The only trouble with this set-up was the height of the couch. It was way too low, with the bottom brushing the floor. Getting up from the couch took a lot of effort. In fact, a crane would have been useful.
To help the situation, some months back I got the bright idea to buy some risers to put under the couch legs. This particular set was adjustable from 3 – 5”. They sat beside the couch for months. Why? Well, there are end tables to each side of the couch, a love seat on one end, and a bird cage on the other. In other words, moving the couch to put those risers under the back legs was a major undertaking.
Yesterday I was a little crazier than usual and decided it was time to elevate the couch. I moved the little stuff off and away from it, and called up reinforcements for the heavy lifting. Jonathan scooted the end tables out of the way and we got the couch moved forward, away from the wall.
Have you ever moved a piece of furniture that has been in the same place for years? And that is too low to the floor to allow any sweeping underneath it? And further, one where a parrot has decided to build a nest between the back of the furniture and the wall?
Baby perched on the back of the couch.
If not, then think a mixture of dust bunnies, shredded paper, fuzzed up carpet and feathers. Add a few old plastic “icicles’ from Christmas’s past, a few stray pens and barrettes, and other odd items making a magical, mysterious… mess.
First I used a broom to sweep up larger pieces. Then we used a vacuum to get the rest. Once the carpet was again visible in all places, we checked out the risers and adjusted them to the highest level. The labels said they could support 300 pounds. Hmmm, is that each one, or altogether? (Hint - the answer is altogether!)
The inner protrusions that held the top half of the riser in place didn’t look very sturdy. Jonathan and I kind of looked at each other and said, “We’d better test this.” I had dire visions of my favorite little bird doing her explorer thing under the couch when it suddenly collapsed and squished said bird. Not a pretty image.
After adjusting each riser to the highest level, we put one under each couch leg. Test time!
We sat.
For a few seconds all was well, then WHUMP! The couch was tilting at a crazy angle and two risers had collapsed so that the couch frame was resting on top of them.
Now what? Can’t leave the couch with legs at two different levels, so only one thing to do – collapse the other two risers.
I instructed Jonathan to bounce up and down the length of the couch, walk on it, whatever it takes, but break down those other two risers!
He complied, proclaiming it was great fun, and “How often does your mom tell you to break the furniture?” It wasn’t long before all the risers were even again, with the couch frame resting solidly on top of them.
No more danger of collapsing couches – just one elevated couch, ready for sitting high and spry.
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