The zipper on the jacket is coming apart. How to fix it?

Zipper is one of the most popular types of fasteners. Clothes and shoes with such accessories can be found in any person’s wardrobe. It is easy to use, has an aesthetic appearance, is practical, and provides better protection from wind, snow or rain.

Different materials are used to make the fastener: plastic, metal. But, no matter what material is used, the fittings often break.

Why lightning may diverge

To correctly find out the reason for a product failure, you first need to determine the type of failure. Perhaps the problem will not be too big and you can fix it yourself.

The most common types are:

• the clasp diverges at the very bottom;
• slider jamming;
• the slider dangles or, conversely, gets stuck;
• The lower teeth of the fittings fell out.

The causes of breakdowns include:

• careless use. With rough use, frequent tugging with force, the zipper fastener begins to loosen.This leads to the fact that the teeth begin to fly out, and the slider cannot close the zipper;
• improper storage. If you store things with such a fastener folded, the zipper may bend;
• wear. With prolonged use, the fastener elements begin to wear out;
• unfavorable weather conditions. Snow or rain have an additional negative effect on the fittings;
• low quality. The lower elements of the fastener often fail. They begin to fray. This is explained by the fact that the zipper was poorly sealed during production.

Clothes and shoes are purchased for long-term wear. Therefore, failure of the zipper can cause inconvenience to owners. You should not throw away a damaged item, as the fastener on a jacket or boots can be repaired or replaced with a new one.

How to fix a zipper

There are several ways to fix a broken fastener at home.

Using pliers

This repair option is the simplest. For everything to be done correctly, you just need to follow the instructions:

• Clothing with a broken zipper should be placed on a flat surface;
• the fastener needs to be aligned;
• Insert one end of the fittings into the pawl, then press it firmly with pliers;
• if after such procedures the lock begins to slide easily, then the damage has been eliminated;
• if the damage persists, you should clamp the lock with pliers so that its outer and inner parts are inside them;
• After this, use pliers to carefully pull the lock up. This is required for the slider to fall into place.

Using scissors

Usually, when a breakdown occurs, the fastener slider remains on one of its halves.In this case, the repair will be carried out as follows:

• You should take the half of the clasp free from the lock in your hand;
• lower the slider as far as possible;
• using scissors, make a small cut between the cloves;
• put the lock on both halves and fasten it all the way.

Important! If you lubricate the cut area with glue, the zipper will last much longer.

Repair with a screwdriver

This option is only suitable for metal fittings. The screwdriver must be inserted into the lock bosom and slightly expanded. After this, you need to insert the second half of the zipper into the bosom and clamp the slider using pliers.

How to rearrange a broken slider

If none of the troubleshooting options help, then the lock will need to be replaced. Zippers can be easily purchased at any specialty store. It is worth considering that they all have different sizes. As a rule, it is indicated on the surface of the “dog”.

The replacement procedure looks like this:

• Using pliers, you need to carefully remove the old slider. To do this, you should first unclench one half of the “dog”, and then the second. Then remove the lock;
• Next, you should slightly compress the sides of the new zipper. This can be done using scissors. After this, the slider is put on the zipper in its lower part;
• Use pliers to gently squeeze the petals of the dog. This must be done without using brute force. Otherwise, the clasp may be damaged;
• a zipper with a new slider should be fully zipped and treated with graphite or paraffin. Then check its functionality.

How to prevent breakdown

The best option is prevention and careful use of the fastener. This way you can avoid hardware failure.For prevention, it is advisable to periodically lubricate the clasp with a regular pencil lead. You can use other substances: oil, lard, candles.

Important! When choosing a lubricant, it is necessary to take into account the fabric from which the clothing is made, as they can leave greasy stains that are difficult to remove on the surface.

In addition, you need to properly care for the clasp:

• If dirt gets into the gap between the teeth of the lock, it must be removed immediately. This can be done with a regular toothbrush;
• Products with a plastic fastener must be ironed carefully to avoid the hot iron getting on the plastic elements. Otherwise they may melt;
• It is advisable to wash clothes with a zipper by first turning them inside out.

Carrying out repairs yourself is quite simple. This is done using available tools. But all these measures are most often temporary. And in the future, you will need to completely replace the fastener on your jacket or other clothing. To prevent this, you need to carefully use the zipper and take care of it.