From Sofas to Bookshelves: How to Assemble Products at Home

  Everyone's been there. You're sitting on the floor in the middle of your living room, boxes and packaging material strung about. The instruction manual -- if it came with one -- is a jumbled mess. Where are those A16 screws?! It said you needed an Allen wrench. Where's the Allen wrench?! You start to reconsider your brilliant plan of saving a few bucks and not going with the pre-assembled furniture. Now, well, here you are.

  The home decor is booming in the U.S. and it's expected to grow even more. By 2020, the industry should reach $664 billion in sales. That's a lot of frustrated people trying to figure out which panel is "B" and which is "D." Believe it or not, there are a few universal tips for assembling furniture.  These tips will make it easy to assemble products at home. Don't believe us? Take a look.

  If the retailer offers a return policy, you can get away with opening the box at home. Before you do, find a space that allows you to spread all the contents out. You should also use a flat surface like tile or hardwood. Carpet is not the ideal work surface for assembling furniture. But, put a piece of cardboard if you can down first to avoid scratching the floor.

  When you take everything out of the box, lay it all out in groups. The hardware should come packaged in little plastic bags that are marked. Some manufacturers put all the separate bags into one larger one, which is much easier. If you don't have that luxury, make sure you have each set of screws, etc. you need before you get started on the assembly.

  Separate the components as much as you can, too. If you're building a bookcase, put the two ends together. Then the top and bottom. Then the shelves. Also, check that you have all the tools you need. Find the Allen wrench before you get halfway through and realize you threw it away with the box. In fact, don't throw the box out until you're finished. Just set it aside. This makes it easier on you when you get to step 3.

  Sometimes we look at all the pieces and figure we got this. We don't bother reading the instructions and toss them aside. We get to the very end and realize we've used the wrong screws for the wrong pieces. Now, everything has to get broken down and started from scratch. You can alleviate this by laying out the instructions and reading over them. If you made clear groupings, you'll have an easier time following along. For example:Step 1: Find Panel "A." Do you see it in your pile? Great, move to Step 2.

  Keep following the order in the manual until you get to the end. This is also a good way to double check you have everything you need. Once you mentally go over the assembly itself, you should have no problem banging out your new piece of furniture.

  There are a couple of things to remember when you decide to assemble products at home. While it's very tempting to grab the cordless drill, in most cases, you don't need it. A manual Phillips head screwdriver works just fine. If you're assembling a dresser or bookcase, or anything else that can topple over, consider anchoring them for added stability.

  Finally, just be patient! Trying to rush through a furniture assembly leads to mistakes. Take your time and get it right the first time. If you buy unassembled furniture and decide it's not worth the headache, give Any Assembly a call! We're assembly experts that deliver excellent service at great prices.