Has your recliner started irritatingly leaning to one side, and you are wondering how to fix it?
If yes, then rest assured! We will tell you how to improve your recliner in easy and simplified steps.
The sole purpose of a recliner is to help you relax and put all your stress away by just leaning back comfortably.
However, you may become uncomfortable if your recliner starts leaning to one side. Ultimately, it can cause discomfort, prolong your back pain, and even frustrate you.
You may have been enduring all this because you don’t know how to fix a recliner that leans to one side. In most cases, recliners become bent over time due to being old or used recklessly. Therefore, your recliner needs regular maintenance.
Let’s see how you can fix it!
What Is The Cause Behind Leaning Recliner?
There are various reasons behind the leaning of your recliner. Sometimes, the problem is as simple as some loose screws or springs that need to be tightened.
Analyzing all the possible reasons can help you find a suitable way of fixing the problem. It’ll also help you realize if you need professional help or not.
Some of the significant issues are discussed below:
1) Problem Related To Reclining Mechanism
When your recliner’s mechanism starts to collapse, the chair is just next in line. It means that the sliding frame is malfunctioning that is responsible for moving your chair back and forth.
Moreover, it’s the most common cause behind the leaning of the recliner. Fortunately, it’s also easy to fix. You can either restore the damaged parts of the sliding frame or realign the frame.
2) Fragile Chair Frame
It is not because of being rough with your recliner; instead, it’s a problem at the manufacturer’s end. A poorly constructed chair frame can also be the reason. You can feel something is off, or it doesn’t feel right when you sit in your recliner chair. So, you can detect if the chair frame is flimsy right at the beginning.
This problem mainly occurs in low-priced recliners. Reason being that they are made of relatively inexpensive material. You can file a complaint to the manufacturers and get your recliner replaced if the warranty is still effective.
Otherwise, you can also repair the frame on your own by removing the padding of the recliner.
3) Uneven Floor
You should check if the floor is raised or lowered at some point before positioning your recliner. Also, the chair frame gets stretched when one side of the recliner is more elevated than the other.
It ultimately leads to the recliner leaning to one side. You can use a spirit level to check if your floor is even or not before placing the recliner. However, it would be harmful to let your recliner sit on an uneven surface; shift it immediately. If the problem persists after moving the recliner, then you can try repairing it.
4) Uneven Padding
It’s a problem regarding the appearance of the recliner rather than its structure. It may seem like your recliner is leaning to one side, but in fact, it’s the padding that’s uneven.
To solve this problem, you can rearrange the padding or get a new set of paddings.
Alternatively, there may be a spring that’s poking out and making the paddings slide away.
The springs in recliners are intensive. You may get hurt while pulling them out due to their high recoil. So, you’ll have to locate the spring and detach it carefully.
5) Diminished Framework
This problem is mainly because your recliner has aged. With prolonged usage, recliners are meant to be worn out. The screws of the frame start loosening up. You can detect a loose structure by noticing if it creaks when you sit on it.
After detecting the problem, you can find parts compatible with your recliner’s model. Replace every faulty part, and you are good to go.
However, this problem usually prevails in older models – the newer models are more durable. Therefore, it’s more suitable to get a more recent model in the future.
Tools Required For Fixing The Recliner
You’ll only need a few basic things to repair your recliner. You might even have some of the tools already.
Even so, you should note down the following tools and gather them up to start working.
- Screwdriver: You can easily find screwdrivers with different heads from any hardware store. You might even have some in your toolkit. You’ll need a screwdriver to loosen the screw that secures the panels together.
- Wood Glue: It is used to glue together broken panels or hardening the wooden joints. It is more adhesive than regular glue. You’ll have to apply it uniformly on the recliner’s wooden surfaces. It’ll fix dents and cracks on wooden panels.
- Pry Bar: It is a flat iron rod. You’ll need it to detach panels forcibly. However, you must be careful to prevent further damage to the recliner. Figure out if the panels are supposed to open before forcing them.
- Oil: You’ll need oil to grease rusted and squeaky joints. It will help in removing the joints effortlessly. You can apply it either through a spray or a drip.
- Newspaper: You’ll need something to cover the oil drips. Some old newspapers are the best choice for that purpose.
How To Fix Your Recliner – 7 Easy Steps
Step 1: Remove the padding and anything covering the frame. When the frame is uncovered, you can quickly determine which parts need to be fixed. Move the recliner upside down so that you can easily approach the covered wooden panel.
Step 2: The second step depends upon the affected area of your recliner. Regarding that, disassemble the wooden panel and the footrest. Remove the screws from the boards. Place the screen in a box because you’ll be needing them to reattach the panels.
Step 3: Check the joints and springs; if they are creaking, apply oil to lubricate them. Be careful with the oil drips; place newspapers underneath the recliner. After lubrication, try moving the frame and see if it still creaks.
Step 4: Now examine the framework to locate loose joints. Once you’ve found them, grab the screwdriver and bolt them. However, be cautious of the joints near springs as they might recoil, and you will hurt yourself.
Step 5: Look carefully across the joints and frame for small cracks. If you see any cracks, then you have to replace the parts that have visible line cracks immediately. These cracks are the root of malfunctioning in the long run.
Step 6: Replace the broken parts. Remove them with the screwdrivers. For installation, you can check the recliner’s manual. Also, you need to follow the instructions carefully. After installation, recheck if the parts are attached correctly.
Step 7: Check the wood panels. Suppose you notice any damage or cracks. Then you can apply wood glue to the damaged surface. You can support the panels by adding metal braces. After repairing every possible defect, check if everything is functioning correctly. Lastly, put the upholstery back on the recliner.
Rules To Keep in Mind While Fixing Recliner
There are a few principles you should follow to repair your recliner with ease. It will help you work more safely and professionally. Surprisingly, many know about these rules but don’t pay much heed to them. As a result, they end up doing a clumsy job. Here are the major rules you should keep in mind:
- Don’t forget to check for objects that have been trapped in your recliner for ages. In most cases, objects are the cause behind the bent recliner.
- After repairing the recliner, remember to fasten the joints tightly to stay intact for an extended period.
- Suppose you are facing difficulties while repairing. Then you can ask someone (friends and family) to help you. In this way, you can get the job done without exhausting yourself.
When To Get Professional Help?
You may have been struggling to find the problem, let alone fix it. Maybe you found the problem but still cannot fix it. No matter what you do, you can’t seem to be getting anywhere. Well, this might be because it’s a large-scale problem. You certainly cannot fix such defects on your own.
So please call in a professional to fix it for you. Here are some signs that you need professional help:
- You followed the instructions properly and even fixed the part you thought is causing problems. Yet, the issue prevails.
- You have been struggling to resolve the issue for more than three days with no possible results.
- You might have made the recliner’s condition even worse than before.
Conclusion:
Certainly, recliners are one of the best inventions that exist to date. They are comfortable and cozy. However, if your recliner starts leaning to one side or the other, you must fix it as soon as possible. Sitting on a bent recliner is uncomfortable and beats the whole purpose of the recliner.
You may have assumed that fixing a recliner is a tough job, and you cannot do it by yourself or without an expert’s supervision. But that’s old news now! With the help of this article, you can quickly fix your recliner whenever it malfunctions.
Related Articles:
How to Fix a Recliner Mechanism?
How To Attach And Detach The Back Of A Recliner?
How Do Recliners Work? (Manual, Automatic & Electric)