Couch springs naturally get worn out over time. Are you suddenly getting a little less bounce on your sofa? Don’t worry, this is a very easy thing to fix. All you’re going to need is a set of pliers and you’ll be back to premium comfort in no time.
In This Article We'll Discuss
How to Fix Sagging Couch Springs
The first thing you’re going to want to do when fixing your couch is to inspect it. You need to find out where exactly your sofa is going wrong. It could be a problem with the springs, it could also be the frame itself.
Take off the sofa cushions to expose the base of the sofa. This will either expose the internal scope of the sofa or will have a dust cover. The dust cover is a sheet of fabric that barricades the internal from the external parts of the sofa.
If you have a dust cover, unclip the cover from the corners of the sofa. It should then fold outwards, exposing the inside of the couch. If you don’t have a dust covering, the inside of your sofa should already be visible.
From there, you’ll be able to look into the sofa and see where things are going wrong. The two most likely options are a cracked frame or a broken spring. Take your time to look at each part of the sofa, looking for any damaged springs.
A damaged or cracked frame will be a little more apparent as there will be large cracks across the wood.
We’ll come back to damaged and cracked wood later in the article. For now, let’s discuss what types of spring damage you could have.
The first of these is bent springs. There are two types of springs used in couches. Zig-Zag springs are the name of one type, which move in an ‘s’ or ‘z’ formation from one side of the couch to the other. The second of these is a coiled spring, which is a more stereotypical cylindrical spring. Zig-Zag springs are more likely to snap, while coiled springs are more likely to bend.
If you have encountered a spring that has bent out of place, you’ll need some pillars. Any form of pillars will do. Use the pliers to bend the spring back into place. Be sure to sure small, careful movements. Springs are easy to snap, so don’t apply too much force.
Using the pillars will allow you to shape the springs back into the correct position. This will stop the couch from sagging.
Just note that using pillars to fix springs is only a temporary fix. Although this method will get the job done, it is only a matter of time before you’ll need to replace them.
If the springs have snapped altogether, you’re likely going to need to replace them.
Does it not look like any springs are bent but your couch is sagging? You may then have a problem with your couch straps. These are bands that weave from one side of the couch to the other. They provide support to your sofa.
If these have snapped, you’ll see them trailing down onto the floor. You must also replace these if you want to restore your couch to a good condition.
Once you’ve inspected the sofa, give your best go at using pliers to bend the springs back into shape. Again, if you see a broken spring or slack, you’re going to have to replace them.
After you’ve done this, reclip on the dust cover. From there, you’ll have a solid base to add your cushions back on to, getting your sofa back to its normal condition.
Just a small tip for this process, make sure to take photos along the way. These photos will ensure that you have a step-by-step guide of how to put everything back together.
If you’re looking for a visual guide, here is a great tutorial on how to fix a spring.
How to Fix Broken Slacks in a Sagging Couch
First of all, remove the cushions and the dust cover on the sofa. Then, use pillars to disconnect the springs. Be careful with these as they often have a lot of tension in them. Be sure to move them slowly back to a resting position.
Once you have removed the springs, you will then need a hammer. Use the backside of the hammer to pull out the nails that attach the frame at all four corners. These can be quite tough to remove, so be sure to be careful.
Now that you have removed the nails, you can take apart the wood of the couch. Pull each beam of the couch out until you expose the lower parts of the sofa. From there, you’ll be able to see the broken slack and board.
Use a staple gun, or hammer and nails, to replace the broken slack with a new piece of wood. You can buy slacks from your local hardware store. The replacement process should be easy as broken slacks will fall away. Give them a good tug and they should come loose.
Then, replace the old slack with a fixed one. If you don’t have a staple gun or a hammer and nails, you could use super glue. If you go down that path, make sure to leave the glue to dry for up to 12 hours.
To give your couch a bit of extra support, attach a pit of plywood between the slacks and the springs. This will form another base with pressure spreads across. Doing this will make your slacks last much longer.
How do you Fix a Sagging Couch With Attached Cushions?
As you cannot remove the cushions, your first step will be flipping the sofa upside down. Once you’ve done that, remove the four to six corner stamps that hold the bottom material in place. This will expose the internal parts of the sofa.
Once you can see the inside, inspect the sofa. There should be a broken frame or a bent spring. Either one of these defects will cause your couch to sag.
If you have found the broken slack, measure it. Once you know how large it is, cut out an equally sized piece of board. You can use a house saw for this.
Place the board you’ve cut out over the broken one. Make sure it runs exactly the same length. You then want to drill holes in the new board. These holes will be where you place nails the secure the boards together.
5 inches between each hole will give a good base for the board. Use screws or nails to bind the two wood beams together.
This system will essentially replace the broken slack, helping its stability.
If all your slacks are fine, you most likely have some broken springs.
First of all, you’re going to want to locate the broken springs. They could also be springs that have popped out. You will fix these in the same manner.
Next, you want to get a spring compressor tool. Remove the broken spring by unclipping it at each end, you can use pliers to do this. Get a replacement spring, load it into the compressor. Turn the compressor tool counterclockwise. Doing so will secure the spring to the binding site.
Once you’ve done that, if you remove the compressor tool, the spring should stay put. Do the same process on the other side of the sofa and you will have successfully replaced the spring.
Replace the cover on the bottom of the sofa. Next, use the staple gun to secure the fabric again. Your sofa will look as good as new.
How do you Prevent Couch Springs From Sagging?
If you want to stop a couch from sagging, there are a few things you can do.
First of all, don’t sit in the same location every time. It’s common to have a favorite place on the sofa but be sure to change it up. This will ensure that the springs in one location don’t become worn out before the others.
Make sure to flip the cushions of the sofa over around every week. After that, plump them up. This especially applies to the back ones, as these get a lot of weight on them and never really get cared for.
Finally, be sure to not jump or flop down on the sofa. Although incredibly comfy, doing this will put lots of pressure on the springs. This can lead to the sofa sagging and becoming worn out quickly.
Can you Tighten Zig Zag Springs?
Zig-Zag springs are notoriously very stiff. Due to this, they are very hard to tighten. However, they are very easy to replace due to their lengthy structure. You’re better off just replacing the whole spring if there is a fault.
You can buy large packs on amazon for a reasonable price, so I suggest you do that instead.
If you don’t want to buy new springs, you can temporarily fix the solution. Use a ziptie across some of the ovals of the springs to secure it. By increasing the pressure on certain spots, you keep the spring tight. This will battle against the sag of the couch.
Wrapping Up How to Fix Sagging Couch Springs
If you want to fix sagging couch springs, you’re going to need some pliers. These are going to be your main weapon for fixing the sofas.
If the springs are only bent, then it will be easy to bend them back into place. However, if they have completely snapped, you’re going to have to replace them. The replacement process depends on what types of springs you have. If you have curled springs, you’ll need a spring compressor tool. If you have zig-zag springs, these are fairly easy to replace and you won’t need any additional tools