What to do if the sofa starts to creak

Why does creaking occur?

Metal or wood is used to make the frame. A sofa with a metal frame creaks for the following reasons:

• The fastening connections of the frame - metal bolts and nuts - are loose;
• The connections in the folding mechanism are loose;
• The springs in the blocks sank due to poor quality manufacturing, improper installation or insufficient gasket material.

Wooden structures make sounds due to:

• Formation of cracks in the material;
• Loose connections.

Cracks appear due to:

• the presence of knots in the wood;
• poor quality assembly;
• damp wood;
• incorrect load calculation.

Important! The most common example of an ill-conceived design is a small number of jumpers in the frame. As a result, the plywood that is located on them begins to bend and creak.

What sofa doesn't squeak?

Since it is extremely difficult to get rid of squeaking, it is better to immediately purchase a sofa that is more likely not to squeak, and this is quite possible.

Models in which plywood comes into contact with plywood, or plywood with wood, will definitely creak. Sofas with a plywood frame, sofas with screws (not bolts), and sofas with a spring block will also creak (a spring block with independent springs will not creak, each spring in its own cell).

A sofa with a metal frame and bolts for fastenings with a springless seating block will not creak. A sofa with a frame made of oak, beech, walnut, or mahogany has a better chance of not squeaking, but you need to look to see if the wooden parts are in contact with each other in places of frequent use (folded and unfolded). A frame made of wooden beams will not creak only if it is made without knots and stored in a dry room, both the furniture itself and the material before its production.

There is no linen drawer only in sofas with a folding bed transformation mechanism (French, American), Spartak.

Sufficiently strong frames - made of oak, walnut, beech, mahogany, birch wood.

The thickness of the sleeping place on the sofa should be 80 to 100 mm, at the head - at least 60 mm.

Getting rid of problems in a wooden frame

Before deciding what to do if the sofa creaks, you need to understand in detail the reasons for this phenomenon:

• Sometimes the problem can be solved simply by replacing the cracked wooden part. This procedure is a fairly expensive capital restoration of furniture.
• If the plywood on the seat bends, additional jumpers are installed in the seat frame.
• If it is not possible to replace a part with a crack, it is repaired. To strengthen the part, plywood is strengthened at the crack site. For this, PVA glue and self-tapping screws are used. If necessary, to strengthen a part with a crack, a plywood fastener is attached on several sides. Plywood can be replaced with metal strips, plates, corners, solid or perforated.

Important! How to lubricate the sofa to prevent it from squeaking? In those places where timber and fiberboard can rub, technical wax or paraffin is applied.

Creaking sounds of wooden structures

If a wooden sofa creaks, this may indicate a cracked or loose frame - this is the root cause of its occurrence. This happens for various reasons:

• the presence of knots in the beams,
• poor quality assembly,
• damp materials.

What to do if the beams are cracked:

• You need to cut strips of plywood and attach them with self-tapping screws set with wood glue, so that the cracked area is under the workpiece in the middle part. The sofa should not be loaded for 24 hours so that the glue can dry completely. This method of eliminating squeaks is the most gentle for cracked bars. A sofa repaired in this way will serve like new for a long time.

• You can use perforated metal plates instead of plywood strips. They are sold in every hardware store in different sizes.

• Creaking can occur between the soft base and the frame structure. In this case, the sofa creaks due to sparsely spaced jumpers. As a result, the fiberboard or plywood, bending, moves towards the frame, making a creaking sound.
• Even in a very strong frame structure, the sofa may creak, what to do in this situation is to place additional jumpers between the main jumpers, made from blocks of wood or sheets of plywood. For reliability, the jumpers are attached with self-tapping screws to perforated steel corners.
• In addition to strengthening defective areas, wooden squeaks can be eliminated with oil by lubricating friction points with it.

Metal skip

• There are several areas in a sofa where metallic noise can occur: The fastening mechanism. The reason is that the nuts and bolts are not tightened sufficiently; they need to be tightened.

• Transformation mechanism - the elements rubbing together are lubricated with oil. This is not only an effective elimination method, but also a preventive procedure that allows you to extend the service life of the product.

