ᐅ After children have visited, the hinges on the Kallax unit have come loose – how can I fix this?

Hello everyone,

I have the following problem: After a visit from some children at our home, the hinges on the doors of my Kallax shelving unit have become quite loose. I use the Kallax as a storage cabinet with doors, and it looks like the screws or hinges have loosened or even partially come out of the wood.

Now I am wondering how to best repair this without damaging the entire structure.

Should I use larger screws, or would a furniture repair kit be more helpful? Maybe there are also tricks to reinforce the wood material if the holes have become too large?

I would be very grateful for practical advice, preferably including suggestions for tools I could use. Thanks in advance!

Hello Narkla,

First of all, it’s good that you described the problem so clearly. Hinges on furniture like Kallax are often attached with small wood screws, which can loosen over time due to stress or frequent opening and closing.

Here is my suggestion as a simple repair tutorial:

1. Remove screws: Completely unscrew the screws and take off the hinge.
2. Check condition: Inspect the holes in the wood carefully. Are they worn out or too large?
3. Repair the holes:
- If the hole has only become slightly bigger, a simple wooden stick (e.g., toothpick or small wooden dowel) glued in with wood glue can help. After drying, you can screw the screw back in.
- For larger damage, I recommend wood filler or a special furniture repair kit to fill the holes and re-drill them.
4. Replace screws: Use screws with the same diameter but possibly a bit longer to ensure a better grip.
5. Reattach the hinge and test everything.

One more tip: Make sure to let the wood glue or filler dry thoroughly before reinserting the screws. Otherwise, it won’t hold well.

Good luck!

Hello everyone,

This is an interesting topic that actually occurs quite often with Kallax and similar shelving systems. The issue with loose hinges usually arises because the wood fibers around the screw hole have worn out. This often happens when children open the doors suddenly or with a lot of force.

A common problem is that the drill hole in the wood is too large, so the screw no longer holds securely.

I would like to go into detail here about repair options so you can decide which is best for your situation.

- "Wood dowel method": As already mentioned, you can insert toothpicks into the hole, apply wood glue, and after it has dried, screw the screw back in. You need to make sure the dowel fits exactly and the screw isn’t too large, otherwise the fibers will break again.

- "Wood filler / repair compound": Filler is a good choice if the hole is significantly enlarged. After it hardens, the spot can be drilled again and the screw will hold better. Note: The filler should be suitable for load-bearing joints.

- "Insert nuts / metal threaded inserts": For a professional solution, you can also use so-called insert nuts or metal threaded bushings. This makes the connection much more durable. However, the work effort is higher and you need appropriate tools (a drill bit sized for the insert, hammer, or even a press).

- Screw length and quality: Make sure to use high-quality screws, preferably fully threaded and made of stainless steel, so they do not wear out quickly.

Finally, I’d like to ask: Is the Kallax shelf completely made of particle board, or is it partially reinforced with a back panel? That could affect the stability.

I look forward to your response so I can offer more targeted help!

bapar schrieb:
Finally, I would like to ask: Is the Kallax shelf made entirely of particleboard, or does it perhaps have some reinforcement on the back panel?

Thanks for the detailed reply, bapar! The Kallax shelf is made entirely of particleboard without any extra reinforcement. The back panel is just a thin MDF board, probably not very sturdy.

Landontau schrieb:
If the hole has only gotten slightly bigger, a simple wooden stick (e.g. toothpick or small wooden dowel) glued in with wood glue can help.

I will probably try that first. Thanks also for the tip about using a longer screwdriver bit, I was briefly considering using longer screws, but that might not help much without a wood repair.

What type of wood glue would be best here? Two-component glue? Or is regular wood glue sufficient?

And a question about the repair process: Does the glue need to dry completely before inserting screws to avoid the wood splitting again? Or can I use the glue while it is still wet to put in the screws?

Narkla schrieb:
What type of wood glue should I buy for this? Two-component? Or is regular wood glue enough?

Usually, regular wood glue (PVAc glue), which you can find at any DIY store, is sufficient. It has very strong bonding power and is ideal for wood-to-wood joints.

Narkla schrieb:
Does the glue need to dry completely before I screw in screws, so the screws don’t tear the wood again?

Yes, definitely wait! Wood glue generally requires 12-24 hours to fully cure. If you insert the screw before it’s fully cured, the glue may not hold, and the hole can become enlarged again.

A good tip is to generously coat toothpicks or wooden dowels with glue, press them into the hole, remove any excess glue, and then clamp or weight the entire assembly so nothing shifts. Only after it has fully dried should you screw in the screw again.

If it still doesn’t hold the second time, you can also pre-drill a pilot hole slightly smaller than the screw to prevent the wood from splitting again.

Hope this helps!

My tip: Use wooden dowels with wood glue in the holes, then wait. After that, use smaller screws that aren’t too long. Pre-drill lightly beforehand. This usually holds well.