When something starts wobbling, sagging, squeaking, or suddenly stops working, the first reaction is often:
“It’s broken.”
Sometimes it is.
But after working with furniture and mattresses for years, we have found that many problems are much simpler than they first appear. A loose bolt, an unplugged connection, an improperly adjusted support leg, or a piece of hardware that shifted slightly can make a perfectly good piece of furniture seem like it has completely failed.
Before replacing something—or getting frustrated trying to figure out what went wrong—there are several things worth checking.
This guide covers some of the most common problems we see with mattresses, bed frames, recliners, sofas, tables, and other furniture.
We are putting this one first because it may be one of the most common furniture-related phone calls we receive.
A customer gets home with a new bed, starts putting it together, and realizes:
“I'm missing half the pieces!”
Before calling the store, check the back and inside of the headboard.
Then check the footboard.
Manufacturers frequently package:
Side rails
Slats
Support components
Hardware
Legs
Other assembly pieces
inside compartments built into the headboard or footboard.
There is often even a label saying something similar to “Parts Inside” or “Contents Inside,” but it is surprisingly easy to overlook when you are focused on assembling the bed.
We have had plenty of customers call worried that an entire box of components was missing, only to check the headboard and immediately say:
“Oh. There they are.”
So before assuming something did not arrive:
Check the back of the headboard.
Look underneath or inside any zippered or covered compartments.
Check the footboard.
Check every package before throwing away cardboard or wrapping.
Then compare what you have with the assembly instructions.
You may save yourself a phone call—and a lot of frustration.
If your bed has started wobbling, shaking, squeaking, or feeling loose, start with the simplest explanation:
Check the hardware.
Normal use creates movement over time, and bolts can gradually loosen.
Go around the entire bed and inspect:
Headboard connections
Footboard connections
Side rails
Cross supports
Slats
Center supports
Legs
Any brackets or connecting hardware
Tighten anything that has worked loose.
You want the connections secure, but do not overtighten hardware to the point that you damage the wood or strip the threads.
A small amount of movement can become a much bigger problem if it is ignored.
When furniture repeatedly moves around a loose fastener, that motion can eventually enlarge the mounting area or damage the surrounding material.
A two-minute tightening job can turn into an actual repair if you wait too long.
This is one of the most overlooked adjustments on a bed frame.
Many frames—especially larger beds—have support legs underneath the center.
Those legs usually have adjustable feet.
They are adjustable because your bedroom floor is not necessarily perfectly level.
The center supports need to be adjusted so they properly contact the floor and support the frame without forcing the frame upward.
Here's a simple test:
With the mattress and foundation removed, press on the center support or slat.
If you can push it downward and feel it bouncing before the support leg reaches the floor, that leg may need to be adjusted downward.
The goal is to have the support properly contacting the floor so the frame is supported evenly.
That small adjustment can make a significant difference in how the bed feels and how well the mattress is supported.
This is one of the easiest ways to damage a bed frame.
If you need to move the bed:
Take the mattress off.
Remove the box springs or foundation.
Remove anything else adding substantial weight.
Then lift the frame rather than dragging it across the floor.
Bed legs and center supports are designed primarily to carry downward weight. Sliding a fully loaded bed puts sideways force on those components.
That can:
Bend legs
Break center supports
Damage joints
Pull hardware loose
Put the frame out of alignment
Removing everything first may take a few extra minutes, but it can prevent a much larger problem.
This complaint needs a little investigation before blaming the mattress.
The first question we ask is:
Where is it sagging?
If there are obvious body impressions where each person sleeps, the mattress itself may indeed be wearing out.
But if the main complaint is:
“We both keep rolling toward the middle,”
especially on a king-size bed, check the support system first.
King beds commonly use two separate box foundations underneath one mattress.
If the middle supports are not adjusted properly, the center can sit lower than the outer portions of the bed.
The result?
Both people feel like they are rolling toward each other.
That can feel exactly like a sagging mattress even when the mattress itself is not the problem.
