A recliner which is known as a recliner chair is an upholstered arm rest chair that can be tilted backwards for the relaxing position of your body. It also features footrests that rise whenever the recliner tilts. It can also be adjusted in a suitable position for comfortably sleeping. 

Many modern types of recliner have features like independent footstool, adjustable headrest, lumbar support etc. They offer you  premium support by adjusting your weight and angle of your legs. Many recliners also provide massage, heat, vibration in order to make it more comfortable. Some recliners even added wheels to move easily. 

So if you are looking for comfort after a busy and hard day you must have a recliner at home. 

How To Remove The Back Of A Recliner

Necessary tools :

For taking apart the back of your recliner chair you’re going to need some essential tools. You need the proper tools for getting the job done. Perhaps you will find most of the tools in your home already. If not you can find these tools at your local hardware shops to buy. These are;

Screwdriver:

It’s a common tool which can be found in every household. If you are lucky then you can find it at your home cause it is used for multiple purposes. You will need the screwdriver for talking out the screws and unlocking the joints or panels of your recliner chair.

Oil:

You will need the oil for lubricating the joints to make it easy to move. It can make the joints free from rust and make your work easy. To simplify rusty nuts and taking screws the oil will play an important role. You can use spray or dropper to apply the oil where needed.

Wrench:

In some recliner bolts are adjusted with screws. So for taking out the bolts you have to have a wrench by your side. You are definitely going to find this tool at your home, cause it’s used for many different purposes.

3 common types of backs:

To take a part of the recliner first you have to remove the back from the chair. So there are 3 types of backs common for the recliner. They are:

Locking Tab or Catch:

The Tabs are mainly featured to securely hold the back into place. People can remove it by using their hand, but we recommend it to open it by using  the screwdriver cause it is easy to remove with a screwdriver. It makes the job easier and effortless.

On the other hand, Catches automatically locks into place, when the back of the recliner slides back on. Is’t very common for the Lazy Boy recliner.

Bolted on back:

Some of the recliner backs are secured by bolts behind although this is not common in recliners. The bolts are mainly held in place by securing the posts of the seat with the back of the recliner. Simply lift the panel exposing them and unbolt the back to remove it with a wrench. 

Locking levers:

This feature comes with metal ports connected on each side of the back of the seat. While leaning the back the brackets of the recliner chair slides onto those ports. These ports secure the back from detaching from the chair. They are situated at the middle back of the back and armrest. You need to flip the lever port to lock the back in an appropriate position for sitting comfort. You can lean back and forth by turning the lever for your own satisfaction.

So, you need to make sure that which types of back do your recliner contains. These types of features may work differently but removing the back of the recliner can be almost the same. If you want to remove the back then follow the instructions that are given in this article. You will easily learn how to remove the back of a recliner. 

Process of detaching the back of recliner : 

Moving the recliner to another room or upstairs can be difficult for the weight of it. You can harm the wall or floors just by doing that. The safest way for moving the recliner to take apart the back and carry it. That way you can easily do the work without any damage to your recliner or harming your body. So let’s carry on to the step by step procedure;

Step 1:  At first you have to move the recliner chair to a place that has enough room to operate. Make sure to check the floor before moving the recliner to that spot. 

Step 2:  Accessibility is the main key of the work. You need to roll the recliner on it;s front to remove the back more easily. 

Step 3:  You have to locate the loop or hooking tape for removing the attaching fabric of the back side. Once you find the loop in front then remove the loop which is attached to the fabric or leather with the back of the recliner.

Step 4:  You need to be careful while pulling the fabric or the leather to remove away from your recliner chair. After removing the secured fabric or leather frame base, lift up the upholstered panel.

Step 5:  You must continue removing the secure fabric until you find the mechanism of the recliner chair. 

Step 6: After finding the mechanism which was secured behind the fabric you have to look for a metal tab.You can see the metal tab pointing downward. If you don’t find any tab then search for thumb screws which should be located somewhere near the lowest point and below the armrest of the recliner chair. 

Step 7:  You will need a standard slotted or flat headed screwdriver to remove the screws. So after finding the screws you need to turn them anti- clockwise to take out the screws.If the screws are rusty then apply some oil to lubricate it. Put them in a safe location to find them quickly while installing the recliner again. If the screws are adjusted with bolts then you must use a wrench to open the bolts and take off those screws.

