Hello everyone,
I am planning to move soon and own several Malm furniture pieces from Ikea that I am quite attached to and that were partly expensive. Since this furniture has a particleboard finish that is prone to scratches and moisture damage, I am looking for the safest and most gentle way to protect them well during the move.
I am especially interested in practical tips for packing (materials, order), how to best secure drawers and doors to prevent shifting or damage, and also whether it is better to disassemble the furniture or transport it as whole pieces.
I would greatly appreciate any experiences, helpful advice, or warnings about mistakes to avoid. Thank you in advance!
I am planning to move soon and own several Malm furniture pieces from Ikea that I am quite attached to and that were partly expensive. Since this furniture has a particleboard finish that is prone to scratches and moisture damage, I am looking for the safest and most gentle way to protect them well during the move.
I am especially interested in practical tips for packing (materials, order), how to best secure drawers and doors to prevent shifting or damage, and also whether it is better to disassemble the furniture or transport it as whole pieces.
I would greatly appreciate any experiences, helpful advice, or warnings about mistakes to avoid. Thank you in advance!
Thanks in advance for the helpful contributions, especially I really appreciate Filippo’s detailed explanations.
Regarding your questions, Filippo:
- The furniture ranges from smaller dressers to a large wardrobe with sliding doors.
- I will probably do the move with friends and a rented van.
- There are both stairs in the older building and narrow hallways, so handling will be somewhat challenging.
- The transport time will be about 3 hours.
Honestly, the sliding doors worry me the most because I suspect they can easily warp or get damaged. Does anyone have experience with how to best protect and secure sliding doors without removing them?
Also, many mention removing the back panels—is this really necessary? Are they especially vulnerable?
Regarding your questions, Filippo:
- The furniture ranges from smaller dressers to a large wardrobe with sliding doors.
- I will probably do the move with friends and a rented van.
- There are both stairs in the older building and narrow hallways, so handling will be somewhat challenging.
- The transport time will be about 3 hours.
Honestly, the sliding doors worry me the most because I suspect they can easily warp or get damaged. Does anyone have experience with how to best protect and secure sliding doors without removing them?
Also, many mention removing the back panels—is this really necessary? Are they especially vulnerable?
Hello Lusome,
good that you shared the details! When working with friends and a rental van, thorough preparation with protective materials is important.
Regarding sliding doors: Usually, you can unhang the doors from the top and bottom without dismantling the entire frame. This helps prevent rattling or scratches during transport. There are also special transport locks for sliding doors that stop them from shifting. If unhanging is not possible, then make sure to cushion them well with foam, felt, or blankets and secure the doors with tape, avoiding direct tape contact on the door surface.
About back panels: These are often quite thin on Ikea Malm furniture and made of particleboard or fiberboard. They do stabilize the furniture but are also very fragile. During transport, they can easily break, especially if the furniture is tilted or pressure is applied to the back panel. Therefore, my tip is: if you disassemble the furniture, remove the back panels and pack them separately to minimize damage.
I wish you good luck with your move!
good that you shared the details! When working with friends and a rental van, thorough preparation with protective materials is important.
Regarding sliding doors: Usually, you can unhang the doors from the top and bottom without dismantling the entire frame. This helps prevent rattling or scratches during transport. There are also special transport locks for sliding doors that stop them from shifting. If unhanging is not possible, then make sure to cushion them well with foam, felt, or blankets and secure the doors with tape, avoiding direct tape contact on the door surface.
Lusome schrieb:
The sliding doors honestly worry me the most because I suspect they could warp or get damaged easily
About back panels: These are often quite thin on Ikea Malm furniture and made of particleboard or fiberboard. They do stabilize the furniture but are also very fragile. During transport, they can easily break, especially if the furniture is tilted or pressure is applied to the back panel. Therefore, my tip is: if you disassemble the furniture, remove the back panels and pack them separately to minimize damage.
I wish you good luck with your move!
P
PeoDaniel21 Jun 2024 14:18I completely agree with what Ramon4 wrote.
Especially for Malm furniture, I recommend disassembling it whenever possible because of the thin back panels – they tend to break easily and are difficult to repair.
I often underestimate this as well – it’s better not to use tape, but to secure with stretch wrap and moving blankets.
For the sliding doors: Often you can gently lift them out of the top track and pack them separately, which makes transportation much safer. If that’s not possible, wrapping them in foam and securing with a textile strap (no adhesive tape on the surface!) helps.
I would recommend making a plan for your move, deciding the order in which parts are packed and how much protective material you’ll need. That way, you can better estimate and be prepared.
Especially for Malm furniture, I recommend disassembling it whenever possible because of the thin back panels – they tend to break easily and are difficult to repair.
Filippo schrieb:
Be careful not to stick adhesive tapes directly onto the surface, as Malm furniture often has a melamine-coated finish that can be damaged when removing the tape.
I often underestimate this as well – it’s better not to use tape, but to secure with stretch wrap and moving blankets.
For the sliding doors: Often you can gently lift them out of the top track and pack them separately, which makes transportation much safer. If that’s not possible, wrapping them in foam and securing with a textile strap (no adhesive tape on the surface!) helps.
I would recommend making a plan for your move, deciding the order in which parts are packed and how much protective material you’ll need. That way, you can better estimate and be prepared.
Good morning,
I recently transported Malm dressers and a wardrobe myself during a move. My approach was similar to what is described here: disassemble the furniture, wrap everything in blankets, empty the drawers, and pack them separately.
For the sliding doors, I carefully removed them and additionally wrapped them in felt to keep them scratch-free and protected.
One more tip: label all screws and small parts carefully in small bags to avoid losing anything during reassembly.
If you can’t remove the doors, use at least a soft padding and secure it lightly with stretch wrap. This reduces the risk of warping or scratches.
Good luck!
I recently transported Malm dressers and a wardrobe myself during a move. My approach was similar to what is described here: disassemble the furniture, wrap everything in blankets, empty the drawers, and pack them separately.
For the sliding doors, I carefully removed them and additionally wrapped them in felt to keep them scratch-free and protected.
One more tip: label all screws and small parts carefully in small bags to avoid losing anything during reassembly.
Lusome schrieb:
Does anyone have experience with the best way to protect and secure sliding doors without removing them?
If you can’t remove the doors, use at least a soft padding and secure it lightly with stretch wrap. This reduces the risk of warping or scratches.
Good luck!
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