Before purchasing a replacement mattress, inspect and properly adjust the frame.
If the mattress itself has developed substantial permanent impressions or has stopped providing appropriate support, replacement may be the right answer.
Mattress life is not an exact number.
You will often hear recommendations in the general range of seven to ten years, but actual lifespan varies enormously depending on:
Construction
Materials
Body weight
How frequently the mattress is used
How well it is supported
Whether it is rotated when recommended
How well it is protected
How the mattress is treated
We have seen mattresses destroyed in an incredibly short period of time through extremely heavy use.
We have also seen the complete opposite.
Years ago, I visited a customer's home and saw an exceptionally old mattress.
It had originally been given to the couple as a wedding gift before the husband deployed during World War II.
Decades later, the mattress was still remarkably straight and clean.
There were no major dips.
There were no obvious stains.
It had simply been taken care of extremely well.
At the time, that mattress had been in use for somewhere around 70 years.
That is certainly not what anyone should expect from a modern mattress, and we would not suggest using that as a normal lifespan.
But it taught me something important:
How a product is treated matters.
There is a tremendous difference between normal use and abuse.
A manual recliner has a surprising amount of metal linkage underneath it.
If even one piece becomes slightly bent or moves out of alignment, the entire mechanism can behave incorrectly.
If your recliner suddenly:
Does not close evenly
Is difficult to open
Rubs on one side
Looks crooked
Catches during movement
inspect the metal mechanism underneath.
One of the easiest troubleshooting techniques is to compare one side with the other.
If the problem appears to be on the right side, look carefully at how the left side is positioned.
Then compare the bars, brackets, and linkage.
Sometimes you can visually identify one component that is slightly bent or sitting differently.
A relatively small alignment problem can create a surprisingly large operational problem.
Do not put your hands into a reclining mechanism while someone is operating it.
Recliner mechanisms have pinch points and moving metal components.
If something appears significantly bent, broken, or under heavy spring tension, professional service is the safer choice.
Before assuming the motor has failed, check the electrical connections.
Power furniture usually has multiple connection points, not just one plug going into the wall.
Depending on the model, there may be connections:
At the wall outlet
At the power supply
Between the power supply and chair
Underneath the chair
Between separate furniture sections
Going into the headrest
Going into controls or accessories
Over time, one of those connectors can work loose.
A headrest connection coming unplugged, for example, can cause part of the furniture to stop functioning even though the rest of the chair is fine.
Check:
Is the wall outlet working?
Is the power supply plugged in?
Are all connectors firmly seated?
Are any wires pinched or visibly damaged?
Did something become disconnected when the furniture was moved?
Power supplies can also fail, and fortunately they are often much easier and less expensive to replace than the entire recliner mechanism.
If your sofa contains reclining seats, most of the same troubleshooting rules apply.
For manual reclining sections, inspect the mechanism and alignment.
For powered sections, inspect every electrical connection before assuming a motor or switch has failed.
A reclining sofa is essentially combining conventional upholstered furniture with one or more recliner mechanisms, so troubleshooting should be approached the same way.
There is not a tremendous amount mechanically that goes wrong with a basic stationary sofa.
But one thing customers frequently overlook is leveling.
Many couches and reclining sofas have adjustable feet.
Your floor may:
Dip slightly in one area
Rise in another
Be uneven from one end of the room to the other
A perfectly square piece of furniture sitting on an imperfect floor can wobble.
Check whether every foot is actually making contact with the floor.
If the feet are adjustable, small changes can often level the furniture and eliminate movement.
This is especially useful with reclining furniture, where keeping the frame properly supported helps the mechanisms operate correctly.
If your dining table starts wobbling, don't ignore it.
Start by tightening the hardware.
Check:
Table legs
Cross braces
Pedestal connections
Base hardware
Leaf mechanisms
Any mounting bolts
You do not want to wait until the table is moving dramatically.
Repeated movement around loose hardware can eventually damage the attachment point.
Many tables also have small adjustable feet or levelers underneath.
