Leather recliner - broken frame

[2010augusta]

Mr. Meade

I was getting out of my recliner tonight when it broke. I have a 2010 Heartland Landmark with midnight interior with the leather chair upgrade. The frame the holds the seat bottom cushion had the front right joint separate. I attached several pictures of the damage. I am unable to travel to the Elkhart area as we are currently in Texas on a work contract and we are moving to Washington state in two weeks. What can we work out a a warranty repair

Thank you
Alan Brown

 

[jmgratz]

Alan,
Call the Heartland Customer Service and talk to Jim Fenner. He will help you out. He is a good guy to work with.

 

[jayc]

The damage to your chair looks exactly like what happened to one of the chairs in my Bighorn 3055RL. I took the chair apart and tried to fix it but couldn't, but did get a good deal on a trade-in for my 3370RL.

Maybe that's not an option, but it worked for us.

Jim probably has the best idea to call Jim Fenner.

 

[JohnDar]

Mr. Meade

I was getting out of my recliner tonight when it broke. I have a 2010 Heartland Landmark with midnight interior with the leather chair upgrade. The frame the holds the seat bottom cushion had the front right joint separate. I attached several pictures of the damage. I am unable to travel to the Elkhart area as we are currently in Texas on a work contract and we are moving to Washington state in two weeks. What can we work out a a warranty repair

Thank you
Alan Brown

I don't think there is much repair for that damage. The wood has been so filled with brads that driving more into it will probably cause the end to fall off from lack of wood. Steel angles (top and bottom) with long legs bolted onto the framing that isn't Swiss Cheese'd from brads might hold it, but the covering will have to be removed to do it. With that, I'd demand they rebuild the frame with proper construction techniques and real wood. Dozens of brads shot into ragged pine end grain and no adhesive don't cut it. If they just give you another chair, it'll probably be the same piece of doo-doo.

Repair, ****, I'd want my money back.

 

[ChopperBill]

After looking at those pics I would put the "good" one on a garage sale and go get a pair of Lazy Boys! Chalk it up to experience.

 

[mrcomer]

Actually that wood looks like ash, and I also believe it is repairable. I definitely wouldn't use so many brads like they have but the right experience could make that better than new.

Good luck,
Mark

 

[JohnDar]

Actually that wood looks like ash, and I also believe it is repairable. I definitely wouldn't use so many brads like they have but the right experience could make that better than new.

Good luck,
Mark

It may well be ash, but they've made a mess out of it with all the brads. Out of curiousity, how would you consider repairing it?

 

[mrcomer]

Well there would have be a tear down in the area. Then I would remove all those brads and sand off all the glue residue. Clamp it together using bar clamps and then get my Kreg Jig out and start drilling pockets for some stratigically placed screws. If necessary add additional bracing. Before actually screwing it together I would absolutely use a high quality wood glue, re-clamp and shoot in my screws. Leave set overnight tightly clamped. Has worked in the past for me.

Mark

 

[2010augusta]

Out of curiousity, how would you consider repairing it?

Add triangular corner gussets with glue and screws at each joint.

 

[2010augusta]

sand off all the glue residue.

There is NO glue residue, none, nada, zip, zilch!! It is only brads into the end grain of the wood. Some has to be done different on these chairs or they will all come apart.

 

[JohnDar]

We're on the same page, more or less. I don't think I'd go with the pocket holes after the mess they made of the ends of the cross-members. One more large hole and they'd probably disintegrate. Definitely gussets glued and fastened to the framing, big enough to span past the damage and get attached to solid wood. Only thing I use brads (or pins) for is attaching trim or edge-banding while the glue dries.

 

[JohnDar]

There is NO glue residue, none, nada, zip, zilch!! It is only brads into the end grain of the wood. Some has to be done different on these chairs or they will all come apart.

Judging from the quality of the cuts, putting glue on those joints wouldn't have had a chance of doing much of anything. Had it been built originally with accurate cutting, glue and pocket hole joinery, it probably would not have failed. In this day and age of machinery, they could have even used a M&T style joint. They probably charge like they did.

 

[2010augusta]

Tim Meade has responded to an e-mail and they are going to send me a new chair when I arrive at a address capable of handling a common carrier freight delivery.

I will be re-enforcing the new chair before using it. and adding gussets to the current chair before too long.

I have to say that this is good customer service from Flair, but it should not have been an issue if the build quality was any good. We can not currently afford to upgrade to la-z-boys, so we have to make due with the current chairs.

 

[JohnDar]

Tim Meade has responded to an e-mail and they are going to send me a new chair when I arrive at a address capable of handling a common carrier freight delivery.

I will be re-enforcing the new chair before using it. and adding gussets to the current chair before too long.

I have to say that this is good customer service from Flair, but it should not have been an issue if the build quality was any good. We can not currently afford to upgrade to la-z-boys, so we have to make due with the current chairs.

Good deal on the customer service, and good idea to reinforce it. Now all you'll have to do is wrestle them in and out.

 

[kakampers]

Tim Meade has responded to an e-mail and they are going to send me a new chair when I arrive at a address capable of handling a common carrier freight delivery.

I will be re-enforcing the new chair before using it. and adding gussets to the current chair before too long.

I have to say that this is good customer service from Flair, but it should not have been an issue if the build quality was any good. We can not currently afford to upgrade to la-z-boys, so we have to make due with the current chairs.

I'd do the best I could to re-inforce those chairs...we spent over $1,700 on two Lazyboys...and trust me...the ain't made a whole lot better. Had to have one repair the first week we owned it, arm snapped right off, similar to yours...and Lazyboy was HORRIBLE to deal with!! Never Again!

 

[2010augusta]

Well I just got the replacement chair today. And Flair has changed some of their suppliers, so it is not exactly the same but very close. I think I like the new chair better, it has a thicker seat cushion and is reinforced in the area that broke on the old chair. Flair came through and I have to say that this time it looks like a better product.