Answer

Before even attempting to perform such work, you must consider the serious damage you can do to yourself and your property. Not only will you need to invest in the correct materials to do the job, you do not know if what you plan to use as an anchor will bear the weight without damage to your dwelling.

My suggestion for a pulley or winch? NONE.

HERE'S A SAFER SET OF ALTERNATIVES. Look at it from a risk/reward perspective.

If the piece is not that expensive or has already enjoyed a long life, perhaps it's worth it to try to disassemble it yourself. If you're willing to take on the mechanics of a winch, why not a pair of shears, an upholstery stapler and a tack hammer? You can cut off the dust guard on the bottom to see how it's put together. If you've already tried it with the legs off, maybe taking off the back or arms will do the trick.(It's very inexpensive to buy more material for the bottom. No one sees it, so who cares if it's an exact mathc?) You can also carefully peel the panels on better pieces and tack them back later.

Or consider it the other way, if the piece is worth enough (money-wise OR emotion-wise)that you're afraid to disassemble it yourself, isn't it worth enough to move professionally? You can always have someone quote the job. Besides, if something goes wrong with whatever you rig to your house, who is liable for the damages? Will your homeowners pay for it? What will the sofa be worth to you if someone you care about is hurt moving it? Will you still want it? Calling a professional gives you a chance to review their insurance so you can know your risks.

You can also consider making the piece a gift to charity and choose something new instead. Just be sure to save the reciept with the value so you can deduct it from your taxes.

What ever you decide, remember, it's just a piece of furniture. Your health and the people in your life will always be more valuable.

Edited by TheaP on 6/12/2006 at 10:54 AM