These allow you to compensate for an uneven floor.
Before assuming the table itself is crooked, make sure all of the feet are properly contacting the floor.
A quarter turn on one leveler can sometimes fix what looks like a much bigger problem.
Dining chairs receive a lot of movement.
People pull them out.
They lean back.
They shift their weight.
Kids climb on them.
That constant movement can loosen hardware.
If a chair starts feeling loose:
Stop using it until you inspect it.
Check all accessible bolts and fasteners.
Tighten loose connections appropriately.
Look for cracks or actual structural damage.
A loose chair can become a broken chair surprisingly quickly if someone continues using it.
If a drawer suddenly becomes hard to open or does not sit correctly, do not immediately force it.
Check:
Is the dresser sitting level?
Is something blocking the drawer?
Did an item fall behind the drawer?
Is one drawer guide out of position?
Is the drawer overloaded?
Is hardware loose?
Sometimes the problem is not the drawer at all.
If the dresser is sitting unevenly, the entire cabinet can twist slightly, which may cause drawers to operate differently.
Always check that the unit is level and properly supported before assuming the drawer system has failed.
Handles and knobs loosen through normal use.
This is usually simple maintenance.
Periodically check them and tighten as necessary.
If you notice one becoming loose, deal with it early instead of repeatedly pulling on it while loose.
Continued movement can damage the mounting hole or finish.
Tall dressers, chests, bookcases, and similar furniture deserve additional attention in homes with children.
Never allow children to climb on:
Drawers
Shelves
Dresser fronts
Cabinet doors
Opening several drawers at once can also shift the center of gravity forward.
Where anti-tip hardware is provided or recommended, install it according to the manufacturer's instructions and into an appropriate structural attachment point.
At the same time, do not treat any single restraint as permission for children to climb on furniture.
Safety works best in layers:
Proper placement
Proper assembly
Manufacturer-recommended anchoring
Avoiding overloaded upper drawers
Keeping tempting objects off the top
Teaching children not to climb
Furniture should be treated as furniture—not climbing equipment.
There is an important difference between something that needs adjustment and something that has structurally failed.
An adjustment issue might include:
Loose hardware
Uneven leveling
An unplugged electrical connector
A slightly misaligned component
An improperly adjusted support leg
Actual damage may include:
Broken wood
Cracked structural components
Torn-out mounting points
Severely bent mechanisms
Damaged wiring
Failed motors
Broken welds
If you see obvious structural damage, repeatedly tightening or bending parts back into position may not be appropriate.
That is the point where you should contact the retailer, manufacturer, warranty provider, or qualified repair technician.
A surprising number of furniture problems can be diagnosed with a few basic checks.
Before calling for service, try this checklist:
If you are assembling a bed, check inside the headboard and footboard first.
Seriously.
This solves more “missing parts” calls than you might expect.
Check every bolt, screw, bracket, and connection you can safely access.
Look underneath:
Bed frames
Tables
Couches
Recliners
Other furniture
Make sure every adjustable support is properly contacting the floor.
For powered furniture, follow the cord from the outlet all the way through the furniture and inspect every connection point.
Compare the left and right sides of mechanisms.
Look for:
Bent metal
Uneven supports
Pinched wires
Objects caught in mechanisms
Anything that simply looks different from the opposite side
If those checks do not solve the problem, then it is time to investigate further.
One lesson comes up again and again with furniture and mattresses:
The problem is not always where you think it is.
A “bad mattress” can actually be an improperly adjusted frame.
A “broken power recliner” can be an unplugged connector.
A “crooked couch” can be an uneven floor.
A “missing bed frame” can be sitting inside the headboard.
A “broken table” can simply need its legs tightened and leveled.
Before replacing something, take a few minutes and work from the simplest possibility toward the more complicated ones.
Check.
Tighten.
Level.
Reconnect.
Inspect.
Then determine whether something is truly broken.
You might save yourself a repair, a replacement, and quite a bit of frustration.