Step 8:  And If your recliner features the metal locking tab then just hold and press the tab firmly forward while you continue pulling the bottom of the chair upwards to unlock the mechanism securely. If your finger is not reaching the tab then you can use a flat headed screwdriver or a pinch to get the job done.

Step 9: After that the mechanism should be unlocked. Then you can safely pull the back upwards straight direction to remove the back of the recliner.

Step 10: You can move the back side to side and shake it if you have any difficulties removing the back from the bracket of the recliner. If there is any friction, work it will slowly help you remove the back of the recliner.

And just like that your recliner is now movable, since you take apart the recliner, you can carry the back and the body pretty easily. They are not so heavy while separated from each other. So, if you follow these instructions correctly then you can easily remove the back of a recliner. 

how to remove the back of a recliner sofa

Don’t sit on the chair before reassembling the back for safety reasons.

Some Important Tips:

If you want to remove the back of the recliner safely and easily then you have to follow these rules step by step. But there are some special tips which will make your job more efficient. These rules play a very important role while taking off the back of a recliner;

  1. Before starting the operation make sure to move the recliner to an area that has enough room for it. 
  1. Check the floors if it is equal for four legs of the recliner before moving to that place. Unequal places can make the process much harder for you.
  1. You have to look for the dripping oil while applying it on rusty screws or bolts. Always wipe the extra oil.
  1. You can use an old newspaper or towel on the floor to prevent it from being slippery. 
  1. To promote weight distribution make sure to keep your recliner on an equal surface before removing the back.

Reassembling the Back again :

Incase if you are wondering how you’re going to reassemble the recliner after moving it to another place. Do not worry any more. You are also going to learn to reassemble the recliner here in this article. If you follow these rules then you’re definitely going to succeed in this job. So let’s get started;

  • At first take the back and slide it across the bracket of the recliner. Make sure that the back is between those armrests. The back of the recliner should be set into the bracket of the body.
  • In order to alienate the locking brackets with the ones that are located in the body of the recliner, lift the back at a slight angle if necessary.
  • Now you have to lower the back onto the body and make sure that the brackets are fully engaged with it. 
  • You can verify whether the back is fully engaged or not by standing behind the back and try to wiggle it right and left. If one or both sides of the bracket come out from it you can be sure that the back is not properly engaged. In this case you have to disassemble it again and repeat the process correctly in order to set the back to the recliner body. Continue following the previous step until you get it right.
  • If the previous step has been done correctly and the bracket of the back has been engaged correctly, then you need to take a flat headed screwdriver and push the locking lever all the way down. In this way the back bracket will be locked with the body and it will secure the back with the body of the recliner. 

Now the back of the recliner is placed in the sequre and proper position, you can use it again. If you fail to reassemble the recliner then you should call the professional to handle the work for you. 

What can we do if the Recliner Leans to One Side:

Sometimes we face many problems with the recliner. The most common of them is the learning problem. You’ll surely have faced this kind of problem while using it roughly. In this problem you may see the back of the recliner leaning on one or both sides. There are many reasons for the recliner to behave like that. Here we’ll talk about some common reasons and easy solutions to fix this kind of problem. 

Reason why recliner leans on one side:

There are few different causes for which the leaning problem occurred to one side. If you can figure out the cause then fixing the recliner would be easy for you. One the other hand some issues can be a bit hard for you fixing the recliner. You may need professional help for it. 

Many circumstances like worn out chair parts or working against it can lead the recliner to leaning one side. Possible causes including :

Unequal Floors:

By placing the recliner in an uneven floor can cause unequal weight distribution. An unequal weight distribution over time can lead to the leaning problem. If one leg of the recliner is more elevated based on the area and other legs then the pressure on one leg would be greater than other legs.

Which can cause stress on the components placed in that area. It may cause the parts to break or loose. Replacement parts may be available but you have to relocate the recliner from that area and place it on an even floor to avoid the leaning problem.

Weak Or Broken Mechanism:

There is a sliding frame that allows you to lean back and forth in a recliner chair. If there are any problems like broken or faulty components, then it can lead the recliner to a learning problem. This is a common cause which we often see.

Poor Built Of A Chair Frame:

You can notice the poor design and bad construction after using the recliner for a few days. You can check it by sitting on it the first few times. This is the common problem mainly with the lower end recliner models, cause those chair components are  made with cheaper material.

