Measuring access for a recliner chair

Walk the route before measuring

Start where the delivery vehicle stops and walk to the final room. Include gates, paths, communal doors, lifts, stairs and any place where the chair must turn.

Move loose furniture out of the imagined route. Fixed radiators, rails and door handles still count, even when the open doorway looks wide enough.

• External and internal door openings
• Hall widths and tight turns
• Stairs, landings and lifts
• Low ceilings, radiators and fixed furniture

Record the narrowest clear opening

Measure the clear opening, not the width of the door itself. Check width and height, then note whether the chair must turn immediately before or after it.

For stairs and lifts, record landing depth as well as width. A long chair section may fit through the opening but still lack room to rotate.

Measure the chair in motion

The upright footprint is only the beginning. Ask how far the footrest projects, how much room the back needs and where the base moves during the rise action.

Mark the action area on the floor with tape or newspaper. Keep fires, radiators, tables, cables and walking routes outside it.

Share complications early

Photograph tight turns, stairways and the intended position. Include a tape measure in the picture when a dimension is difficult to explain by phone.

Tell the showroom about parking, building access and time restrictions. Confirm delivery, setup and any old-chair arrangement before ordering.