Building office furniture is nothing like putting together a piece for your home. More often than not, you’ll be assembling a number of pieces – and the more items there are, the more things can potentially go wrong. But you can help to ensure the process runs smoothly by following these five simple tips:
- Take a photo. Being able to visualise the piece you’re assembling will make it much easier to build. Take pictures from several angles when you’re in the shop so that you have something to refer to when you get the box back to your office.
- Create an assembly line. When you’re building a number of identical pieces, it’s quicker and easier to form an assembly line, making each part one by one. You’ll get into a routine that enables you to be faster and more efficient with each one you put together.
- Take inventory. Nothing’s worse than getting set to assemble some furniture only to find you don’t have the right pieces. This is why you should ensure all panels, pegs and bolts are accounted for before you start. Check all the pieces to make sure you have the correct number and return anything that has components missing.
- The right tools for the job. It’s also a good idea to have some back-up tools to hand, as the ones that come with kits can prove to be inadequate or flimsy. No office tool box would be complete without a wrench and key set, a drill with all the correct screw heads and, of course, the trusty hammer.
- Lay it out. Don’t let your excitement about getting an entire office of new furniture run away with you. Make sure you keep each item separate and work methodically — mixing up the pieces for your desk, bookcase or filing cabinet could make a difficult job even more time consuming.
Even if you follow these helpful tips, you may find building your own office furniture too frustrating or time consuming. If you have a lot of pieces to assemble, it may be worth your while hiring a specialist to build it for you. Since they are accustomed to this kind of work, they will be able to put your furniture together much more quickly, so you can get down to business that much sooner.
