How To Remove Screw Covers On Furniture

In this article, we will walk through some tools and tips to help you remove plastic screws from the furniture. We also look at what can be done with stubborn plastic screw covers.

When attempting to disassemble furniture, have you ever had trouble removing plastic screw covers? You are not alone. A lot of people struggle to remove them. In fact, “How to remove plastic screw covers on furniture?” is one of the most common questions that we get in our comments section. Here is a list of some of the methods, tools and tips you can use to remove plastic screw covers from the furniture.

How To Remove Screw Covers On Furniture

Why Are Screw Covers Made With Plastic?

First things first, what is with the plastic screw covers? Plastic has been used as a protective layer since time immemorial. In the case of plastic screw covers, a layer of plastic acts as a protective coating for the screw and holds them firmly in the socket. Most plastic screw covers come in the same color as the furniture itself, to camouflage its presence. 

How To Remove Plastic Screw Covers on Furniture

Have you just gotten your hands on a new dining table at the nearby flea market? Do you want to take out the old screws, and glue the legs to make it more durable? Well, guess what, you can’t. Because you can’t reach those screws, with those plastic covers hiding them safely. But worry not, we will help you get that thing out of there. Try these tips:

How To Remove Screw Covers On Furniture

Use a Screwdriver

Grab a screwdriver. The ideal tool would look like a watchmaker’s screwdriver. The Phillips screwdriver, which most of us have in our toolkits, is equally good. Do the proceedings very gently. 

Apply a duct tape on top of the screw cover to protect the wood and also take out the wood cover easily later. Now, give the screwdriver a gentle push underneath the plastic cover and give it a slight tap on either side to loosen the adhesive and leave the screw. You can use a hammer to tap the screw driver too. Getting it done correctly will only take a few minutes. 

However, sometimes the manufacturer may have used a strong adhesive, in which case taking it out with this method becomes more difficult . If this doesn’t work, try something else. 

Credits: https://youtu.be/Hwc3O4gli7s

Tweeze it out 

Now that you have used a screwdriver to loosen the cap over the screw, take a tweezer and pull it out. Try to have a firm grip over the plastic. Once you have a secure grip with the tweezers , gently yet firmly start tugging out the screw cover. 

How To Remove Screw Covers On Furniture

Yes, there will be some stubborn pieces of plastic that just won’t come off. If this is the case, use a cutter or an Exacto knife to cut them at the very base. Be careful lest you end up damaging the furniture upholstery or fabric by mistake. If you don’t have tweezers, open your drawer and take out your nail plier. 

Try giving a Push

Give a push in the middle, a gentle one. The push will distort the screw cover’s shape, hopefully lifting its extremities slightly above the level of the wood. Now that it is distorted, lift the screw out using a sharp tweezer or plier to hold on to the plastic screw securely. Voila! You are done. This one is an easy method of getting rid of the covers. 

Heat Up The Adhesive Using a Hair Dryer

Since there is an adhesive involved, some heat might loosen up your screw cover. You can try blowing the area around the screw where the glue is stubborn for a few seconds. Keep the heat setting low, or else you might end up damaging the wood. 

How To Remove Screw Covers On Furniture

Drill a tiny hole

Drill a small hole in the middle of the plastic cover with a drilling machine. Don’t go too far. Ideally, the hole should be sized so that a pointed tool can easily be inserted to have it gripped and just pull it out. (Ugh! If only it was as easy as it sounds.)

Additionally, you can dig a screwdriver head into the cap and then tap the screwdriver head gently with your hammer. It might just come out like that. However, if the seller has stuck in the cover too hard or if the adhesive is too strong, it might not work. 

Credits: https://youtu.be/gWgcTpdfScg

Ask the seller

If nothing else works, ask the seller how they recommend removing plastic screw covers. What better than asking someone who deals with furniture all day? They may present an even better solution. If you do this, please comment below and let us know. 

How To Remove Screw Covers On Furniture

Patience

No matter what tool you use, this will be the most important one when dealing with plastic screw covers on furniture. So keep yourself fully loaded with this one or seek help from your friend or significant other to keep you going in full spirits. It would help if you also tried to accomplish this with at least two people since you might need to tilt and drag the furniture. 

How To Remove Screw Covers: Tips & Tricks

Pull but gently!

Would you like to get rid of all the plastic only to find out that tiny plastic pieces at the edges have stayed behind? Not only does this look utterly unruly, but it also puts your minutes of hardwork in vain. To avoid a situation of this sort, whenever pulling, be very gentle. Pull out the plastic with as little force and as much love as possible while maintaining a firm grip. 

How To Remove Screw Covers On Furniture

Be careful about the cushioning

While trying to remove the plastic, you might ruin the cushioning of your chairs. Use extra caution when using sharp objects and always keep the thing safe from the fabric.

Do not mess with the screw.

Remember, you need to remove the cover, not the screw. You should not unscrew any screws or nuts without reason. It is the last thing you want to experience when your furniture has just dropped in.  

P.S. Make sure you have all the tools needed before starting your mission to remove the plastic cover. Otherwise, you are likely to waste time searching for the tools afterwards. 

If All Else Fails 

The following are some alternatives for situations where you have spent a lot of time and effort trying to remove plastic covers, but they have pre-decided not to come off. 

How To Remove Screw Covers On Furniture

Why not keep the plastic on?

Don’t we anyways cover up our belongings with protectors and protectants to reduce their risk of damage? Let some of your furniture remain wrapped up in plastic and allow your furball or toddler to use it without any worries. Then, you can rest assured that your brand-new furniture upholstery won’t get stained or dirty in the least. 

Ask someone to disassemble your furniture.

If you are too exhausted to handle disassembly, you can always ask the seller if they offer the option for disassembly at your location. You can pay an additional fee to have this done exceptionally carefully and observe the process for assimilation of the necessary things that will help you in the future. 

Wrap Up

We understand that the process of getting rid of plastic screw covers during disassembly is no less than a nightmare. Therefore, we compiled the ways we find best to deal with the same.

How To Remove Screw Covers On Furniture

If you try any of these, do let us know in the comments down below. Also, do not forget to share this piece with your family and friends.