How To Fix A Floor Lamp Base?

It can be a great relief when you finally find that perfect floor lamp – the one that fits your room design perfectly in terms of style and level of illumination.

But then, say there’s an accident, and the base cracks or breaks. Or it shows signs of wear over time.

Do you have to return to the original store and replace the entire unit, hoping they still stock it?

You can replace floor lamp bases by unscrewing the lamp’s stem – the whole stem may be threaded or held in place by a nut on the underside of the base. For vertical lamps, use a wider base for stability. For overhanging lamps, use a metal base, or fill one with concrete to add weight.

In this guide, I’ll explain:

• How you can replace a floor lamp base
• Choosing the right replacement base
• How to stop a lamp from wobbling

How To Replace A Floor Lamp Base?

Replacing a floor lamp base is usually relatively straightforward, provided it has a separate base.

If your floor lamp is a larger, thicker design, the base may be incorporated into the actual structure of the lamp – like a tall vase.

With those, the whole structure of the lamp is essentially broken, and you likely need to replace the unit.

But if it is a lamp with a base at the bottom and then a pole or stem up to the lampshade, you can replace the base if needed.

Typically the pole for the lamp will be screwed into the base in one of two ways:

• The base itself may be threaded, with a raised stem, and the pole is screwed onto it
• The pole may penetrate the base and then be held in place on the underside with a nut or some other tightener.

Unplug the lamp, remove the lampshade and bulb, and then carefully turn it upside down.

Can you see any fasteners on the underside? If not, look for other sides of the base being held together – is there a panel with screws?

If the pole is held in place from the underside, you should be able to determine how by looking at it. You can then use a screwdriver or a wrench to disconnect it.

If there are no signs of how the pole is held in place on the underside of the base, turn the lamp right-way up again and, firmly grabbing the pole, twist it anti-clockwise.

It should come loose. Keep unscrewing it until you can remove it from the base.

How To Select The Right Replacement Base?

Once you have the lamp disassembled, you can start working on getting a replacement base.

Finding a replacement base may be challenging – they aren’t typical parts sold. You will find few on Amazon, but an excellent place to try would be Etsy.

Or, if you are okay with second-hand, check Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree to see if anyone is selling an old broken lamp but with a base that would fit your lamp.

If you’re feeling creative and are handy with tools, you could make your own.

But you can only pick a base – you need to ensure it is compatible with the pole for your lamp.

If you have a threaded pole, you’ll ideally want one with a base it can screw into – so you’ll need to check the dimensions.

For lamps where the pole needs to be secured to the base from the underside, ensure it has a hole that can slide through.

Again, you want the dimensions to be tight because if the hole is wider than the lamp pole, it will wobble. Although you may be able to fix this with neatly-applied sealant.

As well as the fit of the base, you also need to choose a suitable weight.

With fully vertical lamps, the weight isn’t a huge issue. Instead, width matters more – if the weight of the lamp is fully central, it will only tip over if the base is too narrow.

But if you have an overhanging lamp, you need a heavy base to stop it from tipping over automatically.

So choose a solid metal base. You could also find a hollow base and fill it yourself – for contained bases (hollow on the inside that you can open up and then seal), you could use sand, and for open bases, you could mix a small amount of concrete to fill in the base.

How To Tighten A Wobbly Floor Lamp?

Is the lamp leaning over? You certainly don’t want it to actually fall – that could lead to a smashed bulb and some unnecessary fixing expense.

There are two reasons your lamp could be wobbling:

• The lamp’s structure is loose
• The lamp is on an uneven surface

With a loose lamp, you’re essentially working on the reverse of dismantling a lamp.

Start by ensuring the lamp is unplugged, and the bulb and shade are removed, then try twisting the lamp pole clockwise.

If that doesn’t tighten it up, flip the lamp over and check the base for any loose fixtures – whether it’s any additional feet (if the lamp is not a flat base) or the pole is loose on the underside.

If the lamp is on an uneven surface, you can fix it by choosing a wooden display.

This will provide a wider, flat surface to absorb the bumps and uneven surface of your carpet or flooring and give the lamp a more sturdy base to remain upright.

Also read: Where To Position Floor Lamp?

Final Words

Floor lamp bases are relatively easy to replace. Not because it’s hard to dismantle them but because it doesn’t tend to be a spare part that you can easily buy.

Yet it’s worth looking because if you can find a base that fits your lamp, you can avoid replacing the entire thing – better for your wallet and avoiding more waste in the world.

Make sure you use a wider base for taller lamps and that it’s heavy enough to support any uneven weight near the top.

Have you ever thrown away a lamp you loved? Have you tried reviving one yourself?