ᐅ How can I restore the stability of Malm furniture after moving?

Hello everyone, I have the following problem and hope for your experience and good tips: After moving, my IKEA Malm furniture – specifically dressers and bedside tables – have somehow become unstable. They wobble at times and creak, which annoys me a lot because I plan to use them permanently. Does anyone know tricks or proven methods to make these pieces stable and load-bearing again? I am interested in all aspects, such as tightening screws, using wood glue, reinforcing the joints, or special techniques to restore Malm furniture to a firm and secure condition after a move. Thanks in advance for your help!

Hello! Your concern is completely understandable. Especially during moves, furniture like Malm can become a bit unstable because the joints experience more stress. Generally, it’s worth starting by tightening all screws and fittings – they often loosen over time.

If the joints are already a bit worn out, wood glue can help to re-secure dowels or paired glued parts. It’s important to firmly clamp the furniture while the glue dries – either with clamps or at least by pressing it firmly against a surface.

Another option is to reinforce the interior corners with small metal brackets, which you can attach from the inside. This often makes a big difference. Good luck!

Completely unscrew the screws, clean the threads and screws, and use a new set of screws if necessary. Use wood glue only for permanent fixation, then clamp. Reinforce angle brackets indoors if possible, ensuring precise fitting during installation.

That sounds like a small DIY project with a great sense of achievement! 🙂

sarlo schrieb:
It’s important to secure the furniture well while it’s drying

I always underestimate that too. After moving, my Malm chest of drawers got a new lease on life just for that reason – a few clamps, some patience, and voilà, no more wobbling. Oh, and a bit of tapping and readjusting never hurts 😉 I can really relate to that!

I think your suggestions are good, but I would like to add that it’s important to carefully check whether the piece of furniture is already affected by material fatigue. Malm is known for its comparatively thin particleboard – after a move, slight cracks or weakened joint connections can appear.

EDWARD0 schrieb:
Completely unscrew the screws, clean the threads and screws

This is true, but if the threads in the wood are already worn out, this often won’t help anymore. As an alternative, I recommend re-drilling and reinforcing with thicker wooden dowels or special threaded inserts.

Although this is somewhat more labor-intensive, it provides long-term stability. Simply tightening screws again is often only a temporary fix.

Short and practical: Secure screws with threadlocker (Loctite) if the threads are still in good condition. For worn-out holes, use wood filler or insert wooden dowels, then re-screw. Angle brackets on the inside are often the best and easiest reinforcement.