Furniture Assembly near you

Tell the assembler exactly what's in the boxes, ideally with the product names or instruction sheets, since the work involved varies widely between a nightstand and a wall of wardrobes.

Most wobbling, sagging and crooked doors trace back to a step rushed during assembly. A careful assembler works in a predictable order.

Health Canada warns that children sometimes try to climb bookshelves, dressers, appliances and TVs, which can make them tip over. Its advice is to anchor furniture to the wall with anti-tip devices such as angle braces or safety straps, secured to a wall stud or with heavy-duty drywall anchors made for specific furniture types. It also suggests putting heavier items, like books, in lower drawers so a piece doesn't become top-heavy, and installing locking devices so a child can't open drawers and use them as steps.

A crib is the one piece of furniture where improvising is never acceptable. Health Canada says to follow the manufacturer's instructions when setting up a crib, cradle or bassinet, and that it isn't safe to modify these products or repair them without parts from the original manufacturer; parts found around the house or at a hardware store are not safe options. Once it's built, check that the crib is sturdy and that every screw and bolt is tight.

Health Canada also says cribs made before September 1986 should not be used, and that since December 29, 2016, it has been illegal to sell, import, manufacture or advertise traditional drop-side cribs in Canada. If you're given or buy a used crib, check its label and the recalls database before anyone assembles it, and don't use it if parts or instructions are missing.

Furniture, cribs, bunk beds and dressers are recalled from time to time when a hazard such as tipping, entrapment or collapse comes to light. The Government of Canada's recalls and safety alerts database can be searched by product before you buy, and again before a secondhand piece is assembled. If a recall applies, follow its instructions, which may call for a repair kit, a refund or simply no longer using the product, rather than having the piece assembled anyway.

Flat-pack furniture comes with a surprising amount of packaging: cardboard, foam, plastic film and bags, corner protectors and paper. Ask in advance whether the assembler takes it away or leaves it flattened for your recycling collection, since municipalities set their own rules on what goes in the bin and how large amounts of cardboard should be put out.