Whether you are trying to move your beloved recliner just across the room or if you are packing up your favorite recliner on the moving truck to move across town or across the country, there are times where you need to take your recliner apart in order to get the job done effectively and without damaging your recliner.
Whether you have a soft or standalone chair, most if not all have the ability to take the back off of it so that it is not as awkward, clunky, or heavy to move around. No matter why you need to know how to take apart a recliner chair, below are all the tips you need to get the job done easily and successfully!
Recliners that need to have the back removed
Several recliner brands such as the Berkline recliner are very large. As such, you often need to take the back off of the recliner just so that it is small enough for you to get it through the frame of the door and into another room or out of the house to the moving truck.
Taking the backs off of large recliners like this will make it easier to lift and manipulate the chair. Below is the step by step guide for taking the back off of your recliner:
- Take the chair and move it to the middle of the room, and carefully push it forward so that it is leaning on its front, bottom panel
- Locate the upholstered fabric at the bottom of the chair- it should be attached with a hook and a loop or with very durable tape
- Take this lower bottom fabric and fold it back so that you are able to see the chair’s mechanism
- Next, locate the thumb screws on the chair: they should be between the chair arms and the lower part of the chair
- Once you have located the thumbscrews, take them off by turning them counterclockwise
- At this point in the process, you can easily lift the back straight off of the chair and it will pop right off. If it does not come off right away, you may need to wiggle it back and forth a little bit so that it comes off of the brackets
How to take apart a recliner that has a lockable back
Other recliners, such as the La-Z-Boy recliners, have a back that has a lock on them and are extremely easy to take apart once you know what you are doing. In order to take this type of recliner apart, you will need to get a screwdriver that is either flat-headed or a Phillip’s-head screwdriver.
- The first step you need to do is move the chair forward so that it is leaning on its front cushions. This way the back is easy to get too and the wall will not be in the way
- Locate the strip of fabric in the back that is on the chair base and detach those strips so that you can access the back easily
- Once the fabric is removed, you will be able to see the inside of the chair and see the brackets on both sides of the chair that are located close to the arms.
- Pull the levers down that are on the back of the chair- this is what will lock the back of the chair in place. This step is where you will need your screwdriver as you will need to unscrew it on both sides of the chair.
- Once the levers are unlocked, you can then put the chair back in its correct position
- Grab the back part of the chair and lift straight up. The brackets should slip right out, but you may need to rock the chair just a bit if it does not slip immediately.
Taking apart a long recliner or small reclining loveseat/couch
When it comes to a recliner or reclining sofa that is a little bit longer than your average recliner, such as the Simmons reclining couch, you need to push the entire couch in it’s upright position to the middle of the room where you have plenty of open space to get to work.
- Roll the fabric all the way up and flip it over the back of the couch or chair so it is completely out of your way
- Find the tabs that lock the back into place and use a screwdriver to release them
- Once the locking tabs are released, pull up on the chair and remove the back from the brackets
How to re-install the recliner when you get it where it is supposed to be
Now that you know how to take your recliner apart without breaking it, you automatically know how to put it back together again. All you will need to do is the opposite of the taking apart process and you will have it back together again in no time!
Make sure to screw everything together tightly so nothing wobbles or falls off when you go to sit down and relax at the end of the day. Once back together, replace the bottom fabric so all of the inner mechanisms are hidden once again.
As you can see, taking apart your favorite recliner to move it around really does not have to be as complicated as it sounds. All you need is a little bit of patience, a trusty screw driver, and plenty of open space so you can get it taken apart.
You will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly the process really is, and it will be so much easier getting it through doors, to new spaces, or to new homes than it would have been if you tried to lift and move it without taking it apart.
Related Post: How to Fix a Recliner Chair Back?