How to disassemble antique furniture

Moving furniture is a tiresome activity. You need to do a ton of work — making inventory lists, measuring, dismantling, packing and unpacking. What is more, you can damage your furniture, walls, and cause serious injuries by lifting weight. A lot of furniture movers Chicago enlists take care of everything. But if you want to save money, try dismantling and packing on your own. Remember that it can be very tough to disassemble antique furniture and move it. Unlike with modern items, it is not all about unscrewing several things.

Why should you dismantle old furniture by yourself?

There are many reasons why people don’t want agencies to help them with this task. One of the main reasons to choose to dismantle old furniture by yourself is to lower costs. Another one is that antiques are usually valuable and evoke memories so that people don’t have enough confidence to let others deal with them. We can say that it’s not either hard or simple to do it. Follow this guide and you will probably manage to finish it successfully.

Steps before you disassemble antique furniture

Keep in mind that planning ahead is essential when relocating. No matter whether you are a self-mover or you are hiring some local Des Plaines movers to assist you, it is very important to possess advanced organizational skills. Needless to say, it is time-consuming and exasperating. But with an efficient plan and schedule, you can succeed. Therefore, before you get a screwdriver into your hands and dismantle old furniture, you will have to take various steps. 

• Decide if you really want to move it

First, decide if it is necessary to relocate that item of furniture. If it is extremely old and damaged, it is most probable that you wouldn’t be able to take it apart without causing any more damage. 

Second, most moving companies charge based on the weight and volume of belongings. Since the greatest amount of antique furniture is heavy, wonder if moving solid-wood items is really worth it. You may end up having to pay through your nose for such services. 

Third, unless that piece of furniture is really important for you and your family, you might wish to sell it and earn some money. This is always a good tactic if you decide you don’t need that item. 

• Measure everything to check if it fits

Without a doubt, it is of utmost importance to measure everything. Firstly, find the measures of the rooms in your new home. Besides, before you take old furniture apart, you will have to measure it. Why do you need all those figures? They are necessary so that you can see if the old furniture fits the new space. 

• Get the right tools to disassemble antique furniture 

You can’t do the disassembly using your hands only. In order to dismantle old furniture safely, you need some basic set of tools that you can easily find in specialized stores. For this task, you will use: 

• a set of screwdrivers
• a set of wrenches
• a hammer
• special tools if necessary

Besides, you ought to divide all the small parts, such as bolts, screws, etc. and put them into separate sealable plastic bags. Label the bags clearly so that you know which part belongs to which item of furniture. 

Why should you disassemble antique furniture?

Once you decide to relocate your old furniture to your new home and do all the measuring, you can go on to prepare those possessions for the move. You probably know that moving bulky items requires dismantling because, otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to take them out of the room. To illustrate, you simply can’t lift that one-century-old wardrobe and pass freely through the doorway and tiny halls. Due to those issues, you have to take old furniture apart and simplify the relocation.

Steps on how to take old furniture apart

There are numerous items that can be dismantled. However, the way you do that depends on the type of furniture. It is crucial to be careful and patient when you decide to disassemble antique furniture and relocate it. You don’t want to destroy your great-grandma’s wardrobe you have been keeping for ages. 

How to disassemble an old wardrobe?

1. Empty and remove all the drawers and shelves.
2. Detach the glass parts using special screwdrivers.
3. Unscrew the hinges and remove the doors.
4. If not glued, try unscrewing all the other parts.

How to dismantle an antique bed?

1. Remove the bed linen, mattress, and drawers (if any).
2. Unscrew the headboard and then the sideboards.
3. Dismantle the bed frame if it isn’t glued.

How to disassemble old chairs, armchairs, and sofas?

1. Remove the cushions.
2. Unscrew the legs.
3. Take apart all other parts that you can, e.g. armrests, backrests, etc.

How to take old desks and tables apart?

1. Take out all the drawers, trays, glass or other tops.
2. In the case of desks, unscrew all the parts to separate the elements.
3. As for tables, turn them upside down and unscrew the legs.

Is it always possible to disassemble antique furniture?

It is important to emphasize that not every item of furniture can be disassembled. It is not easy to dismantle old furniture, but it is almost impossible for glued or nailed items. Even professional movers don’t want to take them apart since they risk causing damage or destroying such furniture. 

If you can’t dismantle old furniture by yourself

If you feel like you don’t have enough time or you find it extremely difficult and risky, ask for some help. You can find loads of movers that can disassemble antique furniture in a safe and professional way. There is no need to worry. Those people are professionals and won’t allow anything bad to happen.