Hello everyone, I recently assembled several BILLY shelves from IKEA carefully following the instructions, but despite all the care, some of them squeak when loaded or moved. This surprises me because I checked all the screws multiple times and tightened them properly. My question is: why do some BILLY shelves squeak despite careful assembly? Is it due to the materials, the construction, or could it be related to the environment (e.g., humidity, type of flooring)? I would like to understand the exact cause and how to prevent or fix it without having to take the shelves apart and reassemble them completely. Thanks in advance for your insights!
Hello FERNAND, thank you for the clear and precise question! Squeaking in BILLY shelves can actually have several causes. It is often due to slight friction between the particleboard and the wooden connectors, and sometimes small unevenness in the floor that allows a slight rocking motion.
That’s exactly right. Wood-based materials react to humidity, expanding or shrinking slightly – these tensions can cause squeaking. My advice: also check if the floor is perfectly level, and if possible, stabilize the shelf by placing small felt or rubber pads under the feet. This prevents the shelf from wobbling and making noise. Sometimes a slight retightening of the screws after a few days can also help once everything has settled a bit. Hope this helps!
FERNAND schrieb:
Is it due to the materials, the construction, or could it be related to the environment (e.g., humidity, floor conditions)?
That’s exactly right. Wood-based materials react to humidity, expanding or shrinking slightly – these tensions can cause squeaking. My advice: also check if the floor is perfectly level, and if possible, stabilize the shelf by placing small felt or rubber pads under the feet. This prevents the shelf from wobbling and making noise. Sometimes a slight retightening of the screws after a few days can also help once everything has settled a bit. Hope this helps!
I think the constant squeaking from furniture like BILLY is almost intentional—almost like a trademark. But seriously: who says it’s only due to assembly or materials? Sometimes the problem isn’t with the shelf itself but with the expectations.
My theory: this squeaking says a lot about life—that nothing is ever 100% perfect. Jokes aside, it could simply be a product design issue—with thinner particle boards or cheaper connectors, some things can’t be avoided. To me, it’s more an indication that these shelves are designed for dry environments with little movement, not for constant heavy use or feet constantly kicking against them. Maybe it’s time for a new product generation with better materials? What do you think?
FERNAND schrieb:
I’d like to understand exactly what causes this and how to prevent or fix it without having to take the shelves apart and completely reassemble them.
My theory: this squeaking says a lot about life—that nothing is ever 100% perfect. Jokes aside, it could simply be a product design issue—with thinner particle boards or cheaper connectors, some things can’t be avoided. To me, it’s more an indication that these shelves are designed for dry environments with little movement, not for constant heavy use or feet constantly kicking against them. Maybe it’s time for a new product generation with better materials? What do you think?
Hi everyone 🙂 When I read the question, I immediately thought of my old BILLY shelves, which sometimes squeak like little ghosts when I walk past them – even though I’ve checked the screws multiple times!
What helped me was sprinkling a bit of baby powder or talcum powder into the screw holes or at the contact points. This reduces friction and usually makes the annoying noise go away.
Exactly! Depending on the weather, my shelves either squeak or don’t 🙂 So don’t worry, this is a completely normal effect. And if the squeaking bothers you, try my little powder trick experiment – it really helps most of the time!
What helped me was sprinkling a bit of baby powder or talcum powder into the screw holes or at the contact points. This reduces friction and usually makes the annoying noise go away.
Takutau schrieb:
Wood-based materials react to humidity, swelling or shrinking slightly – these tensions can cause squeaking.
Exactly! Depending on the weather, my shelves either squeak or don’t 🙂 So don’t worry, this is a completely normal effect. And if the squeaking bothers you, try my little powder trick experiment – it really helps most of the time!
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