ᐅ Mounting Rails on Ikea Pax Wardrobes – Options for Adjustments or Movement?

Created on: 12 Nov 2016 00:10
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MarcR
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MarcR
12 Nov 2016 00:10
Hello fellow enthusiasts,
I ordered a Pax wardrobe measuring 250x60x236 cm (98x24x93 inches) and would like to use it as a regularly movable room divider. Has anyone had any useful experience with this?

The wardrobe will stand on relatively smooth parquet flooring. Felt pads and Teflon seem only partially suitable, as it will be quite heavy when fully loaded. So, casters? But which type and how many? I’m less concerned about the load capacity of the casters and more about the wardrobe’s structure. Could the bottom panel break through? Would it be better to reinforce it internally with screws?

I would appreciate any helpful advice.

Best regards
Marc
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Nörgli
12 Nov 2016 12:16
To be honest, I wouldn’t place a cabinet of that size and weight freely in the middle of the room at all. Doors also have a considerable weight – if you open both with a bit too much force, the cabinet could quickly tip over on you. That’s why they are usually secured to the wall with brackets.

Besides that, if the cabinet stands freely, you would need to cover the back panel, as it is just a thin board without veneer.
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MarcR
12 Nov 2016 16:16
Hey Nörgli,

important note: I’m not installing any doors at all, and I don’t have children or pets running around. Honestly, I’m not too concerned about safety in this regard.

Good luck
Marc
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IKEA-Experte
12 Nov 2016 23:10
First of all, the floors cannot support the cabinet. Therefore, the casters would need to be mounted on the side walls. Since this allows the whole unit to be moved fairly easily, the casters should be as large as possible. Large casters with side mounting – nothing comes to mind right now. That would mean large metal brackets on the side walls and floor, with the casters attached underneath.

Regarding safety, you need to consider all possible scenarios.
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Phili
13 Nov 2016 11:45
You can find suitable casters at Schwalb.

Keep in mind that if you use swivel casters, the actual support point shifts noticeably under the cabinet depending on the rotation of the caster. This makes the whole setup even less stable.

From a construction perspective, I would recommend:
1. Attaching a board under the cabinet to support and distribute the weight. This board should be at least large enough for the side panels to rest on it, for example, 20 mm (0.8 inches) plywood.

2. To gain more stability both while pushing and when stationary, the board should actually be significantly deeper, extending, for instance, 150 mm (6 inches) beyond the front and back; so about 90 cm (35 inches) deep instead of 60 cm (24 inches).

I would also suggest using at least 6, preferably 8, casters.
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Herr rossi
13 Nov 2016 22:28
Hi Marc

Do you just want to slide the cabinet back and forth? I would recommend attaching a full board underneath the cabinet, about 250x58 cm (98x23 inches). For the board, I would suggest 25 mm (1 inch) plywood. For the casters, I would use drilled-in rollers. They have a very low profile and are also quite durable. I would use 5 rollers along the length and 2 along the depth, so a total of 10 pieces.

Herr Rossi