Summary of article: Before assembling a product, it’s crucial to organize and inspect all parts for any issues, alphabetizing lettered boards and ensuring all tools and hardware are present can prevent mid-assembly surprises, and it's important to enlist a helper to avoid damage during assembly.
You open up the box and there are what feels like hundreds of pieces and you may well be wondering how to make sense of it all. We recommend getting organized. Pull out and inspect each piece for blemishes or defects; if something isn’t right, now is the time to give us a call! We would never want you to build around a damaged or missing part. The boards are lettered, so it might not be a bad idea to alphabetize them. Make sure you have everything you need, from every panel and piece of hardware to the tools you’ll need to get the job done. No one wants to get to step 12, only to realize that something is missing! It also helps to take a gander at the instructions to see if those make sense as well. To avoid lost hardware, keep it all together. Grab a container and put just the parts you need for the next step in it. We also advise finding a helper. Some aspects of assembly require a set of hands to hold something in place and another set to secure it. Additionally, most units are assembled on their sides and weigh a fairly significant amount; trying to do this alone would put a lot of pressure on one side without any support on the other, and may cause damage. Everything is more fun with a friend, especially trust falls and furniture assembly. For a short video about setting yourself up for success, click on the link below.