishing businesses.
Shipping information is included below for those who wish to ship chairs to our workshops. We also provide drop-off locations in many areas of central and western PA, bringing our services to your hometowm. You can arrange to drop-off and pick-up chairs in Corry, Meadville, State College, and Aaronsburg, PA as well as Erie, PA.
Hand or Strand Caning
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Cane Webbing or Prewoven Caning
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Binder Cane Seat Weaving
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Canoe Seat Repair
We repair caned seats in canoes. We prefer to use natural caning, but will use plastic caning on the request of a client. The rates for natural and plastic caning are the same.
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Fiber Rush Seat Weaving
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Danish Cord
Danish Cord seats are woven using a double strand technique. The cord used is a twisted kraft paper that has been wound into 3-plies. There are two types of cord; the unlaced has a smooth finish, while the laced has grooves imprinted along the plyed areas, creating more of a cord or rope appearance. In most cases, the laced cord is used, but you can request the unlaced style as well. There is no difference in the rates listed below.
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Splint or Flat Reed Seat Weaving
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Shaker Tape Seat Weaving
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Custom Projects
We are pleased to undertake special projects where the client may have a vision for a chair seat design or wants to restore a chair and seat to its original design. Drawings and pictures can help us to determine the best plan of action for each project. We prefer to develop a plan to works for your expections and budget, so we will develop a detailed proposal that you can review, revise, and approve. The cost of custom project is affordable. We do enjoy bringing a chair back to life as we help to create family heirlooms. For custom projects we charge $45.00 for the first hour, then $35.00 per hour thereafter. In our proposals we provide time on task estimates, so our project proposals include a final project cost that we stick by. Let us know how we can help bring your family heirlooms back to life. |
Shipping and Insurance Coverage
Clients are responsible for the cost of insurance and shipping to and from the TaleWeavers' workshops in Erie and Aaronsburg, PA. Shipping chairs can be expensive. The best rates that I am aware of can be obtained from the following shipping agents.
- Greyhound PackageXpress
800-739-5020
Package must be sent and received from your local Greyhound PackageXpress location (a Greyhound bus terminal). - FedEx (call the 800 number and ask for "Chair Rates")
800 GO- FEDEX - UShip
This online service allows you to post the items you want shipped, then shipping agents in your area will bid on your shipping needs. Many of the agents are individuals or small moving companies.
Staining of Seats
Caning Materials
The staining of caning material is difficult. Cane is the outer bark of Rattan and will not take a dye or stain very well. We use an oil-based blending stain and spray a light Shelac coating (only to the front of the caned panel) to provide a hard shell over the stain. It is still possible for stain applied to cane material to rub and flake off.
Natural caning will darken over time (3-5 years), and develop its own patina through use and exposure of the caning material. It is best not to apply shellac, vanish, or urethane to the underside of the caning material. This will seal the caning material, making the caning brittle.
We charge an additional $25.00 dollars to stain and treat any caned seat, webbing, handcaned, or binder cane.
Splint or Flat Reed
Flat reed or hardwood splints can be stained easily. We use an oil-based stain. A light shellac coating can be sprayed onto the final seat to create a light glossy look.
We charge an additional $25.00 to stain any flat reed or hardwood splint seat.
Fiber rush
Fiber rush is typically made of twisted paper. A protective coating applied using a solution of Denatured Alcohol and Clear or Amber Shellac provides some protection for the seats.
We apply a Shellac/Alcohol solution to all our Fiber Rush seats as part of the installation. No additional charge.
Natural rush
It is best not to apply any stain or coating onto natural rush material.
Danish Cord
Danish cord seats are typically not stained or treated.
Wicker Repair and Restoration
$45.00 for the first hour.
$35.00 per hour after the first hour.
An estimate is necessary for wicker restoration.
| Full Restoration: the removal and reweaving of the entire wicker, round and flat reed and any frame wrapping and trim work and leg dressings that are or were a part of the chair. | $45.00 base charge, then 30.00 per hour | An example would be a child’s rattan chair that needs all the cane material replaced. The chair seat is round reed and the frame is wrapped in 4mm caning. |
| Estimated time: 5 hours | ||
| Partial Restoration: the replacement of any broken, brittle, or missing pieces but the material that is still solid would not be removed, but rather ‘freshened.’ New material would be primed and painted to give an even look and feel to the chairs. | $45.00 base charge, then 30.00 per hour | An example would be a wicker rocker, which needs the arms and front decorative panel rewoven. The rewoven sections are painted white to match the rest of the rocker. |
| Estimated time: 3 hours | ||
| Refurbish (air clean and Wear & Tear repairs) | $45.00 base charge, then 30.00 per hour | An example would be a wicker chair that needs the front panel repaired and some of the spokes along the back of the chair seat need replaced. The chair needs brushed up and repainted. |
| Estimated time: 2-4 hours |
