Hello everyone, I recently bought an Ikea Malm chest of drawers and want to secure it safely to my hardwood floor to prevent it from tipping over or sliding. Since the Malm chest is quite tall and narrow, I am a bit concerned about its stability, especially in a household with children. My question is: What methods and materials are best suited to securely, permanently, and floor-protectively fix a Malm chest of drawers to hardwood flooring? Ideally, the solution should not damage the floor, be easy to install, and still reliably prevent slipping or tipping over. I would appreciate any tips on fastening materials, procedures, or personal experiences!
Hello Tafinn, to securely fix your Malm dresser on hardwood flooring, it’s best to take a systematic approach: First, using special felt pads under the dresser’s feet is recommended to protect the flooring while minimizing abrasion. On top of that, you can place anti-slip mats, which provide additional grip without damaging the floor.
Wall attachments using furniture anchors or tip-over restraints are definitely advisable, as securing only at the base often isn’t enough—especially with a tall dresser like the Malm. When installing the wall attachment, make sure to choose appropriate anchors depending on your wall material (e.g., expansion anchors for solid brick, cavity anchors for drywall).
Besides the mechanical wall securing, I also recommend regularly checking the condition of the fixings, since over time and with frequent use, the anchors may loosen.
Regarding protecting the floor, keep in mind that the pads or mats you use should distribute pressure evenly to prevent dents. Do you already know exactly what type of wall material you have?
Wall attachments using furniture anchors or tip-over restraints are definitely advisable, as securing only at the base often isn’t enough—especially with a tall dresser like the Malm. When installing the wall attachment, make sure to choose appropriate anchors depending on your wall material (e.g., expansion anchors for solid brick, cavity anchors for drywall).
Besides the mechanical wall securing, I also recommend regularly checking the condition of the fixings, since over time and with frequent use, the anchors may loosen.
Regarding protecting the floor, keep in mind that the pads or mats you use should distribute pressure evenly to prevent dents. Do you already know exactly what type of wall material you have?
Dilen schrieb:
Do you already have a clear idea about the wall material? Yes, the wall is made of solid concrete, so anchors and screws shouldn’t be an issue. I just want to be cautious because I want to avoid any possible damage to the parquet flooring.
Thanks for the tips on felt pads and anti-slip mats. I was also wondering if using some kind of cork or rubber underlay to distribute the pressure might be a good idea – what do you think?
I’ve also read that some people screw wooden battens to the back of the dresser and then fix it to the wall – would that be advisable or just unnecessarily complicated?
Good morning Tafinn, here is a simple step-by-step guide on how to securely and floor-friendly fix your Malm chest of drawers to parquet flooring:
1. Preparation: First, thoroughly clean the underside of the chest of drawers and the parquet floor to remove any dust particles that could cause slipping.
2. Floor protection: Attach self-adhesive felt pads or special anti-slip pads to the feet of the chest of drawers. These will protect the parquet and provide better grip.
3. Pressure distribution: If the feet of the chest of drawers are very narrow, you can cut a thin cork or rubber mat to place under the felt pads to better distribute the pressure on the parquet. Make sure the mat is not too thick to avoid wobbling of the chest of drawers.
4. Wall fixing: Since the wall is concrete, you can safely use heavy-duty anchors. Attach a furniture bracket or anti-tip anchor to the back of the chest of drawers and securely screw it into the wall.
5. Optional: Installing a wooden batten on the back of the chest of drawers can be helpful if you want to attach multiple anti-tip anchors to the batten. This makes installation easier and distributes the forces better, especially if the chest of drawers is heavily loaded.
6. Check: After fixing, check the stability by gently pressing against the chest of drawers – it should neither tip nor slip.
The most important thing is to use high-quality fixing materials and carefully follow all steps. Then your chest of drawers will stand securely and the parquet floor will remain undamaged. Good luck!
1. Preparation: First, thoroughly clean the underside of the chest of drawers and the parquet floor to remove any dust particles that could cause slipping.
2. Floor protection: Attach self-adhesive felt pads or special anti-slip pads to the feet of the chest of drawers. These will protect the parquet and provide better grip.
3. Pressure distribution: If the feet of the chest of drawers are very narrow, you can cut a thin cork or rubber mat to place under the felt pads to better distribute the pressure on the parquet. Make sure the mat is not too thick to avoid wobbling of the chest of drawers.
4. Wall fixing: Since the wall is concrete, you can safely use heavy-duty anchors. Attach a furniture bracket or anti-tip anchor to the back of the chest of drawers and securely screw it into the wall.
5. Optional: Installing a wooden batten on the back of the chest of drawers can be helpful if you want to attach multiple anti-tip anchors to the batten. This makes installation easier and distributes the forces better, especially if the chest of drawers is heavily loaded.
6. Check: After fixing, check the stability by gently pressing against the chest of drawers – it should neither tip nor slip.
The most important thing is to use high-quality fixing materials and carefully follow all steps. Then your chest of drawers will stand securely and the parquet floor will remain undamaged. Good luck!
Dilen schrieb:
Wall fixings using furniture anchors or anti-tip devices are definitely recommended Sure, that’s the usual advice. But honestly: aren’t all these fixings often just an overreaction?
I mean, a Malm dresser isn’t really tall enough to just tip over during normal use. If it’s properly loaded and not placed on uneven flooring, you shouldn’t actually need to install wall anchors in everyday situations.
Sometimes safety is almost overdone, and people end up damaging walls or users develop a sort of “drill hole trauma.” I think as long as you have some non-slip pads and position the dresser correctly, that’s completely enough.
But of course, a household with children is a different matter... still, I’d take a practical approach and not make it more dramatic than necessary.
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