ASSEMBLING FLAT PACK FURNITURE
Tools required :- Battery drill / driver, cross head screwdrivers, Stanley knife, scissors, small hammer, small adjustable spanner, 1 or 2 small containers.
Assembling flat pack furniture can be many a home owners nightmare, but if you follow a methodical route, you can assemble almost anything without having to spend the money you saved on flowers, or a week with a marriage guidance councillor.
Start by carefully unpacking your self assembly unit, using a Stanley knife and / or scissors. You can use the packaging to protect both the floor covering and the unit from being scratched, if you are assembling a large item, such as a wardrobe make sure you have plenty of room in which to build it and an assistant to help if required. Open a window if the room is warm, as patience can decrease as the room temperature increases.
You will usually have an assembly drawing and parts list with the unit, spend five or ten minutes checking all the parts and fixings are included with the unit, there is nothing worse than having a screw or two missing when you have half assembled the unit. Place all the fixings and small parts in one or two containers so they don’t get ‘lost’ . Check all the unit parts are in unmarked condition as they sometimes pick up a few knocks during storage and delivery.
Have a good look at the ‘How to assemble’ drawing, read it from start to finish before you pick up any tools, I am as guilty as the next person for ‘its only a tv stand, what do I need a drawing for’ and then spend the next 3 hours trying to prove I was right, when I could have assembled the unit in about 15 minutes.
When you are assembling the unit, take care you don’t use the wrong length of screw by mistake at the wrong point during assembly, as many units use screws that appear to be the same but can vary in length slightly.
Battery drill / drivers can help to speed up assembly of most units, just make sure it is set on low speed with a low torque setting as screws can easily be driven through chipboard etc by mistake, I normally tighten up the last couple of turns of screws and bolts with a screwdriver or small spanner, as you can judge when they are ‘tight’ much better by hand.
Hopefully you have assembled your piece of furniture successfully and without incident, like anything, the more experience you get, the better you become at flat pack assembly.