furniture assembly hints
Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 6:00AM 
You’ve made the decision to buy a piece of furniture—which is a big commitment—even bigger if it requires assembly. Whether you choose to follow the enclosed instructions is a matter of choice but either way, these few simple hints can get you through it—hopefully happier and faster!
1. Start with a clean, clear work surface. There’s nothing more trying or time consuming than stepping over empty boxes, losing parts or damaging something you already own.
2. Work in a well lit area. Let’s face it, sometimes you have to crawl inside the case to tighten a cam lock. Avoid scratching surfaces by not having to search for them in the dark with a Philips head.
3. Start with the proper tools. Don’t waste time searching junk drawers for a wrench or trying to figure out if a dime or a penny will substitute as a screwdriver.
4. Make sure you have all the parts needed before you start. There is nothing more frustrating than getting it all done…except for the center support or the last drawer glide. We know, we’ve heard from you. If something is missing, call 1-800-606-6252 asap.
5. It’s ok—and sometimes required—to ask for help. Even though you were able to get both boxes of the dining table in your car doesn’t mean it wouldn’t help to have help putting it together. Attaching the legs is the easiest furniture assembly there is—but turning a table onto its feet by yourself is near impossible.
6. Allow plenty of time and patience. Like remodeling, it will often take longer than you think—but if you do finish fast, do a little victory dance. Even we, who assemble furniture on a daily basis, will sometimes have to unscrew and do-over a step because we put a panel in backwards, or put it in too soon, etc. etc.
7. Follow the instructions. We all want to do things our own way but—trust us, we’ve been through this—there’s a reason why step 2 comes before step 4.
8. Know what you’re in for before you buy. Ask our sales associates, or check out what “assembly required” really means by downloading PDF versions of the instructions on cb2.com.
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Reader Comments (2)
Great read, thanks.
I once failed point 8 and resulted in a $300
heap of wood...
Cheers
STEP 1: Pay someone to do it.
STEP 2: Enjoy.
Who was it that said, no self-respecting man over 30 should be buying furniture he needs to put together? LOL.