ᐅ How can I easily disassemble IKEA PLATSA furniture after moving?

Hello everyone,

I am about to move and have some PLATSA furniture from IKEA that I need to disassemble fairly easily. My goal is to take the furniture apart as quickly and simply as possible after the move, without having to search for many tools or lose any parts. I am especially interested in any tips or tricks for carefully disconnecting the typical IKEA fittings without using excessive force or causing damage, or if there are helpful steps to keep in mind when taking the individual modules apart. The furniture is mostly assembled with dowels, screws, and connectors.

Could someone provide a well-organized approach or advice on how to disassemble PLATSA furniture after the move, so I don’t have problems reassembling it later? Thanks in advance!

As a general recommendation, approach the disassembly of the PLATSA furniture with systematic preparation. First, gather tools such as a cordless drill with the appropriate hex bit, a rubber mallet, and possibly small pliers.

- Start by removing the doors; this makes it easier to access screws and connections.
- Loosen all visible screws, but carefully check to avoid quickly detaching any load-bearing components.
- Be careful when removing plastic dowels to prevent breaking them – small screwdrivers often help as levers.

To prevent loss, I suggest collecting all screws in small bags and packing the individual modules in numbered boxes to facilitate later reassembly.

Charles schrieb:
Make sure to pull the plastic dowels out carefully so they don’t break – often small screwdrivers can be used as levers.

This is an important point I want to add. The plastic parts in PLATSA furniture are often quite delicate. Here is my general approach:

- At the start, I remove all screws using an electric screwdriver set to low speed to avoid damaging the edges.
- Once the door panels are taken off, I usually mark the connection points with a pencil to keep track of their position for reassembly.
- When pulling out the dowels, it’s recommended to use a narrow screwdriver with a gently twisted lever action to slowly and evenly extract the dowel. Otherwise, mechanical tension can often cause cracks in the wood.
- If a dowel is stuck, you can carefully sand it with fine-grit sandpaper or loosen it slightly using a drop of lubricant (e.g., paraffin oil).

Can you specify whether your PLATSA furniture shelves use clips or only screw connections? Sometimes this makes disassembly much easier to plan.

PLOMA schrieb:
Can you specify whether your PLATSA furniture shelves are held by clips or just screw connections? Sometimes that makes disassembly order much easier.

Thanks, the information about dowels and markings is already very helpful. My PLATSA units actually have shelves mostly held by clips, and the carcass is mainly joined with screws and dowels. Some modules also have back panels fixed with small nails. I’m wondering whether it’s better to remove all the nails from the back panels right away or if it makes more sense to leave them until the very end to keep the structure more stable.

If anyone has experience with back panels – should I remove them before or after loosening the screws and dowels? And is there an effective and gentle way to pull out these thin nails without damaging the wood or the back panel?

arinmeo schrieb:
If anyone has experience with the back panels – should I remove them before or after loosening the screws and anchors?

From a technical perspective, it is advisable to remove the back panels on IKEA furniture like PLATSA only after loosening the screws. The back panel stabilizes the frame and keeps it square. Removing it too early can cause the furniture to become unstable and the joints to shift, making disassembly more difficult.

For removing the nails, I recommend the following procedure:

- Use small pliers or a nail puller with protection under the blade (e.g., a piece of cardboard) to prevent scratching the wood.
- Pry the nails out slowly and evenly to avoid damaging the back panel.

Also, take your time and avoid forcing anything – this increases the chance of disassembling the furniture without damage.

If the back panel is very fragile, you can also carefully loosen it slightly from the frame with a flat spatula before fully pulling out the nails.