ᐅ My KALLAX shelf squeaks after attaching the glide pads – is this a common issue?

Created on: 29 Jan 2020 18:03

Hello everyone,

I recently assembled my IKEA KALLAX shelf and attached the included felt pads to the feet to protect the floor. However, I have noticed that the shelf starts to squeak as soon as I move it slightly. The noise clearly comes from the connection between the wood and the pads.

Does anyone have experience with this issue? Is this a common problem in the furniture world or rather an isolated case? Are there any tips on how to avoid or eliminate the squeaking? Perhaps a different type of pad, lubricant, or alternative installation method?

Of course, I don’t want to damage the shelf, but the squeaking is quite annoying, especially on the laminate floor.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

leventekau31 Jan 2020 09:17

PRA64 schrieb:
An uneven floor can increase the pressure on individual glides and thus promote squeaking.

That sounds exactly like the core of my problem. My laminate floor is indeed not perfectly level.

Therefore, I will first try to distribute the pressure more evenly using small rubber pads or thin felt pads and see if that eliminates the squeaking.

Thanks also for the explanation about applying lubricants. I wasn’t quite clear on how to do that exactly. I will try a light silicone spray.

If it surprisingly doesn’t help, I’ll get back with feedback.

SUBEN6031 Jan 2020 12:41

Technically, squeaking in furniture usually occurs due to micro-movements at contact surfaces with uneven pressure distribution.

The KALLAX is made of particleboard, and if the gliders do not sit flat or the floor is uneven, this can cause friction noises.

My advice: use plastic gliders instead of felt ones, as they are less prone to squeaking. Alternatively, silicone buffers or self-adhesive rubber pads provide even pressure and effectively reduce noise.

Regularly checking the gliders for wear also extends their lifespan and minimizes sources of noise.

Genevieve1 Feb 2020 10:05

SUBEN60 schrieb:
The KALLAX is made of particleboard, and if the glides do not sit perfectly flat or the floor is uneven, it can cause friction noise.

This brings me to a critical question: How much does the material quality of the KALLAX actually affect noise development from the glides? It seems to me that the often very inexpensive particleboard is mechanically more prone to micro-movements than solid wood or MDF panels.

Have any users experienced whether squeaking occurs more frequently when cheaper materials are used? Or could it be that, regardless of the material, the assembly and type of glides play a bigger role?

Perhaps this is an interesting perspective to better define the cause of the problem.

leomo1 Feb 2020 14:38

#10

Genevieve schrieb:
Have any of you experienced whether squeaking is more common when cheaper materials are used?

Funny question! I believe cheap particleboard is indeed one of those materials that tend to creak when pressure is applied.

Maybe the KALLAX is like the pop star of wood shelving – charming, practical, but always a bit finicky when it comes to noises ;-)

Regarding gliders: I’ve tried plastic gliders with soft rubber pads, which eliminated most of the noise. Plus small felt pads to protect the floor.

So if you’re still open to experimenting, rubber instead of felt and a bit of “damping tuning” can work wonders. And of course, keep in mind: a little movement is normal, a squeaky piece of furniture does want some attention after all ;-)

Good luck! 🙂

ᐅ My KALLAX shelf squeaks after attaching the glide pads – is this a common issue?

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