How To Take Apart An Ashley Reclining Couch

By  Flora Richards-Gustafson

Things Needed

  • Camera

  • Plastic zipper bags

  • Permanent marker

  • Screwdriver

  • Wrench

Tip

If your reclining couch is electronically powered, you may need to separate connections so you can take the sofa apart properly. As you separate parts of the sofa from the electric components, take care to not pull on the electric cords. For specific directions about your Ashley reclining sofa model, request a user manual from the store where you purchased the furniture.

The reclining couches sold by Ashley Furniture Industries can be up to 42 inches deep, making them difficult to fit through narrow doorways or corridors in a home. Some of the assembled reclining sofas are particularly hard to move, as these can weigh about 260 pounds or more. Taking apart an Ashley reclining couch is a trick some professional movers use, because the task of moving the sofa from room or to another house becomes easier, especially if you have to complete the chore by yourself.

Locating the Release Mechanisms

Step 1

Unplug your Ashley reclining sofa if you use buttons or a remote control to make the footrest extend and the back recline. Failing to complete this step can result in personal injury or an electrical fire.

Step 2

Use a camera to take pictures of the recliner as you take it apart. The pictures will come in handy when it comes time to reassemble the couch.

Step 3

Locate the release mechanisms. Depending on the model of your Ashley couch and the year it was built, you may find release mechanisms in the back of the sofa or in the hollow space underneath the seats. If you have a recliner upholstered in fabric, such as the Sorrell model or something similar, the back of the sofa may have a fabric panel that is attached with Velcro. Lifting or removing this panel may reveal levers or mechanisms that you can adjust to disassemble parts of the couch.

If your sofa is made of leather or does not have a Velcro panel, slide your fingers into the seams in the back of the couch. You may feel a lever that allows you to remove the back from the rest of the couch. If the lever within the seam feels tight, you might need a screwdriver to adjust and loosen it.

Step 4

Gently tip the sofa onto its back so you can look at the frame and hardware under the seats. From this view, you will see the mechanisms that hold the arms, back, mid-ottoman, footrest and springs in place.

Taking Apart the Reclining Couch

Step 1

Prepare plastic zipper bags. Label them by couch part so you can store the small pieces of hardware that come off the couch such as screws. Label one bag "footrest and mid-ottoman" and another "left arm."

Step 2

Adjust any levers you found in the back of the couch to remove the back of the seat and the arms from the sofa.

Step 3

Tip the couch onto its back. Remove the mid-ottoman and footrest, which are located at the front of the couch at the bottom. Use a wrench and/or screwdriver to remove these components from the metal base.

Step 4

Remove the meal base from the couch.

Step 5

Loosen the levers, bolts or screws on the sides of the couch and arm brackets so you can remove the arms from the sofa.

Step 6

Remove the rails and support members along the bottom of the seat. Then you can further separate the back of the couch from the seats, as well as any spring sets.

Step 7

Detach the center console from the couch if you have models like the Tafton, Knockout or Sorrell.

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