Have you ever just wanted to enjoy the comfort of your recliner, but for some reason, it kept rocking or slipping on the carpet or the floor? I have had that happen to me so many times. I quickly realized that I had to learn how to stop a recliner from doing all of the things I did not want it to do!
It turns out that you can easily stop your recliner from rocking or sliding. There are a couple of helpful DIY projects that you can do at your earliest convenience, and your problems will be solved. Never again will you have to deal with problems regarding your recliner – you will be able to enjoy it without any distractions.
So if you want to learn more about this, you should read my guide carefully. It can help you if you are looking for a fun DIY that can also improve things around your home. I think you will find that the guides are very easy and convenient, you can follow them even if you do not have any experience with handy-work, and you do not need any special tools or equipment to do them!
How To Stop A Recliner From Rocking
You can find rocking recliners in many homes around the world. They are usually used in nurseries or living rooms, but they can also be found in any other type of space. They are great for rocking a baby to sleep and grandparents tend to love them as well, but even if you do not happen to fall into any of these categories, there is no shame in loving them just as much!
If you happen to have a rocking recliner at home and you want to turn it into a stable recliner that will not rock at all, I have you covered. Using my simple and quick DIY guide, you will be able to stop the rocking completely and still be able to enjoy your recliner. Let’s get right into the first step!
Step 1. Figure Out The Rocking Mechanism
Usually, recliners that rock are built differently than regular recliners. The rocking recliners have a special type of chair frame as well as a frame with hinges that helps the chair rock back and forward. To stop the chair from rocking, you will need to stabilize the chair using a piece of wood.
Before you get to the wood, you need to measure the distance between the chair frame and the hinges frame. When you find out the distance between these two, you will be able to determine how long you should cut the wood. That brings us directly to the second step!
Step 2. Cut The Wood
You can use any kind of sturdy piece of wood that you might have laying around the house. You need the piece of wood to be long enough to connect the two parts of the frame, while it should also be about an inch thick to help stabilize the chair nicely.
Once you measure and cut the wood, you can move on to the next part. An optional step would be to spend some time designing the wood and maybe adding a nice gloss over it, but that is not mandatory.
Step 3. Drill Screw Holes
To attach the piece of wood to the parts of the frame, you will need a couple of screws. You can use regular screws that are small in diameter. Using a drill, make two holes about ½ inches removed from the end of the piece of wood. Then, you should be able to easily screw the piece of wood to the frame.
Step 4. Block The Rocking
Using the wedge that you just made, you should be able to block the chair from rocking. Screw the wedge to the frame, but be gentle and do not use too much force because you do not want to damage the frame in any way.
Step 5. Test The Recliner
After you are done screwing the wood to the frame, test the chair and see if everything works well. Hopefully, you fixed everything and your chair is completely stable at this point! If it is not, try tightening the screws a bit more and see if that helps.
How To Stop A Recliner From Sliding On Carpet
Aside from the problem with rocking, you might have a problem with the recliner sliding on your carpet. That is a big no-no in my opinion because you can damage the carpet, pull it when you do not want to, and cause something to spill or fall over.
If you have a problem with your recliner sliding, I have a great solution for you. Using my guide, you can make some grippers. It will not cost you a lot of money, it’s very quick, and it will rid you of your slipping problem. Let’s see how you can make those grippers!
Step 1. Buy The Materials
First of all, you need to decide what type of material you will be using for the grippers. I suggest that you go with cork because it is easy to work with but it is also completely slip-resistant. It is not even that expensive, so you should be able to buy some without any problem.
Step 2. Measure Recliner Legs
Lay the chair on its side. Using a tape measure, check the size of the legs. That will help you determine how you need to cut the cork.
Step 3. Cut And Attach The Grippers
The next step would be to cut the cork the same size as the bottom of the recliner legs. Cork, being the type of material that it is, can be cut with scissors or a scalper. You should not have any problem with cutting it in the shape needed.
Next, you should determine whether you want to screw the grippers on or glue them. Both are great options, so which one you go with will depend on your preference. The screws might be a bit harder to apply, but they will last longer once you add them.
Step 4. Test The Recliner
Finally, what I recommend that you do is test the chair out. Bring it back up and try to move it around to see if it will slide at all now that it has the grippers on. If you did everything mentioned above, your chair should be locked in position, and it should not move at all!
FAQs On How To Stop A Recliner From Moving
Now that you know how to stop a recliner from rocking or sliding on your carpet, you can easily deal with those problems if they happen to emerge in the future. Let’s see what else you should know on the topic!
How do you keep a recliner from sliding on a wood floor?
If you find that your recliner keeps slipping on your floors, you have to add something to the chair legs to keep them in place. For example, you can go with a small non-slip mat under the chair or you can purchase tape-on pads or even make some yourself! There are countless options that you can go with.
However, I would advise that you use pads or grippers that are made from smooth materials. I would hate for you to damage your wood floors, so that is also something to keep in mind when choosing your pads or mat!
I would recommend that you look into the Stay! Non-Skid Furniture pads because they work perfectly on various types of furniture, including most recliners. They are also quite affordable, so you will have no problem getting them for all recliners in your house. As for non-slip recliner mats, I recommend the DURA-GRIP furniture pad that can be customized to fit your needs best.
That’s How You Stop A Recliner From Rocking Or Sliding!
I hope that this guide taught you a lot about the many ways in which you can make your recliner more stable and secure. If you follow the above-mentioned guides closely, you will find that your chair will not rock or slide anymore and you will be able to enjoy it even more than before.
Let me know if there are any other DIY guides that you have used and liked. I am open to all your suggestions and would love to know what you did to make your recliner stay in place.