ᐅ How does retrofitting drawer slides work for Ikea HEMNES furniture?

Hello everyone,

I am currently looking into how to retrofit drawer slides on an Ikea Hemnes sideboard because the existing ones do not operate very smoothly, and I would like a soft-close option or at least better quality.

My specific question is:
How exactly does retrofitting drawer slides on the Ikea Hemnes work?
Do I need special slides for this model, and what should I consider during disassembly and reassembly? Are there any potential limitations due to the original construction, such as pre-drilled holes or material thickness?

I have read that full-extension and soft-close slides are good options, but I am unsure how this can be done with the Hemnes, since the drawer frames are often made of solid wood.

I would appreciate it if anyone could share their experience or tips on this.

The HEMNES can be somewhat tricky when it comes to retrofitting drawer slides.

- First, you should check what type of mounting your current slides use. Usually, these are side-mounted slides attached directly to the frame and the drawer.
- For the HEMNES, it is often recommended to retrofit with metal full-extension side-mounted slides, which are durable and strong.
- It is important that the depth of the new slides matches the drawer; otherwise, the opening and closing will not work properly.
- Existing screw holes in the HEMNES are usually not standardized for such conversions, so you will either need to drill new holes or use appropriate mounting hardware.
- The wood thickness is sufficient, but careful measuring and marking are essential to avoid damaging the wood.

I recommend measuring the drawer and the cabinet carefully before installation and selecting the slides accordingly. Using a bit of leather lubricant on the slides will also improve smoothness.

Hello Lusoto,

You have raised a very relevant question. Many people underestimate the complexity of retrofitting drawer slides, especially with Ikea HEMNES, since there is no standardized system like those used for furniture that is fully constructed with metal fittings.

Here are a few steps I recommend:

- First, accurately measure the depth of both the drawer and the cabinet. This is crucial for selecting the right drawer slides.
- Since your drawers are made of solid wood, you should choose sturdy slides that can be secured with multiple screws to ensure better stability.
- Soft-close full extension slides from third-party manufacturers (e.g., Blum or Hettich) usually fit well but need careful adjustment.
- When drilling, pay attention to the wood grain to avoid weakening the material.
- It’s better to perform some trial fittings beforehand and fill any missing drill holes with plugs or wooden dowels.

In my experience, it works best to completely remove the old slides and install metal full-extension slides that ideally have a soft-close feature. This significantly improves the drawer’s ease of use.

If you have any further questions about installation or required tools, feel free to ask.

Deandre schrieb:
since there is no standardized system like with parts that are fully designed in a metal look for furniture.

Interesting point. You would expect Ikea itself to offer the best solutions since they always use solid wood. Instead, we are forced to do upgrades ourselves – which once again shows that Ikea primarily focuses on low prices rather than long-lasting quality.

To the matter at hand: Anyone who thinks they can simply swap out drawer runners is underestimating the work involved. Due to the dimensions of the HEMNES components, there is hardly a plug-and-play option. Often, the standard full-extension slides do not fit because of the depth and design of the cabinet, or they require a lot of routing work.

One could argue that such “DIY improvements” actually make buying furniture more complicated and time-consuming, and in the end, they might be more expensive than just investing in a higher-quality piece from the start.

So here’s my advice: If you don’t mind the effort, you should measure carefully, drill precisely, and possibly add some wood to mount the slides perfectly. But with a bit of patience, it is doable and really upgrades a HEMNES unit.

Retrofit drawer slides for HEMNES:

- Remove old slides
- Purchase new, matching full-extension drawer slides (check dimensions)
- Attach guide rails to the sides of the cabinet and drawer
- Position screws carefully to avoid splitting the wood
- Test the function and adjust if necessary

No worries if there are no pre-drilled holes; simply mark the new positions and drill.