Hello everyone,
Some time ago, I bought a Billy bookshelf from IKEA, and it is now in my home office. Whenever I load the shelf with books or other weight, it creaks at certain points. I’m not exactly sure whether it’s coming from the back panel, the shelves, or the screws, but it only happens under load, not when the shelf is empty.
I am curious why my Billy bookshelf creaks when loaded. Is this normal, or could there be a material defect? Are there any known weak points that can be easily fixed? I have already tightened some of the screws, but the creaking is still there. Has anyone had similar experiences or ideas on how to stop it?
Thanks for your feedback!
Some time ago, I bought a Billy bookshelf from IKEA, and it is now in my home office. Whenever I load the shelf with books or other weight, it creaks at certain points. I’m not exactly sure whether it’s coming from the back panel, the shelves, or the screws, but it only happens under load, not when the shelf is empty.
I am curious why my Billy bookshelf creaks when loaded. Is this normal, or could there be a material defect? Are there any known weak points that can be easily fixed? I have already tightened some of the screws, but the creaking is still there. Has anyone had similar experiences or ideas on how to stop it?
Thanks for your feedback!
Hello Bupokau,
I am very familiar with the issue with BILLY shelves, as it is a common phenomenon. The creaking usually results from small movements between the individual wooden components. The back panel is especially affected because it is made of thin hardboard, which can shift easily when the shelf is loaded.
Tightening the screws is a good step, but sometimes it is not enough. It is important that all the shelves fit firmly and, if necessary, the contact surfaces can be treated with some wax or silicone spray to reduce friction. The back panel should also be securely fastened on all sides, as it can cause noise under load if it is loose.
If the shelf is older, the wood structure may have changed slightly—wood tends to expand and contract. A bit of readjusting can help in this case. You might want to loosen all screws and then retighten them.
Good luck!
I am very familiar with the issue with BILLY shelves, as it is a common phenomenon. The creaking usually results from small movements between the individual wooden components. The back panel is especially affected because it is made of thin hardboard, which can shift easily when the shelf is loaded.
Bupokau schrieb:
I have already tightened some screws a bit, but the creaking is still there.
Tightening the screws is a good step, but sometimes it is not enough. It is important that all the shelves fit firmly and, if necessary, the contact surfaces can be treated with some wax or silicone spray to reduce friction. The back panel should also be securely fastened on all sides, as it can cause noise under load if it is loose.
If the shelf is older, the wood structure may have changed slightly—wood tends to expand and contract. A bit of readjusting can help in this case. You might want to loosen all screws and then retighten them.
Good luck!
The creaking in furniture like the BILLY shelf can be explained technically: under load, slight movements occur between the individual components, which produce noise due to friction.
Key factors include:
- The fastening of the back panel (usually thin hardboard), which can deform slightly under load.
- The precise fit of the shelves, which may shift due to small gaps.
- The screws and dowels, which can loosen over time.
Recommended measures are:
1. Tighten all screws using the appropriate torque.
2. Check the shelves and, if needed, isolate them at the contact points with thin felt or foam strips.
3. Either secure the back panel more firmly or reinforce the joints with some wood glue.
From a technical perspective, these steps make sense because they reduce the friction surfaces and minimize unwanted movement. This often eliminates the creaking completely or at least noticeably.
Key factors include:
- The fastening of the back panel (usually thin hardboard), which can deform slightly under load.
- The precise fit of the shelves, which may shift due to small gaps.
- The screws and dowels, which can loosen over time.
Recommended measures are:
1. Tighten all screws using the appropriate torque.
2. Check the shelves and, if needed, isolate them at the contact points with thin felt or foam strips.
3. Either secure the back panel more firmly or reinforce the joints with some wood glue.
From a technical perspective, these steps make sense because they reduce the friction surfaces and minimize unwanted movement. This often eliminates the creaking completely or at least noticeably.
Tommy38 schrieb:
The creaking usually occurs due to small movements between the individual wooden parts.That is correct, but it should be noted that the issue does not necessarily originate only from the components themselves. The material used in BILLY shelves is relatively thin and modestly sized – so you cannot expect the stability of solid wood for cost and weight reasons.
It also makes sense that poor or uneven load distribution increases the creaking. For example, if heavy books are concentrated on just one or two shelves, the localized loads increase, leading to more movement and thus more creaking.
I also consider it useful to check the surface the shelf is standing on. A slightly uneven floor can cause the shelf to tilt, which in turn can lead to unwanted shifts and creaking noises.
It would be interesting to know exactly how your shelf is loaded and whether it is standing on a completely level floor?
benfa schrieb:
It would be interesting to know exactly how your shelf is loaded and whether it stands on a completely level floor?Thanks for asking! The shelf stands on a laminate floor that appears quite level but is slightly inclined forward. The load mainly comes from books distributed across several shelves, not just on individual ones. However, the lowest shelves are somewhat more heavily loaded.
mifra schrieb:
Check the shelves and possibly decouple them at the support points using thin felt or foam strips [...] I will give that a try. I hadn’t thought about how to reduce friction there. Thanks for the tip!
I think I’ll first systematically check the screws again and then use felt strips before reattaching the back panel. If that doesn’t help, I will update here.
Similar topics