It’s an age-old problem. You have a large sofa but don’t know if it will fit through your door. Moving furniture around can be tough. Not only is it bulky, but you also need to deal with shifting a lot of weight. You don’t want to try and install a sofa only to find that it doesn’t fit!
Here we want to give you all the advice you need so that you don’t waste your time and effort. We’ll answer the question of will a 40-inch wide sofa fits through a 36-inch door, as well as general tips on how to move large furniture. Let’s get started!
Will a 40 Inch Wide Sofa Fit Through a 36 Inch Door?
The answer to this question generally depends on its other dimensions. Usually, the sofa can be moved in such a way that it will easily get through a door, even one that it is technically wider than. Let’s look at three great methods.
1. Method One: Tilt the Sofa
The easiest method to get a sofa through a door is to simply tilt it back so that it’s now in a kind of ‘V’ shape. The width of this ‘V’ shape is usually smaller than the width from the back of the sofa to the front, but only slightly.
If your sofa is particularly bulky, then this may not work as it could be a little too wide. As you’re pushing it through, check that you’re not scraping down the sides of the sofa and damaging it or the walls.
This method can also be difficult if you need to navigate through a hallway. You may need to tip the sofa up at an angle. This is the easiest method but also the one with the lowest rate of success. Thankfully we have two other methods for you.
2. Method Two: Upside Down
Usually, method one doesn’t work as the armrests of the sofa get in the way, and you can’t push them through. With method two, you’ll want to turn the sofa upside down so that it’s in the ‘^’ position.
Again, in this position, you’re going to struggle to get those armrests through but instead, you can angle the sofa. Your starting position should be with the sofa at a 45-degree angle to the door. From here, push it through slightly until the armrest is past the door.
From here, you’ll want to straighten up and push most of the rest of the sofa through until you get to the other armrest. Now you repeat the process from the start. Move the sofa at an angle to get the other armrest through, and your sofa will now be through the door.
3. Method Three: The Vertical Shift
No matter how you angle the sofa, sometimes you just won’t have enough space to get it through. In this scenario, you can try method three, which requires the most effort but also gives you the best chance of success.
With this method, you’ll need the sofa to be stood up on its side. If the sofa is taller than the door, then you’ll need to tip it slightly but try and keep it as straight as you can.
With this method, you want to make use of the sofa’s ‘L’ shape. You push through one side of the ‘L’ through the door, such as the back of the sofa. Once the back is through the door, then you need to rotate it around, so the back is now parallel to the wall.
Once it’s in that position, you should be able to push through the seated part of the sofa. If your sofa is particularly long, then you’ll need to do this at a slight angle. This can require plenty of strength and patience, so it’s best to get all the help you can.
What About Other Doors?
In the USA, the standard door width is 36 inches. Most furniture makers bear this in mind when making their products. Unless you get a huge sofa, then you’ll probably have no problem, and if you did have a huge sofa, then it could probably be dismantled.
Having a 4-inch difference between the size of the sofa and the door is usually no problem. For example, a 36-inch sofa through a 32-inch door would be fine, as long as you had enough space around the door.
It’s only when you get up to around 8 inches that you have a problem. For example, a 44-inch wide sofa going through a 36-inch door would be difficult, but it is possible. You’d also need plenty of space to work with.
Once you get up to 10 inches, then it’s not going to be impossible to get it through at any angle. Here you’d need to look into the types of alternatives that we look at below.
What To Do Before Moving a Sofa
It’s never a good idea to go full steam into trying to move a sofa unless you have a huge amount of space. Here are a few things you should do before even attempting to move it.
1. Remove the Cushions
This is an obvious one, but you should remove the cushions before you get started. Not only can they add extra bulk to the sofa, but they can also fall off in transit, making moving your sofa more awkward than it needs to be.
There are other hazards too, such as the cushions may catch on the doorframe and ripping. If they are stitched in place, then it’s probably best to leave them alone but be extra careful when passing through the doorway.
2. Cover the Sofa
You’ve bought a brand-new sofa and you can’t wait to get it installed! In your rush, you try and get it through the doorway as quickly as possible but end up scraping it against the door, ceiling, or floor. This can cause scratches, rips, or scuffs.
If you’ve bought a brand-new sofa, then it probably has plastic wrap on it already. Make sure to keep it on until it’s in the right room. If you’re moving a used sofa, make sure to cover it. The plastic wrap would be the best material, but other things can be used, such as old blankets.
3. Cover Your Home
Just as you need to protect your sofa, you need to protect your property. Covering your sofa properly should be sufficient for protecting your property, but you should still be careful.
For example, the sofa legs may still be exposed and could scrape along the floor. If you’re turning the sofa into the vertical position, then make sure you have something on the ground to rest the sofa on, such as a blanket. This will not only help to protect the sofa and floor but also make it easier to slide through.
4. Get Help
If you’re a strong person, then it can be tempting to move the sofa on your own but this is never a good idea. In order to protect the sofa and your home, you need to be fully in control at all times. You need at least two people to move a sofa that is 40 inches wide.
What To Do If You Can’t Get a Sofa Through a Door?
So, you’ve tried to get the sofa through the door using the methods above, but nothing has worked. Rather than giving up, there are a few things you can try.
Take the Legs Off – Unless you’re confident you can get the sofa through easily, you should always do this. Not only will it make it easier to get through, but it will reduce the chance of the sofa damaging walls, doors, etc.
Dismantle the Sofa – Inspect your sofa to see how easily it can be dismantled. Some will simply slot together or may be held together by bolts. If so, take it apart, making sure to note how it can be put back together again.
Remove the Door – Sometimes methods two and three struggle to work as the door gets in the way, especially if it swings open in the same direction you need to rotate the sofa though. Removing doors is easy and only takes a couple of minutes.
Try Another Entrance – Is there another entrance to the room? Even if it’s a door with the same width, there may be more space around it to work with. It’s best to take some measurements before trying this.
Remove the Door Frame – This is an extreme step and something we wouldn’t recommend due to the work involved. However, removing the door frame would give you an extra inch or two. A better idea would be to dismantle the sofa.
Conclusion
Will a 40-inch wide sofa fit through a 36-inch door? The answer is almost always yes. However, it can be difficult if you have very limited space to work with. If you try the methods above, then you should have no problem getting your new sofa into place.