How to Repair a Recliner Chair that Feels Uncomfortable

First off, make sure to know what type of problem you’re facing exactly. As you should know by now, sagging can happen due to springs, cushions, padding, or even leather not functioning correctly. So, before you go to try to fix the piece – you should know what the source is first.

Once you have the source of the problem figured out, you can proceed to get a replacement of such issue. For example, if it is the cushions that are defective, then you should get new cushions. The same happens if the sources of the problem are either the springs or the upholstery.

Now, it is time to get rid of the old or defective part. Here, you should unzip everything that covers the cushions and springs. Make sure every piece of foam gets out so you can completely repair the piece depending on what the problem was.

If the sagging sofa cushion support was the culprit, then you’ll want to get it all out. Finish this process once you have every piece of padding out of the seat.

Sometimes, it is not the upholstery or cushioning that causes the piece to sag, but the lack of proper keep-up.

You may want to grab an Allen wrench or Phillips screwdriver and look for any bolts or screws inside the seat that could be loose. Tighten them all up, and the seat should regain all the support & firmness back. Keep doing this to keep the recliner working correctly.

Sometimes, the seat starts to sag again after a few days. If that happens, it is probably time to get a new frame or new bolts & screws for the seat. Do so accordingly, if needed.

Many people do their sagging sofa repair by just adding a large plank of wood or plywood below the seat, so it doesn’t sag anymore.

This could be a great solution to seats that are broken in the first place. Attaching a new piece of wood could solve the problem temporarily or even permanently depending on the severity of the issue.

Sometimes, it just happens that the seat loses the ability to support the body of a person. This is probably among the most typical issues with low-quality foam in the market.

The solution? Re-stuff the seat with anything from down feathers to high-density padding, or even cotton if possible.

This will reduce sagging exponentially and produce a much firmer piece in the long term. Just make sure always to close any hole you make inside the seat to prevent the stuffing from coming off again. 

After following these five steps, you’ve probably already fixed your sagging recliner. Remember that each step is not independent, you could follow each one according to your needs.

First and foremost, you should know what the problem with the recliner is.

If it feels lop-sided, you won’t be able to enjoy the chair the right way. And that can be a huge turndown.

That’s why you’ll have to check everything correctly before deciding what to do. Here’s a small guide on how to check a recliner that lops to one side:

• Flip the recliner upside down. Remove all the screws of the mechanism and cover in the base. Look for any sign of breakage.
• The springs should be your first focus. When the springs break, the seat tends to sag to the sides and produce a lop-sided piece. If there’s no spring problem, keep checking.
• Sometimes, it just happens that the frame mounting plates are located in the wrong place. This could happen the seat to look and feel lop-sided.
• Check that every screw and bolt in the frame is adequately tightened. This could also be your problem. 

After doing all these and finding the source of the issue, then you can proceed to fix the chair accordingly.

If you checked the springs and saw that some of them were broken or missing, then it is time to replace them.

Looking for new springs is not easy. But it isn’t hard either. You just need to know the exact type you need, and that’s it.

To prevent any problem of getting the wrong ones, you can always go for a universal set of springs.

Try to fit them up correctly to the hooks or connectors inside the chair. Before you place the recliner upright, check that everything is tight and ready to be used. Then you can check yourself by sitting.

If it doesn’t lop anymore, then you’ve successfully repaired a loping chair by fixing the springs.

One of the most usual ways to do leather upholstery repair is to fix any loosen springs in the frame. 

Sometimes, these springs are well in terms of integrity – they just loosen up regularly and leave the recliner to lop sideways.

Sometimes, it happens that the frame gets too weak and the springs just break from the piece. This could be really difficult to fix.

For springs that just loosen up from their connectors, you can only try to connect them well and make sure they are tight.

For broken frames, you can always add replacement planks and try to attach the new springs to them. We recommend having metal braces and durable plywood for the repairs. 

After you’ve done that, the recliner should be ready to start being used again.

The padding, believe it or not, is another culprit of a lop-sided recliner. When the seat has more padding in one side than the other, or when the filling just wore off due to heavy or long-lasting use – then you’ll need to replace it.

The only way to fix that is to add more stuffing to the seats. If you find high-density padding, that’s always the option to go for. But down feathers, cotton, and other types of stuffing can also help to give structure to the seat again.

The firmer the material you stuff the seat with, the better the result. Try to fix the seat accordingly, also taking into account the original build and your desires. 

There are many reasons why a recliner frame could get damaged and lop the structure. Among the many we can think of, the most common is always rough use.

If you three yourself or others into the recliner, or if too many people sat on it at one time. Some people even like to use recliners as tables or shelves to place heavy things on. That could also be a reason for the frame to break.

Whatever the reason for the frame to be broken or cracked, it is vital that you try to fix it up. And for that, nothing better than using screws, fasteners, and planks to strengthen the structure – especially if any part of the frame just loosened up.

With the corner-blocked frame, this is pretty uncommon. But sometimes, it can happen. In the worst situation, you’ll have to replace the structure altogether. This, you better leave it to experts or manufacturers. 

Despite being part of the frame, we put it in a different section because they should be checked alone. The base of the recliner and the legs are sometimes also the culprit behind a lop-sided piece.

To do proper leather sofa repair if a leg or base is not straight, you’ll have to look for any loosen plan or structure in the chair.

There’s almost always a nail or angle that loosened up and left the leg or base to break. Sometimes, you’ll just need to tighten up this part again to the frame, and that’s it. 

Last but not least, it could be due to inconsistencies on the floor. Some recliners may have slight defects in construction, which can be accentuated if the floor where they are installed is not leveled.

Try to place the recliner in another place to try and fix the problem. Sometimes, that’s enough to fix the issue. 

If the reclining mechanism of your recliner is not working correctly, it could also produce the whole chair to lop to one side.

This happens mostly when one of the arms breaks completely, and one side of the recliner falls. It doesn’t happen too often, but it is possible.

Sometimes, it just happens that the reclining system bent to one side, which causes the loping. 

In the best case scenario, it just was a hook, bolt, or screw that loosened up and you just need to replace.

For hooks, you’ll have to check all around in search of any spring or coil that’s missing. This mostly causes the piece to lop to the sides. And because it is usually connected from the mechanism to the frame, it can cause that kind of discomfort when sitting. 

You may even need to replace the springs or hooks accordingly. Try to check the piece entirely and fix it. For arm breaks or bends, you’ll have to call a manufacturer or buy an entire reclining system to install it from scratch. 

This is one of the usual reasons for a recliner to start loping to one side. It could happen due to lack of maintenance or harsh use. Sometimes, it just happens that the construction of the piece was terrible from the start and the screws, bolts, or even fasteners started to loosen up.

If you checked the whole construction of the recliner and saw no problem with screws or bolts, then the problem is probably somewhere else.

But if you find any screw or bolt that’s missing, then very likely that’s the issue. Especially if the screw connects the base or reclining system to the frame, it is very reasonable that the recliner ends up loping to one side.

If the screws, bolts or fasteners are damaged instead of loosened up, then you’ll need to replace them for new ones. Proceed accordingly and get rid of your recliner problem.