How to Take Apart Steelcase Cubicle Walls?

Since its founding in 1912, Steelcase has made a name for itself in the business of office furniture with products ranging from wastebaskets to chairs like the  and the .

And with the increasing popularity of office cubicles in the past few decades, they have expanded their product line to include full cubicle systems that are easy to set up.

Sometimes you will need to take apart the Steelcase cubicle walls – perhaps to switch out panels for a different aesthetic, to rearrange the shape of your cubicle, or to put the walls in storage.

But when this happens, how do you take apart the Steelcase cubicle walls?

Let’s find out in this article.

What are Steelcase cubicle walls?

Steelcase cubicle walls are the foundation of all Steelcase cubicle systems.

Their sturdiness allows for desks, shelves, and drawers to be set up and connected to the walls, creating a complete office in just a few minutes of installation.

Steelcase cubicle walls consist of several parts, including posts, crossbars, metal tabs, wall panels, kick plates, caps, and finish ends.

• Posts are the vertical parts of the metal frame. They keep the wall standing up straight, and, depending on the model of your Steelcase cubicle, they may screw into a connector rail on the floor.
• Crossbars are the horizontal parts of the metal frame that connect the two posts. They provide support for everything that goes onto the metal frame, including wall panels and shelves.
• Metal tabs are the locking mechanisms on crossbars. After a crossbar is fitted and hammered into a post with that side’s metal tab sticking out, you must lock the crossbar in place by pushing the metal tab inwards.
• Wall panels are what cover up the metal frame and make it look like a proper wall. They easily snap and lock into place on the frame; with each panel tucking its upper edge under the panel above it.
• Kick plates are the panels that go at the very bottom of the wall. They have teeth that fit into the post holes at the bottom, and they easily snap into place.
• Finish ends are what cover up the side of the post for a clean look. They simply snap on, and their tops are covered by finish caps.
• Caps are what cover the tops of your walls to lessen dust collection and prevent any scratches. They follow a hierarchy, with wall caps tucked underneath corner caps, and finish caps tucked underneath wall caps.

How to take apart Steelcase cubicle walls?

To take apart Steelcase cubicle walls, there are four main steps you have to take:

• Removing shelving on the wall.
• Disassembling the desk.
• Removing the wall panels.
• Disassembling the metal frame.

How do I remove shelving on Steelcase cubicle walls?

To remove shelving on Steelcase cubicle walls, you can follow these easy steps:

• Empty the shelf.
• Unplug any electronics that are attached to the shelf, like lamps.
• Open the shelf.
• Look for two thin tabs, one on each side of the shelf. These are the locking mechanisms.
• Pull the bottoms of the tabs towards you to unlock them.
• Lift the shelf, and pull it away from the wall.

How do I disassemble the desk in Steelcase cubicles?

If the wall you’re disassembling is connected to a desk, you will have to disassemble the desk first.

To disassemble the desk, you can follow these easy steps:

• Check the underneath of the desk for screws. There should be at least two brackets screwed to the table.
• Unscrew any screws in the desk.
• Remove the tabletop. You’ll see two parts of the bracket: the black part that was screwed to the desk and the white supporting hook attached to the wall.
• Wiggle the black part of the bracket to take it off.
• Lift and pull the white supporting hook to remove it.

How do I remove the wall panels in Steelcase cubicles?

Some Steelcase cubicles are outfitted with power for easy plugging.

If the wall you want to disassemble has the power cord inside it, you should unplug it from its source before trying to open up the wall.

Once you’ve done that, you can follow these simple steps to remove the wall panels:

• Remove the corner caps on the top of wall posts by pulling on them.
• Remove the wall cap by pulling on it. This will open up the wall, which will let you get a good grip on the wall panels.
• Pull the top wall panel off of the metal frame.
• Continue to pull the wall panels off, working down from the top.
• When you reach the kick plate at the very bottom, make sure to pull upwards first, then towards you.

How do I disassemble the metal frame of Steelcase cubicle walls?

Now, you should have only the metal frame of the wall in front of you.

To disassemble the metal frame, you can follow these steps:

• Pull the metal tabs on the bottom of the crossbars outwards. This unlocks them.
• Take a hammer and gently hammer the crossbars from underneath to dislodge them from the posts.
• Pull the crossbars out.
• If the posts are on top of a connector rail, you will have to unscrew them.

Conclusion

The walls are what give Steelcase cubicles their form.

To disassemble a Steelcase cubicle wall, you need to become familiar with seven main parts: posts, crossbars,  metal tabs, wall panels, kick plates, caps, and finish ends.

Once you’ve gotten to know the parts, you will have to take four steps to fully take apart Steelcase cubicle walls.

The first step is removing shelving on the wall. All you need to do is pull on the two tabs inside the shelf, then lift and pull the shelf away from the wall.

The second step is disassembling the desk if it’s connected to the wall. Unscrew the tabletop from the supports, then lift and pull the supports off of the wall.

The third step is removing the wall panels. Remove the caps on top of the wall and pull the panels off.

The last step is disassembling the metal frame. Unlock the crossbars, gently hammer them out of the posts, and unscrew the posts if they’re attached to a connector rail.

We hope this article helped you take apart your Steelcase cubicle walls!