Disassembly Instructions for a Church Pew

Removing the Pew from the Floor

Most church pews can be easily disassembled with a few basic tools.

1. Examine the support members at the end of each pew where the support meets the floor. This support will be mechanically fastened to the floor, typically with a hidden fastener. Look for a plastic or metal plate that can be removed from the surface of the support that faces into the pew.

2. Shine the flashlight into the cavity behind the plastic plate and locate some type of heavy duty concrete fastener. This fastener looks like a nut on top of a threaded shaft that goes down through the pew end into the floor.

3. Remove the nut from the threaded shaft to disconnect the pew from the floor.

4. Examine the rest of the supports along the entire length of the church pew. Similarly disconnect each fastener from the floor so the pew can be lifted and turned over.

Remove the Pew's Decorative Support End Pieces

1. Spread a drop cloth along the floor so the pews are not scratched and damaged during the dis-assembly process.

2. Tip the church pew over so the pew supports are now pointed away from the floor into the room.

3. Examine the joint between the church pew ends in the pew seat. Underneath the seat, hidden from view, you will find a number of fasteners that connect the church pew and the pew seat. Remove the fasteners and set aside for use when reassembling the pew.

4. Tap on the church pew end lightly with the rubber mallet. If all the fasteners are removed, the church pew should easily come away from the church pew seat. If the end will not attach easily, closely examine the two pieces again to look for any fasteners you might have missed.

Removing the Pews Center Supports

1. Examine the rib of the church pews' center supports that run up the back of the church seat. This rib is tapered -- wider toward the bottom of the church pew and thinner near the top of the pew.

2. Identify and remove the wood buttons or hole plugs used to cover fasteners on the back of the church pews' center supports. By examining the wood grain you will see two or three 3/8-inch holes that are filled with a wooden dowel button or plug. Underneath each plug is a wood screw that connects the center support to the back of the church pew. The plugs can be removed with a dental pick or a small screwdriver.

3. Remove the screws from the back of the center supports, and you can disconnect the support from the church pew seating.

4. Inspect the bottom surfaces of the pew seats after removing all floor supports to see of there are any other fasteners. When all the fasteners are removed, the pew back and the seat should also disconnect from one another for easy transportation.