Moving Furniture

I recently had a good reminder in how to move furniture.  I was turning a table over from lying on it’s top on the floor, and the top all of a sudden flexed.  This modern table only had two fasteners holding the table top to the apron!  One behind each apron on the sides.  It had two leaves that pulled out from the ends and these fasteners allowed the top to lift about 1 inch to allow the leaves to pull out.  When this “flex” happened, I thought something had broken.  Normally the top is secured to the apron in several places.  This immediately reminded me of the training I had received years ago, “Always grab the apron or legs, not the top.”  I don’t know how many people know that rule, but it almost cost me a new table.  Just because I see the modern technique as an inadequate one, doesn’t fix the table.  It also reminds me that even if the top is screwed, a heavy base could eventually strip the screws and damage can occur.

While we are on the subject of the rules of moving furniture, let me make small mention of the rule for chairs.  Grab them below the seat with two hands and lift straight up.  So many times we grab the top rail, bottom rail or arm of the chair.  Worse than that is grabbing the cresting rail or splat of a chair with more age to it than our grand parent.  It will stress the joints by being lifted and put down incorrectly, and will shorten the life of the piece.

So, let me encourage you to treasure the older pieces of furniture you may have and take the time to move it with care when the time comes.  I hope this reminder to remember the rules of moving furniture renews the zeal to be more careful with every piece you handle, old or new.