ᐅ What should I do if my Malm furniture is warped?

Hello everyone,

I recently moved and reassembled my Malm furniture from Ikea. Unfortunately, I noticed that some of the drawer fronts and side panels are slightly warped. This not only looks unattractive but also affects the function to some extent, as the drawers are harder to open and close.

My specific question is: What do you do when Malm furniture is warped? Are there any ways to reshape the wood or particleboard panels, or at least minimize the damage? I understand that MDF and particleboard don’t react like solid wood, and I’m concerned that heat or moisture might do more harm than good.

Has anyone had experience with how to proceed without damaging the surface? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hello Lauluis,

your situation unfortunately isn’t uncommon for furniture made from particleboard or MDF – especially with MALM, where a lot of foil surfaces are used, moisture or improper storage can lead to slight warping.

In general, using moisture carefully and moderately, for example by placing a damp cloth on the backside for a short time, can help the material adjust slightly. It’s important that it doesn’t get soaked, as that often causes more damage.

If it’s really just a minor bend, you can try gently and evenly weighting the furniture parts down or using clamps to bring them into the desired shape and leave them like that for a while. However, this only works for small deformations.

Heat (e.g., a hairdryer) is usually not recommended for foil surfaces, as it can cause damage.

Oh, I can completely understand how frustrating that is. I had the same issue with my MALM dressers, and it felt like fighting a losing battle.

Furniture somehow needs time to adjust to its environment, and often the indoor climate is the culprit. What helped me was not placing the furniture directly against exterior walls or in very cold spots and carefully using weights to straighten it back into shape.

Try to be patient and monitor the deformations – if it gets worse, you can always consider exchanging it. But I believe many here understand how it feels when a beloved piece of furniture suddenly doesn’t look or function properly anymore.

Here is a brief overview of how to deal with warped MALM furniture, organized by causes and solutions:

1. Identify the cause: Warping often occurs due to fluctuations in humidity, temperature changes, or improper storage.

2. Inspect the furniture parts: Are the deformations minor and possibly due to wood fiber shrinkage, or has the material swollen because of moisture?

3. Correct minor warping:
- Place a damp cloth on the backside and then apply some weight to reshape it.
- Use clamps, if possible, to keep the furniture part straight.

4. Major damage:
- In these cases, replacing the affected parts is often the only solution.

5. Prevention:
- Gradually acclimate the furniture to your home's indoor climate, avoiding extreme conditions.

Tip: Avoid using harsh chemicals or heat, as these can damage the laminate surface and are usually counterproductive.

If the drawers are warped, you can first try storing them in a humid room. This can sometimes help the wood to relax. After that, weigh them down. If this does not work, unfortunately, you will need to replace the drawers or sand and repaint the affected part.

I would avoid adding too much moisture, as chipboard and MDF tend to swell quickly. It’s better to place the furniture in the room where it will eventually be located and wait a few days. You can also remove the drawers and store them separately if needed. In case of severe deformation, replacement is the only solution.