So the leaning problem can occur anytime. Most of the companies and manufacturers offer warranties for these chairs. So you have to take  the advantage soon before the warranty goes out.

If you don’t find these term for your problems then you need to follow the instructions step by step given below, 

Step 1: To get to the hidden wooden panel you have to place the chair in a position that you can easily access there. Then you have to loosen the screws on the wooden panel and also open the footrest too if It’s affected too.

Step 2: For a better viewing you need to remove any coverings that are hiding the frame. 

Step 3: Apply oil on any rusty spring or joints if necessary. You have to use some newspaper or towel to catch the drop of oil under the chair. It will prevent the ground from becoming slippery. Wipe out the extra oil.

Step 4: Now you have to place back on the joints taken off or loosen in this process with the screwdriver. Notice to be extra careful with the joints near the springs. If you don’t be careful enough then the spring can shoot off from the coils.

Step 5: If you notice any hairline crack or a big crack in the parameters of your recliner frame then you have to replace the frame as soon as possible.

Step 6: If you take out and want to replace any part then make sure to clean the area in which the part was placed. Then you need to read the installation manuals to set the new parts right.

Step: 7  Apply wood glue to fix any wooden broken or disconnected parts. It can be fixed perfectly by using wood glue. You can also use metal bracing by giving it an extra support.

Step 8: After that you have to check if the functions of all parts of the chair are good or not. If it’s all ok then cover back the mechanism with the wooden panels and adjust the coverings back on the frame.

These simple steps can surely fix the leaning problem of the recliner. If you follow these instructions properly might get the job done easily. 

How to Clean a Recliner:

It’s very disturbing when the recliner is dirty. It’s not easy to relax on a dirty recliner.  Sometimes we make the recliner so dirty that it produces a bad smell.

So it’s very important for us to keep the recliner clean. You need to clean the recliner regularly to keep the bad smell out. It may help you relax more comfortably on your precious chair.

Cleaning recliners will become more easy if you follow the steps that we are about to discuss below. Read carefully and apply correctly.

Types of recliner:  

People mostly buy their recliner which they consider by their choice. But the cleaning can be different if a recliner differs in texture. There are varieties in the texture of clothes which the recliner made of. Like,

  • leather recliners.
  • Micro fabric recliners
  • Upholstered fabric recliners etc

They have different cleaning processes for their varieties. You can choose which process you need for cleaning your recliner.

Cleaning leather recliners: 

If you have a leather recliner then you need to make a schedule to clean the recliner. Generally these types of recliner can be cleaned by using cloths or sponges. If you spill anything by mistake, keep a cloth around it to clean it before it stains. It needs to be clean under the seat because dirt can damage any mechanical part of the recliner. Make sure to check and clean under it once in a while.

Cleaning Microfiber recliners: 

Maybe the soft feeling of the fabric made you buy this recliner. But after some time you’ll notice the dirt that’s not easy to clean. So you need to be careful around these types of recliners. If you accidentally spill some dirt then you can use vacuum to clean it. You can also use brushes to all the dirt from corners of the seats. 

Cleaning Upholstered fabric recliner: 

There are always ways to clean your upholstered fabric recliner even if it’s dusty and old. Mainly you must follow the instructions which are given in the manual of the recliner. You will find the most preferable way to clean the recliner. If instructions contain ‘W’, then you can confirm that the recliner can be cleaned by using water.

On  the other hand if the tagline says ‘S’ then you cannot use water, you have to clean it in a solvent way. You can always use a vacuum to get rid of the dirt. If there are any stains that are not getting out then you can use some white vinegar and let it stay for some time. It will get rid of stain easily and you will wipe it with cloth or a sponge. 

These are the ways to take care of your recliner. Follow these steps carefully and apply to get benefited.  

Final thoughts:

The recliner is specially for relaxing your body after a long day of work. You must have a recliner in your house for experiencing comfort. For that reason you might need to move the recliner wherever you feel comfortable.

But moving can be hard for the weight of the recliner that can make health at risk. To avoid these risks you need to take a part of the recliner and make it easy to carry anywhere you like to place it. It’s not that hard to take apart the back of your recliner.

You can attach and detach the back of your own. So I hope that you’ll successfully get the job done by following these step by step guides. Hopefully you won’t have any trouble taking apart your recliner.