• If the Accordion sofa creaks, making a metallic noise, this may indicate that friction is occurring in the spring block. Independent springs cannot make a creaking sound from a sofa, what to do, if this is the case, then the reason for this phenomenon is non-compliance with the manufacturer’s assembly technology. Spring cups can simply move apart, forming pits.
• Many models have spring blocks installed, and they are the ones that can creak if they are made poorly. Over time, they sag and crack. To reduce this effect, the manufacturer, for preventive purposes, fills the voids between the glasses with pieces of foam rubber, this partially solves the problem. As a result, the noise level is reduced, and it looks like a reinforced spring block. The spring unit was installed incorrectly by furniture assemblers.
• The sofa creaks and what to do: video instructions

We eliminate problems in a metal frame

Metal construction is stronger. If assembled correctly, it will work reliably and for a long time. To correct a metallic grinding noise, you will have to put in less effort, since it usually appears not due to broken parts or structures, but due to loose connections or insufficient packing of the mechanism parts in the cushioning fabric. But it happens that the springs become deformed and cracks appear in them. In this case, you need to change the spring unit.

The sofa is creaking - what to do:

• Tighten the bolts and nuts.
• When the spring sag, lay foam rubber between the spring cylinders and inside them. In this case, the spring block is strengthened and the creaking is significantly reduced.
• Replace the spring block if there is a cracked spring. Even if a defect appears in one part, all must be replaced, since they are manufactured in the same way and have the same service life. If you replace only one part, you risk repeating these steps over and over again. Such repair work is considered the most labor-intensive and expensive.
• Lubricate the metal folding mechanism and other metal connections.

Repair methods

Metal creaking

Sofa arrangement diagram.

Metal structures of sofas are stronger and, when assembled correctly, ensure long-term performance and durability. Metallic grinding noises are easier to fix because they are usually not associated with structural or component failures, but rather occur when connections are loose or metal parts are not properly sealed with cushioning material. However, there are cases of spring deformation and cracks appearing in them. Then the spring block needs to be replaced.

Options for eliminating creaking sounds in various metal parts are as follows:

1. When the spring is cracked, the entire spring unit is replaced. Why is it better to change the entire spring block? Is it possible to replace one or two failed springs? It is possible to replace individual springs. But often the breakdown of one spring is followed by the breakdown of the next, this is due to the fact that the service life and method of manufacturing the springs are the same. Therefore, the lengthy disassembly of the sofa will have to be repeated again and again, if the entire spring unit is not immediately replaced. Such repairs are the most labor-intensive and most expensive.
2. Spring sag can be leveled out by laying foam rubber between the spring cylinders and inside the cylinders. At the same time, the spring block is strengthened and creaks less.
3. Lubricating the metal folding mechanism of the sofa (and other existing metal connections).
4. Tightening bolts and nuts.

Wooden creaking

Scheme for manufacturing soft elements of a sofa bed.

Methods for eliminating wooden creaking depend on the cause of its occurrence:

1. A wood creaking sound caused by a crack in a frame part can be eliminated by repairing the cracked part. To do this, you can strengthen the part at the crack site with a piece of plywood. It is screwed with self-tapping screws and additionally fixed to the cracked block with PVA glue. If necessary, a part with a crack is reinforced with plywood fastenings on several sides. Instead of plywood, you can use metal strips, plates, corners - solid or perforated.
2. Part replacement. Sometimes it makes sense to replace a piece of wood that is cracked and creaking, especially if there are multiple cracks. Such repairs involving the replacement of old or broken wooden parts with new ones is an expensive capital restoration of furniture.
3. If an insufficient number of jumpers is detected in the seat frame and the plywood on the seat is sagging, measures are taken to eliminate this deflection: additional jumpers are installed.
4. Places of possible friction between timber and fiberboard are lubricated with technical wax or paraffin (candle).

Repair instructions

Let's take a closer look at how to remove the creaking of a sofa. First of all, you will need to prepare materials and tools:

• Pliers;
• Screwdrivers;
• Stapler;
• Staple;
• Sealant (burlap or felt, foam rubber, batting, molded polyurethane foam);
• Upholstery fabric;
• Plywood;
• Strips, plates, corners made of metal;
• PVA glue.

