ᐅ KALLAX doors are misaligned after one year – possible causes?

Hello everyone,

About a year ago, I bought and assembled a KALLAX shelving unit from IKEA with the matching doors. At first, everything was perfect, but now I’m having the issue that after some time the doors hang crooked and can no longer be properly aligned. The hinges appear to be undamaged, but the gaps between the door and the shelving unit are noticeably uneven in some places.

Does anyone have experience with this or any ideas about what could be causing it? I’m especially interested in whether it could be a material defect, if the load plays a role, or if it might be due to the screws loosening over time. Are there also any indications of whether humidity or temperature changes inside the home could cause such problems?

I would appreciate any tips on how to address this issue, as I’d prefer not to have to buy a new shelving unit if the doors can’t be properly adjusted anymore.

Thanks in advance!

Hey MITAU46,

first of all, great that you explained your issue in such detail – that really helps everyone here! 😊

With KALLAX doors, the problem often comes down to the hinges, as they can "give" a little over time or slightly loosen from frequent opening and closing. It can help to tighten the screws and realign the doors.

The connection between the door panel and the shelf unit itself can also be somewhat delicate. The material may warp easily, especially with fluctuating humidity – engineered wood products don’t handle that very well.

My advice: check the screws, if necessary loosen them all, then carefully adjust everything again. If you do this regularly, the doors usually stay straight for a long time.

Good luck! If you like, let us know if that helped 🙂

Ledi37 schrieb:
Sometimes the issue with KALLAX doors really comes down to the hinges, as they can loosen slightly over time or wear out a bit from constant opening and closing.

That is definitely an important point. I assume the doors are made of coated particle board with simple clip-on hinges. These hinges offer some adjustment options (vertical, horizontal, depth). It is important to systematically check all of these.

Additionally, the material’s stress level can change due to heat and humidity. Especially in rooms with significant fluctuations (e.g., a kitchen with a lot of steam, or an unheated basement), doors can swell, which worsens sagging.

I also recommend inspecting the overall construction for proper installation: Where is the shelving unit placed? Is it securely and firmly positioned on the floor? If the entire piece of furniture wobbles, the door may bear more stress at certain points.

Checking the tightness of the screws is also advisable: Even if they appear visually secure, a slight pivot of a few degrees can cause the door to hang.

Could you please describe in more detail which room the shelving unit is in and how frequently it is used? That would help to identify the exact cause.

PLOMA schrieb:
Could you please describe more precisely in which room the shelf is located and how often it is used?

Sure, gladly. The KALLAX is in my living room, which is typically heated and does not experience strong fluctuations in humidity – the windows are often open, but there are no appliances nearby that produce high moisture levels (for example, no steam from the kitchen or bathroom).

The doors are used daily, usually opened and closed two to three times, but without much force. The overall stress on the doors is moderate – I mainly store books and decorative items inside.

Interestingly, the hinges on one side seem to have slightly more play than on the other.

Perhaps a tip on how to easily adjust the hinges would be helpful, or whether it would be worth replacing the original parts with more robust hinge types.

MITAU46 schrieb:
Perhaps a tip on how to easily readjust the hinges or whether it’s worth replacing the original parts with a more durable hinge type would be helpful.

For readjusting:
- Slightly loosen the screws on the hinges
- Realign the door (horizontally and vertically)
- Tighten the hinge screws again

If that doesn’t help, specially reinforced hinges are an option, but this is often more complex and not necessarily required. Often, the issue is more related to material stress or a “relaxed” shelving structure.

Regular readjustments are usually the best solution in this case.