ᐅ After painting, my KALLAX unit no longer closes properly on both sides – any tips?

Created on: 4 May 2021 09:37

Hello everyone,

I recently repainted an IKEA KALLAX shelf unit, carefully sanding all the wooden parts and then applying acrylic paint. Unfortunately, I now have a problem where the doors on both sides of the KALLAX unit don’t close properly. Specifically, the doors don’t close flush, and in some places there is a gap, causing them to wobble or not fully "click" shut. Before painting, everything was fine, and the hinge and door system was not altered.

I have already tried adjusting the hinges, but without success. Could the paint be causing these issues, or is it perhaps due to the thickness of the paint affecting the door dimensions? Are there any tips on how to best fix doors that stick or don’t close properly after painting?

Thanks for your help!

chen675 May 2021 11:22

Nizihan schrieb:
Do you possibly have to remove them completely and reposition them if the door is now thicker?

Oh man, I remember my first self-painted shelf... I also thought at first that I’d have to take everything apart and rebuild it. But usually, good old sandpaper and some patience are enough.

Sure, removing doors is annoying, but keep in mind: the KALLAX is quite sturdy, and the hinges are adjustable – they always allow for a few millimeters (inches) of play ;-)

And hey, if you feel like it, you can even try using a small wooden wedge just for fun to see if you can balance out the gap somehow. Sometimes I took unconventional approaches, and somehow it worked 😉

Anyway, keep your head up – you’ll manage!

glapu5 May 2021 14:17

Removing doors, sanding them down, and readjusting the hinges.

Alternative: apply thinner layers of paint or choose a different paint with better flow properties.

ᐅ After painting, my KALLAX unit no longer closes properly on both sides – any tips?

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