1. Remove outer fabric and lining.
2. Inspect the springs, identify the source and cause of the squeak, for which you need to press on the springs one by one.
3. Using pliers, you need to pull out the glass cylinders that have become deformed.
4. It is necessary to lay lining foam inside and between the cylinders.
5. Place cushioning material between the wooden frame and the springs.
6. Place foam rubber and upholstery fabric on the spring block.
7. Secure the fabric with a stapler.

Important! Often, after renovation work, furniture upholstery needs, if not replacement, then at least cleaning. Check out the most basic rules for cleaning furniture at home in our blogs:

Sofas are used for completely different purposes - adults relax and sleep on them, children play on them, noisy groups of guests gather on them. Frequent use and heavy load take their toll - sooner or later, almost any sofa begins to creak when you try to sit or lie on it. But unpleasant sounds are not yet a reason to replace this piece of furniture with a new one, because their cause can, in most cases, be eliminated independently. To do this, you need to find out why the sofa creaks.

Of course, if a loud squeak occurs unexpectedly suddenly, the warranty period has not yet expired, and the operating conditions have not been violated, it is better to call a specialist - most likely, this is a warranty case that requires the replacement of one of the low-quality parts. Such work will be carried out at the expense of the manufacturer and will not require any material costs from you.

First, try to listen and determine the nature of the squeaks: whether they come from springs (then the sound will be metallic) or wooden parts of the frame. And also try to localize the area where it appears.

Defect in timber frame

The two main causes of squeaking are the friction of the springs against each other, which occurs due to loosening of the block fasteners and loosening of the frame parts, which may be caused by the use of low-quality chipboard or a lack of jumpers.

Spring defect

Eliminating any of these causes begins with disassembling the furniture. To do this, you need to carefully remove the sides and back of the sofa, and then, using an anti-staple gun or a flat-head screwdriver, carefully remove the metal brackets attaching the seat upholstery. Do this slowly, so as not to damage the fabric, because it will most likely need to be returned to its place later.

Tools and materials

Necessary tools for work: pliers, screwdriver, stapler and staples.

To carry out the repair you will need the following tools:

You will also need materials:

• sealant (felt or burlap, batting, foam rubber or molded polyurethane foam);
• upholstery fabric;
• plywood (for sofas with a wooden base);
• metal strips, plates or corners;
• PVA glue (for repairing wooden bases).

Use a screwdriver and pliers to remove the upholstery fabric and cushioning material from the sofa. The stapler and staples are used in post-repair assembly.

We present the sequence of repair operations when restoring a spring sofa to remove rattling noise.

1. Remove the outer fabric and lining material.
2. We inspect the springs, identify the source of the squeak, its cause (deformation of the springs or their breakage). To do this, we press on all the springs in turn.
3. We repair the springs: we pull out the deformed cylinders with pliers, trying to give them their original shape, and place cushioning material between them - foam rubber, scraps of fabric. We insert pieces of cushioning foam inside each spring cylinder.
4. We check whether there is cushioning material between the springs and the base of the wooden frame. If it is not there, lay it down and separate the surface of the spring from the surface of the wood.
5. Cover the spring block with foam rubber and upholstery fabric. We strengthen the fabric with a stapler.

To eliminate creaking sounds in the sofa, restoration and repair work is carried out. It is possible to eliminate the wooden or metal creaking of a sofa with your own hands or with the involvement of furniture specialists. Often old, good quality furniture that has been stored in a dry place will last for many years after replacing the spring cylinders and upholstery. If the quality of the sofa is low, the nature of destruction and creaks is extensive and widespread, it is advisable to purchase new furniture of decent quality.

Elimination of metal squeaks

The easiest way to eliminate the creaking of a sofa if the springs make this sound is to lubricate them with machine oil and place a folded piece of fabric or strips of foam rubber between the contacting parts. But this method is only suitable if the springs themselves are not damaged, and only the brackets that hold them are loose. To ensure that the spring block does not creak if it is broken, only replacement will help. Yes, you can try to fix a broken spring. But think about the fact that springs produced using the same technology have approximately the same service life, which means that if several of them fail, most likely the rest will soon follow.

By the way, the springs of a new sofa can also creak. This is usually due to the fact that the manufacturer did not put a sufficient amount of cushioning material - strips of foam rubber - into the spring cups. You can add them yourself.

