There’s nothing more fulfilling than a good day’s work, and it feels even better when you know that you were able to finish all of your tasks. After being productive all day, you definitely deserve to relax and just sit back and enjoy the rest of the evening.
And when it comes to relaxing, there’s no better way to do it than watching your favorite TV show while comfortably seated in your favorite recliner chair.
But why does it have to be a recliner chair? Why not just a plain old chair? Recliner chairs are a lot more comfortable to sit on than regular chairs.
They are equipped with several features that bring an added level of comfort to anyone who sits in one. One of the most common benefits of using recliner chairs is improved blood circulation.
When you spend a huge part of your day sitting at your work desk or standing for long hours as you accommodate customers or guests, your blood doesn’t properly circulate. When you remain in the same position for the most part of the day, gravity begins to draw blood concentrated at the lower half of your body.
As a result, you end up having swollen feet and clogged veins. Recliners help in the proper circulation of blood. It is particularly more helpful for elderly people who are not that used to active lifestyle anymore.
Recliner chairs are obviously more expensive than regular chairs. Fortunately, there are a lot of makes and models that are available to choose from.
Some brands design recliner chairs with very decent quality for an affordable price. Even so, they still don’t come as cheap as you’d want them to be, which is why you have to make the most out of the recliner chair that you have.
You’ll maximize its worth by keeping it functional for as long as possible. You can’t just dispose of them easily because of minor damages.
That being said, the rest of this article talks about a few tips on how to fix a recliner chair. It discusses the problems that recliner chair owners usually encounter, and also talks about the ways of fixing them.
How to fix a recliner: the faulty lever
Recliner chairs have a lever that’s usually located at the side of the chair and is used to raise the foot rest. Continued use of the chair would cause the handle to break or the lever’s interior to strip at some point.
Once that happens, the foot rest won’t be raised anymore and you will also have trouble reclining the chair.
Solution
If your recliner chair is still under warranty, you can request a lever replacement from the manufacturer. Or if you have some extra cash, you can acquire a universal lever for recliners from the nearest upholstery shop.
Materials/tools needed
- Recliner lever replacement
- Torx-head screwdriver
How to fix it
- Stand at the rear of the recliner. Tip it forward, such that the back and arms of the recliner touch the floor
- Check the bottom of the chair and look for the set screw. Once you have located it, use the torx-head screwdriver to remove the screw
- Remove the broken lever and pull the escutcheon underneath it
- Carefully slip the new escutcheon including the new lever on top of the recliner mechanism that’s adjacent to the recliner. Using the torx-head screwdriver, make sure that it is securely attached
- Put the recliner back to its upright position
Fixing a sinking seat
As the seat’s padding is compressed over time, it will lose its cushiony effect and it will give you the sensation that you’re sinking when you sit on it. It’s even more uncomfortable if you’re used to leaning on one particular side of the seat; that makes the sunken part uneven because that side of the seat will break-in first.
Solution
The best way to fix a sinking seat is to replace the padding altogether. If you have a little upholstering experience, you can try to do it on your own, but if you don’t you can always ask the help of a technician.
Conclusion
Broken levers and sinking seats are the most common reclining problem that needs to be fixed. But aside from that, there are other issues that need to be attended to in order to extend the lifespan of the chair.
