So, I called a couple of the people I know here in Boston, and my friend Karen came over to help me contemplate the sofa situation. "If nothing else," I told her, "bring some objectivity, because I think I've lost all sense of that with this situation." She arrived just as I was contemplating whether I would be able to get it successfully reupholstered if I just sawed it into thirds and moved it up that way.
Turns out, it looks like you should be able to detach the sofa legs (although, it is not certain that removing said legs will solve the problem). The sofa legs are held on by 10 really long screws. Karen and I were able to get 5 of them out, and then decided we needed to go to a hardware store and get some WD40. This helped us get 2 more. So 3 screws left, which we can't get to turn and fear that we are on/past the verge of totally stripping the screws. So, what now? Seriously, I'm calling on the blogosphere for help: if anybody who is handy with these sorts of things has any ideas about how I should proceed, let me know! I don't want to sound desperate here, but I am, in fact, desperate here.
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19 comments:
Another anonymous Cambridge reader here, though this is my first comment. Perhaps I'll join the merry band of stalkers you've acquired.
Anyway, if you get really desperate, you can try Melo and Sons Upholstering in Somerville: (617)776-6810. They can disassemble your furniture, move it, and then reassemble/reupholster it once it's in your apartment--all in about 30 minutes.
I had this done for a leather couch that was too big for the 1950s-era stairway, and they were great. It's almost worth it just to watch them do it.
-Dan
Dan's comment is absolutely correct. I had to use them too, when I moved into my apartment in Newton. In my case, it took them more like 45 minutes, but still, what's 45 minutes of your life compared to the angst of losing your Pottery Barn couch?
So, at this point you have what to lose?? Go for stripping (or not) the 3 remaining screws. Man, I hate a half-assed (disassembly)project. So -- who's moving this up the stairs IF you get the legs off and IF it fits? ~~ Paulette
P.S. - I am NOT a stalker. Just an interested party. ~~pj
Man, why don't I ever get any real stalkers?
I assure that there was nothing half-assed about the screw removal efforts earlier this evening.
I'm considering the Melo option. I wonder how much it would cost.
hate to let information slip... but most sofas that i've examined break down with a few screws and bolts into some relationship of re-assemblable back, sides and bottom. usually one cannot tell this without untacking the bottom cover, which is usually either tacked or stapled on. once you discern the disassembly possibilities, you might find out that you can just take it apart, move it inside, and then put it back together.....
but... don't tell anyone, it's a secret. the other secret is to use clean tools when disassembling and reassembling furniture.
YOU DID IT!
No, that last another was just another (seemingly sage) person named Jeremy. Despite spending years in trademark court, I still haven't found a way to force everyone else with Jeremy on their birth certificate to use some other name.
"last another" = "last comment" in comment above
I'm afraid the best I could come up with was to post a note about all this over on CT and see if anyone there has any suggestions.
Unhang the door you are trying to get the sofa through. Then you can rotate the sofa more once it's vertical, feeding the arms through first then turning.
JamesW as anonymous
Try tightening the screws a LITTLE, before you untighten them- hat may free them up. Also, there are 'impact' drivers- tha one hits with a hammer- which then put pressure in the direction in which they're set (much like a socket wrench does- or, rather, like a Yankee screwdriver). With legs off, I'd go with James' "door removal" suggestion, and move it through with its horizonal axis aligned vertically.
Muscle & brains. Contact Harvard Student Agencies, and hire two students. Last time I did this I got two Marines who were at the Kennedy School; they moved a horribly huge desk into my house. I stood and watched. -- LH
can't you take the window frames out and bring it through the windows?
Titan Movers.
On the Boston side,
every apartment seems
to have your problem.
Basically, if it can
be done, Titan can
do it. Probably,
they have a file on
your apartment from the
last N times they moved somebody in or out.
Didn't Douglas Adams address this problem already, in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency?
Believe it or not, a true sofa moving story:
Years ago we were trying to get a curved 4 seater upstairs in a friends house. Trying to manoeuvre it around the turn in the stairs, we dropped it, and it wedged itself irretrievably in place.
Crowbars, hammers and car jacks couldn’t shift it!
After a full days futile efforts, we ended up extracting it in several pieces, with a chainsaw…
I have treated sofa moving with a healthy degree of respect since then.
I was moving into new place in Manhattan day before Christmas. Everything was going as it suppose to, movers came on time; everything was packed loaded to the track and moved into new apartment. Unfortunately my $3500 sectional sofa could not fit into elevator or staircase. It was too large to be taken upstairs. I was panicking. Because building had no storing place, I could not leave it in the lobby or outside. I was afraid no one will be able to do anything at that time. I called manager of the moving company David Cohen from Divine Moving and asked him what to do. He gave me the number of "All Furniture Services" (347) 528-7777 and told me that they are always able to solve that kind of problems for them and that they are very professional and experienced, and it happens many times that they Dismantle, brake down furniture / sofa same day within couple of hours.
I called them. Person with name Michael answered the phone. I explained him my problem and told him that I need my sofa been Disassembled and Assembled / Dismantled. And he said No Problem. We can come disassemble and Assemble your sofa and if it is must be done today it will be done today. I was so happy to hear those words. Well they gave me 2 hour window for service. Moving company wasn’t even done with putting my staff into new apartment when Technicians from All furniture Services came over Take Apart my sofa put it inside of my apartment and assembled it back together. You can not even say that it was dismantled; in fact they assembled it with extra brackets and supports which made sofa even stronger. They gave me Life Time warranty on that. And all that cost me just $200. Considering day and time, response and service quality I would say Dave from Divine moving was right, All Furniture Services was the best
I took their business card for future, and after 4 days one of my friends was moving and she had same problem I gave her their web side www.servicefurniture.com and phone number 347-528-7777. She called them and they provided same professional service to her. She was so happy and thankful that I decided to write about this so it may help some other people as well.
Here is information of "All Furniture Services"
Phone number: (347) 528-7777
Email: service@servicefurniture.com
Web: www.servicefurniture.com
Same Day 24/7 Service Available!
Rated # 1 Service Company in NYC
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ALL FURNITURE SERVICES
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Serving Entire New York Metro Area!
Tel: (347) 528-7777 or (888) 575-6757
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