ᐅ After rearranging furniture, new scratches always appear on the Kallax shelves—any ideas for protection?
Created on: 29 Sep 2022 19:07
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noamdanHello everyone,
I regularly rearrange my Kallax shelving unit to change the room layout a bit or better suit my needs. However, I have the problem that after each time I move the furniture, I find new scratches on the surface of the Kallax—mostly along the edges or the front. Apparently, parts rub or scrape against the floor or other furniture when I slide the shelf. Since the Kallax is made of MDF with a melamine coating, it doesn’t seem to be very resistant to mechanical wear.
Does anyone have experience with ways to better protect the Kallax shelving when moving it? Are there special protective films, stickers, felt pads, or other materials that can prevent new scratches without compromising the appearance or stability? I would prefer not to constantly sand out new scratches or have to replace the shelves altogether.
I would be very grateful for concrete suggestions and tips!
I regularly rearrange my Kallax shelving unit to change the room layout a bit or better suit my needs. However, I have the problem that after each time I move the furniture, I find new scratches on the surface of the Kallax—mostly along the edges or the front. Apparently, parts rub or scrape against the floor or other furniture when I slide the shelf. Since the Kallax is made of MDF with a melamine coating, it doesn’t seem to be very resistant to mechanical wear.
Does anyone have experience with ways to better protect the Kallax shelving when moving it? Are there special protective films, stickers, felt pads, or other materials that can prevent new scratches without compromising the appearance or stability? I would prefer not to constantly sand out new scratches or have to replace the shelves altogether.
I would be very grateful for concrete suggestions and tips!
A proven method to prevent scratches when moving furniture is to use high-quality felt pads under the legs or edges. These significantly reduce friction and prevent direct damage to the surface. Make sure to choose felt pads with a sufficiently large area to increase pressure distribution.
Additionally, I recommend thoroughly cleaning the area under and around the shelf before moving it to remove sand grains or small stones, as these can cause scratches.
If the shelf is placed on a hard floor, you might also consider placing a thin protective mat underneath the entire piece of furniture. There are hard floor mats made of transparent plastic that are barely noticeable and protect both the floor and the furniture.
Additionally, I recommend thoroughly cleaning the area under and around the shelf before moving it to remove sand grains or small stones, as these can cause scratches.
If the shelf is placed on a hard floor, you might also consider placing a thin protective mat underneath the entire piece of furniture. There are hard floor mats made of transparent plastic that are barely noticeable and protect both the floor and the furniture.
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FeAndreas130 Sep 2022 07:33I can share very detailed insights on this topic based on my own experience.
Exactly, felt pads are a basic solution, but especially with a Kallax shelving unit, which is often designed with 8 divided compartments and an open structure, scratches frequently occur in areas that don’t have direct contact with the feet—for example, along the edges or on the shelves in the lower sections.
Here I recommend adding a combination of the following measures:
1. Protective edge banding (self-adhesive, soft PVC): This can be applied to the outer edges. It cushions sharp edges and provides protection against bumping furniture or uneven floors.
2. Felt strips or protective strips on the floor: Not only attach these to the furniture itself, but also to other pieces or baseboards to prevent scratches when moving furniture.
3. When moving the furniture: Use so-called furniture sliders or slide pads placed under the feet. These protect both the floor and furniture edges by evenly distributing the weight.
4. Optional: There are special transparent multipurpose protective films made of polyurethane that can shield the surface from scratches. However, these can be challenging to apply as they may form bubbles and require some maintenance.
I’m curious how often you move this piece of furniture and if you have already tried any of these methods?
kieran schrieb:
A proven method to prevent scratches when moving furniture is to use high-quality felt pads
Exactly, felt pads are a basic solution, but especially with a Kallax shelving unit, which is often designed with 8 divided compartments and an open structure, scratches frequently occur in areas that don’t have direct contact with the feet—for example, along the edges or on the shelves in the lower sections.
Here I recommend adding a combination of the following measures:
1. Protective edge banding (self-adhesive, soft PVC): This can be applied to the outer edges. It cushions sharp edges and provides protection against bumping furniture or uneven floors.
2. Felt strips or protective strips on the floor: Not only attach these to the furniture itself, but also to other pieces or baseboards to prevent scratches when moving furniture.
3. When moving the furniture: Use so-called furniture sliders or slide pads placed under the feet. These protect both the floor and furniture edges by evenly distributing the weight.
4. Optional: There are special transparent multipurpose protective films made of polyurethane that can shield the surface from scratches. However, these can be challenging to apply as they may form bubbles and require some maintenance.
I’m curious how often you move this piece of furniture and if you have already tried any of these methods?
Thank you for your feedback so far.
I change the position of the Kallax every few weeks, mostly when I do small rearrangements in the living room – so not daily, but often enough for the scratches to be a persistent annoyance. I haven’t actually used furniture sliders yet, more the felt pads under the feet, but apparently that’s not enough.
The idea of using PVC edge banding sounds interesting – do you have any tips on material thickness or where I could best buy something like that? And how does it look aesthetically? I don’t want the shelf to appear bulky or for the overall look to suffer.
FeAndreas1 schrieb:
I’m curious how often you rearrange the piece of furniture
I change the position of the Kallax every few weeks, mostly when I do small rearrangements in the living room – so not daily, but often enough for the scratches to be a persistent annoyance. I haven’t actually used furniture sliders yet, more the felt pads under the feet, but apparently that’s not enough.
The idea of using PVC edge banding sounds interesting – do you have any tips on material thickness or where I could best buy something like that? And how does it look aesthetically? I don’t want the shelf to appear bulky or for the overall look to suffer.
Regarding the appearance and functionality of PVC edge banding: There are very thin, transparent PVC edge bands that are barely noticeable and flexibly adapt to edges. A material thickness of 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 inches) is usually sufficient to prevent scratches from light impact and to protect the edges.
Another option is rubber or silicone profiles, which are even better for shock absorption but are generally more visible and can affect the style of the furniture edge.
Edge banding can be found at hardware stores, from online specialty retailers for furniture accessories, or from suppliers of upholstery materials. I recommend requesting samples or trial packs before purchasing to see how the appearance works with the Kallax.
Additionally, when moving furniture, it’s best to proceed carefully, work with multiple people for heavy items, and protect the floor if possible.
Another option is rubber or silicone profiles, which are even better for shock absorption but are generally more visible and can affect the style of the furniture edge.
Edge banding can be found at hardware stores, from online specialty retailers for furniture accessories, or from suppliers of upholstery materials. I recommend requesting samples or trial packs before purchasing to see how the appearance works with the Kallax.
Additionally, when moving furniture, it’s best to proceed carefully, work with multiple people for heavy items, and protect the floor if possible.
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