How to sort and count hardware before you start

• Muffin tin, egg box or small bowls
• Pencil
• Masking tape

Before you start, lay everything out on a soft surface (the flattened box works) and check it against the parts list in your manual.

• Hardware bags
• Hardware page from the manual
• Spares that sometimes come with the pack

1. 1

   Step 1: Clear a flat surface away from rugs and floor gaps where small parts can vanish, and lay the manual open at the hardware page.

2. 2

   Step 2: Open the hardware bags over a tray, not the floor, one bag at a time.

3. 3

   Step 3: Put each type of fitting in its own tin cup or bowl, and label each with its letter or code using masking tape.

4. 4

   Step 4: Count every type against the quantity printed on the hardware page, and write the count on the tape.

5. 5

   Step 5: Check similar-looking screws against the actual-size drawings, since two lengths can differ only slightly.

6. 6

   Step 6: If anything is short, contact the maker for spares before you start rather than halfway through a step.

7. 7

   Step 7: Keep any leftover fittings in a labelled bag taped inside the finished piece for future repairs.

• Tipping every bag out at once into one pile.
• Using a long screw where a short one belonged and running out of long ones later.
• Throwing away the leftovers, which are often spares on purpose.