Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shows how to cut and fold, and then fix, a rigid box spring. (See below for a shopping list, tools, and steps.)
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Shopping List for How to Move a Box Spring Up a Narrow Staircase:
- Large canvas or plastic tarp
- 16-inch-long 2x4, used with hammer for pounding flat bent wires.
- 2 1/2-inch-long screws
- 1x3, to replace metal support bar
Tools List for How to Move a Box Spring Up a Narrow Staircase:
- Slotted screwdriver, to pry up staples
- Handsaw, for cutting the wood frame of the box spring
- Bungee cord, to hold closed the folded box spring
- Hammer, for straightening bent wires
- Cordless drill with 5/32-inch-diameter drill bit, to bore pilot holes
- Cordless impact driver, for driving screws
- Staple gun, to reattach fabric
Steps for How to Move a Box Spring Up a Narrow Staircase:
1. Lay a large tarp on the driveway, then place the box spring facedown on the tarp.
2. Use a narrow slotted screwdriver to pry up the staples that secure the fabric to the bottom of the box spring. Peel back the fabric to expose the wood frame.
3. Pry up and remove the metal support bar.
4. Fold down the fabric on each of the long sides of the box spring.[
5. Use a handsaw to cut through the 1x3 wood strapping on each side.
6. Fold the box spring in half, then secure it with a long bungee cord.
7. Carry the folded box spring up the stairs and into the bedroom.
8. Unhook the bungee cord and flatten out the box spring.
9. Use a hammer and a 2x4 block to straighten out any badly bent box-spring wires.
10. Drill 5/32-inch-diameter pilot holes at an angle through the strapping cut in Step 5.
11. Reattach the cut strapping with two 2 1/2-inch-long screws; repeat to secure the cut strapping on the opposite side.
12. Replace the metal support with a 1x3 cut to length. Screw the 1x3 to the wood frame of the box spring.
13. Staple the fabric back onto the underside of the box spring.
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Move a Box Spring Up a Narrow Staircase | Ask This Old House
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