You have bought a new sofa or you are moving house, only to discover that the sofa will not fit through the doorway. In some cases, removing one or both sofa arms can provide the additional clearance needed to get the furniture safely into the room.
However, sofa arms are not always designed to be removed. The construction varies significantly between manufacturers and sofa styles, and attempting to dismantle the wrong type of sofa can damage the frame, upholstery or internal mechanisms.
Before forcing a sofa through a tight opening or attempting to take it apart, it is important to understand how the furniture is constructed and whether there is a simpler solution.
When Can Sofa Arms Be Removed?
Some sofas are manufactured in sections, with arms, backs, feet or other components designed to be removed for transportation.
This is particularly common with certain modular sofas, corner sofas and furniture designed to be assembled inside the home.
Other sofas are constructed very differently. The arms may form an integral part of the wooden frame and may be upholstered, stapled and secured as part of the main structure. Removing these components requires considerably more specialist work.
The fact that you cannot see obvious screws or bolts does not necessarily mean that the sofa cannot be dismantled. Equally, visible fixings do not always mean that removing them is safe.
A professional assessment can establish which components can be removed without compromising the sofa.
Measure the Sofa and Doorway First
Before considering dismantling, measure both the sofa and the complete access route.
Do not measure only the width of the front door. You should also consider:
- The clear width and height of the doorway.
- The sofa’s height, depth and width.
- Hallway width.
- Corners immediately inside the entrance.
- Staircase width and height.
- Bannisters and handrails.
- Landings and turning space.
- Additional doors between the entrance and the final room.
The available space for rotating and tilting the sofa can be just as important as the dimensions of the doorway itself.
A sofa that appears wider than a doorway may still pass through when correctly positioned. Conversely, a sofa that should theoretically fit may become impossible to manoeuvre because there is not enough turning space on either side.
Try the Simple Options First
Removing the sofa arms should not normally be the first step.
Before considering professional dismantling, check whether any easily removable components can reduce the overall dimensions.
Remove Loose Cushions
Take off seat cushions, back cushions and any loose pillows. This reduces the weight of the sofa and can make it easier to manoeuvre.
Check Whether the Feet Are Removable
Many sofas have feet or legs that can be unscrewed or detached.
Removing them may provide enough additional clearance to get the sofa through a doorway or around a difficult corner.
Check for Modular Sections
Corner and modular sofas are often designed to separate into individual sections.
Look for obvious connection points between the sections rather than attempting to dismantle the upholstered frame itself.
Consider Removing the Door
Taking the door itself off its hinges can sometimes provide useful additional clearance.
This is considerably different from removing the actual door frame, which is not normally necessary simply to move a sofa.
What If the Sofa Still Will Not Fit?
If removing cushions, feet or modular sections does not solve the problem, the next step is to assess how the sofa itself has been constructed.
This is where Sofa Assist’s upholstery expertise becomes particularly valuable.
Rather than simply forcing the furniture through the opening, we can examine the sofa and determine whether sections such as the arms or back can be professionally removed.
Where appropriate, the sofa can then be dismantled sufficiently to pass through the restricted access before being carefully reassembled inside the room.
Can You Remove Sofa Arms Yourself?
It depends entirely on how the sofa has been manufactured.
Some furniture has arms designed to be detached using accessible fixings. If the manufacturer specifically provides instructions for doing this, following those instructions may be straightforward.
However, many upholstered sofas are not designed for household dismantling.
The fixings may be hidden beneath upholstery or lining material, and removing the arm can involve working with fabric, staples, internal timber and structural connections.
Attempting this without understanding the construction can lead to:
- Torn or stretched upholstery.
- Damage to the wooden frame.
- Broken brackets or fixings.
- Misaligned arms when the sofa is rebuilt.
- Loose or unstable furniture.
- Damage to electrical or reclining mechanisms.
If the arm is not obviously designed to detach, professional dismantling is generally the safer option.
What About Corner Sofas?
Corner sofas can sometimes be easier to move because many are manufactured in separate sections.
Before assuming that the arms need to come off, check whether the sofa separates where the individual sections meet.
Some sections simply lift away from connecting brackets, while others have manufacturer-specific fixings.
Once separated, the individual pieces may be considerably easier to move through a doorway or staircase.
If the sections themselves are still too large, further professional dismantling may be possible.
Can Sofa Beds Be Dismantled?
Sofa beds need additional care because of the metal mechanism contained inside the furniture.
The mechanism adds considerable weight and may also affect how the sofa can be dismantled.
Trying to remove or alter a sofa-bed mechanism without understanding how it is secured can damage the furniture or create a safety risk.
If a sofa bed will not fit through the available access, it is better to have its construction assessed before removing structural components.
What About Recliner and Electric Sofas?
Recliner sofas can also be more complicated than standard upholstered furniture.
They may contain:
- Reclining mechanisms.
- Motors.
- Electrical wiring.
- Control units.
- Cables and connectors.
- Metal framework.
Some recliners are specifically designed so that the backs can be removed for transportation, but this varies between models.
Before dismantling an electric or reclining sofa, make sure you understand exactly how the components are connected.
How Professionals Dismantle a Sofa
Professional sofa dismantling is different from simply undoing a few visible screws.
The first step is to assess the sofa’s construction and identify which components can be removed while causing the least disruption to the upholstery and frame.
Depending on the sofa, this could involve removing:
- Feet.
- Arms.
- Back sections.
- Modular sections.
- Internal fittings.
- Selected upholstery to reach concealed fixings.
The objective is to dismantle only as much of the furniture as necessary.
Once the individual components have passed through the restricted access, the sofa can be rebuilt in its intended position.
Protecting the Sofa During the Move
Whether the sofa remains complete or is dismantled, it should be protected while being moved.
Protective blankets can help shield upholstery and exposed surfaces from scuffs and marks. Particular care should be taken around corners, doorways, bannisters and walls.
The route should also be cleared before lifting begins.
Removing small pieces of furniture, rugs, ornaments and other obstacles reduces the chance of somebody tripping while carrying a heavy sofa.
Techniques for Getting a Sofa Through a Door
Sometimes dismantling is not necessary at all.
Experienced movers may be able to change the sofa’s orientation to get it through the available opening.
Depending on the furniture and property, this may involve carefully tilting, rotating or standing the sofa at an angle.
However, a sofa should never be forced.
If significant pressure is needed to push it through the doorway, stop and reconsider the route. Forcing furniture can damage the sofa frame as well as doors, walls and surrounding decoration.
What If There Is No Suitable Route Through the Door?
Occasionally, even professional dismantling will not provide a practical route through the property’s internal access.
Other possibilities may then need to be considered.
For example, some properties have a larger window, balcony entrance or alternative access point that provides more space than the staircase or front doorway.
The appropriate solution depends entirely on the property and the sofa.
What to Do If Your Sofa Does Not Fit
If your sofa will not fit through the door, start by checking the simple things.
Remove loose cushions and check whether the feet or modular sections are designed to detach. Measure the sofa, doorway and complete access route carefully, and consider whether changing the angle of the sofa provides enough clearance.
If it still will not fit, avoid forcing it or attempting major structural dismantling without knowing how it has been constructed.
This is where a specialist sofa dismantling service can help.
Sofa Assist combines professional furniture moving with upholstery knowledge, allowing us to assess difficult access problems and determine the safest way to get a sofa into or out of a property.
Where dismantling is appropriate, we can carefully take the necessary sections apart, move the sofa through the restricted access and rebuild it once it reaches its destination.
The result is a practical solution to a sofa that initially appears impossible to move.