The same applies to the transformation mechanism. If it squeaks when you try to fold it, then the mechanism needs lubrication. To prevent extraneous sounds, after completely disassembling the furniture, lubricate all other metal parts of the frame at the same time, tighten the bolts and nuts more tightly. This will help keep them in working condition longer. After this, you need to fold and unfold the sofa several times so that the oil penetrates into all parts of the mechanism, removing excess with a paper napkin. Now you can put the mattress and upholstery back in place.

All these methods are good if the springs in the sofa creak, and the transformation mechanism is also poorly designed. But what to do if the sound is clearly coming from wooden structures?

We deal with frame faults

The creaky sofa will still have to be completely disassembled. Carefully remove the upholstery, remove the internal components to get to the frame.

Parts made of wood may crack. This is due to the use of low-quality wood - knotty or damp beams. Having found a cracked part, you need to decide how to remove the squeak: try fixing it yourself by adding strips of plywood or metal over the crack and gluing it for strength. Or you can simply replace the wooden beam with a new, higher quality one.

Perhaps the sound occurs due to a sagging sheet of plywood located under the seat. This is the case when the manufacturer did not provide a sufficient number of jumpers and they are located too rarely. This means you will have to make the missing jumpers with your own hands - the bottom will stop rubbing against the frame and the sounds will disappear.

A universal way to repair and prevent squeaks

If, while figuring out why the sofa creaks, you could not find the exact place of origin of the sound, try doing all the operations one by one:

• after disassembly, check all parts of the frame, tightening the bolts, replacing or gluing all parts that show cracks;
• add fabric or a thin layer of foam under the box spring, placing it on the plywood bottom;
• lubricate the spring blocks and mechanism, not forgetting to add, if necessary, fabric or foam rubber between the springs;
• reassemble the entire structure.

This is a serious undertaking that eliminates 99% of the causes of all extraneous sounds in the home and will also help extend the life of your furniture. And if after this, the sofa does not start working silently, you will most likely have to get rid of it and replace it with a better one.

Sofas have become an everyday item in any home or country property. Relaxation areas with sofa corners are installed in publicly accessible places; such places include shopping centers, office sites, and multifunctional centers.

Why do metal structures make sound?

If the furniture has a metal structure, then one of the joint sections may creak. There are many possible options - loose or rusted bolts, ordinary subsidence, breakage of the spring block or one of its link rings.

Does the folding sofa squeak? First of all, you need to check the lubricant level. Furniture can make annoying noise when placed on an uneven surface. The cause may also be deformation of the supporting structure. The corners or sides of the product could bend under constant loads.

What to do if the sofa creaks

What to do if the sofa creaks? Sofa furniture can be classified as a popular household item; it is used for various purposes - relaxation, sleep, children's games, etc. During operation, few people think about careful treatment and the maximum level of load that furniture can withstand. As a result, pressing of the surface and an unpleasant squeak occurs.

The new sofa creaks: what to do

What can I do to prevent the sofa from creaking? After purchasing a new device, did you suddenly notice an annoying creaking noise?

The process of assembling furniture is quite a labor-intensive task; some manufacturers, in order to save time and opportunities, treat the work negligently. As a result, defects are allowed.

What can you do if the sofa creaks? The most common causes of squeaking are:

1. Initially incorrectly calculated number of jumpers.
2. The spring block is made of low-quality material.
3. The structure has undergone deformation of the wood.
4. During transportation, fastening elements (nuts, screws) became loose.

Minor defects in new furniture are easily eliminated; you can deal with them yourself. It is enough to stretch the fastening structure and lubricate the layout mechanism with technical oil. If the defect is visible and you understand that you cannot eliminate it, then it is recommended to return the furniture to the store using the warranty card.

A wooden sofa creaks: possible reasons

What matters is what material the structure is made of. Let's assume that a wooden sofa creaks. The most likely reasons are as follows.

• Formation of cracks, drying out of certain parts.
• Deformation of the spring block. It is possible that one of the springs has broken.

Wood is a material that tends to lose elasticity over time. There are moisture-resistant species, for example, aspen. There are also those who react negatively to wet processing. All wooden parts or one panel may dry out. Direct sunlight also poses a threat.

Does a brand new sofa squeak? The source of the problem may be too tight fastenings. In the case of old furniture, they could become loose. Thinning of the padded batting (or other cushioning material) cannot be ruled out.