ᐅ Is it recommended to retighten all the screws on the KALLAX unit?

Hello everyone,

I recently bought the KALLAX shelf unit from IKEA and want to make sure the furniture components remain stable over the long term. Specifically, I wonder if it is advisable to retighten all the screws after the initial assembly to compensate for any looseness that might occur when first inserting them.

With other furniture, I have already experienced that screws tend to loosen within the first few days, making retightening essential. Can you tell me if this is also recommended for KALLAX? Are there any special procedures or common pitfalls I should watch out for?

Thanks in advance for your feedback and tips!

Hello Nesar46,

nice and detailed question, thanks for that! Basically, for furniture assembled with screws, it is always advisable to retighten the screws after a few days. Especially with KALLAX, which mainly consists of particleboard and relatively simple fittings, the screws can loosen slightly due to light use.

Since KALLAX is not a heavy or highly stressed piece of furniture, a gentle retightening check is usually enough, without applying too much pressure. Tightening too much could cause the board to split or damage the screw connection.

So my recommendation is: yes, retighten, but do so carefully and after about a week, when the furniture has settled a bit. If you assemble furniture often, you might consider getting a torque wrench, which helps with this task very effectively.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask! 🙂

Marlenepa schrieb:
For furniture assembled with screws, it is always advisable to retighten the screws after a few days

Exactly that, plus a bit more—I would clarify it a little further: KALLAX is made from pressed wood fiberboard or particleboard. While these materials are stable, they can swell or shrink to some extent when exposed to load or moisture. This means the screws in the wood threads may loosen over time.

To minimize the risk of wobbling or instability, all connections should be checked again after the first week and gently retightened if slightly loose. But be careful: overtightening can strip the threads or damage the material.

An important tip: when retightening for the first time, it’s better to use a cordless drill with low speed and short torque, or a manual screwdriver, to find the right amount of pressure in a controlled way.

A question for you: How heavily will you be loading the shelf, and will it be moved or fixed to the wall? This also affects how critical retightening is.

In summary: retightening is definitely useful, but should be done carefully and not too early. 2-3 days after assembly might still be too soon; it’s better to wait a week. For heavy loads at connection points, repeating the process is recommended.

PS: If you test the grip of a screw, do so gently to avoid overdriving the wood.

Nesar46 schrieb:
Is it recommended to retighten all screws on the KALLAX after the initial assembly to compensate for any looseness during installation?

I would say: Yes, definitely! 🙂

Furniture is never completely settled after the first assembly; the screws tend to “bed in,” and with use, some loosening can occur. For the KALLAX, which is assembled somewhat loosely, retightening usually helps it stand more stable and secure.

But be careful: tighten gently. It’s no good to go full throttle like pressing the gas pedal hard—you want to tighten gradually and carefully, otherwise you risk damaging the panels!

Just a quick check like this will make your shelf last longer. And if a screw no longer provides any resistance, it’s better to replace it rather than forcing it further.

So: retightening = yes, but gently = definitely yes 😉 Enjoy setting it up!