Good morning everyone, I have unfortunately noticed a distortion on the left side of my IKEA Malm chest of drawers. It is a slight bowing that does not significantly affect stability but is visually very noticeable. The chest is located in a rather humid room and is about 4 years old. My question: What practical methods or repair approaches do you know to permanently fix deformities in Malm furniture, preferably without having to replace the entire side panel? I would like to know if there are home remedies, special tools, or treatment methods to straighten the wood again or at least stabilize it. Thanks in advance for your experience and tips!
Deformations in MALM furniture, which is usually made of particleboard with a foil coating, are often caused by moisture or improper loading. To fix the warping, I recommend first completely drying the affected area—this can be done either by placing it in a well-ventilated room or using gentle heat sources (e.g., a hairdryer on a low setting).
Afterwards, you can try to press the warped section flat using weights against a level surface, ideally for several days. Be careful, as the foil surface can be damaged during this process. If the surface is cracked, sometimes repairing it with wood filler designed for particleboard helps.
A full replacement of the side panels is often the only solution when the particleboard is severely swollen. This ensures long-term stability.
Afterwards, you can try to press the warped section flat using weights against a level surface, ideally for several days. Be careful, as the foil surface can be damaged during this process. If the surface is cracked, sometimes repairing it with wood filler designed for particleboard helps.
A full replacement of the side panels is often the only solution when the particleboard is severely swollen. This ensures long-term stability.
I can understand how frustrating this is, especially when you want to keep the piece of furniture. In my experience, slowly rehydrating the affected area in a humid environment and then carefully weighing it down with heavy books helped – this way, the board could be at least partially returned to its original shape. However, I was also concerned about potentially damaging the surface during this process.
Why is the chest of drawers placed in a damp room? Maybe improving the overall indoor climate could help prevent such damage from happening again.
Why is the chest of drawers placed in a damp room? Maybe improving the overall indoor climate could help prevent such damage from happening again.
The information from RENMA is already quite detailed. I would like to add that MALM furniture is made of thin particle boards with foil coatings, which should absorb very little moisture. Therefore, the cause of warping is usually a general issue with moisture levels in the indoor climate.
Trying to fix it by simply pressing is only effective if the particle board has not yet swollen. If the material is extensively damaged, replacement is unavoidable. I recommend proactively isolating the furniture with special panels or protective films against moisture to prevent further warping.
Trying to fix it by simply pressing is only effective if the particle board has not yet swollen. If the material is extensively damaged, replacement is unavoidable. I recommend proactively isolating the furniture with special panels or protective films against moisture to prevent further warping.
To add to the previous posts: If the deformation is only superficial and the laminate remains intact, you can try treating the particleboard by controlling temperature fluctuations and moisture. A method used in woodworking is controlled humidification followed by cold pressing. In this process, moisten the panel, smooth it out, and secure it with clamps.
It is important to apply pressure gently and evenly. Since MALM furniture has only a thin substrate panel, it is very sensitive, so avoid using too much moisture. If you’ve read this far, the question arises whether a complete side panel can be obtained as a replacement part.
It is important to apply pressure gently and evenly. Since MALM furniture has only a thin substrate panel, it is very sensitive, so avoid using too much moisture. If you’ve read this far, the question arises whether a complete side panel can be obtained as a replacement part.
RENMA schrieb:
To fix the warping, I recommend first thoroughly drying the affected area – this can be done either by placing it in a well-ventilated room or using gentle heat sources (e.g., a hairdryer on a low setting).Thank you very much for the tip. I had also considered using a hairdryer but was unsure if it might damage the laminate surface. Does anyone have experience with how the laminate behaves under these conditions?
Elias schrieb:
Why is the dresser kept in a damp room? Maybe improving the overall room climate could help prevent such damage from happening again.Unfortunately, the room is inevitably somewhat damp because it is a basement. I monitor the humidity regularly and also run a dehumidifier. Still, the moisture apparently isn’t always removed evenly.
roryvin schrieb:
Whether a full side panel can be sourced as a replacement part.That was one of my thoughts as well. IKEA officially no longer provides spare parts for MALM, right? Does anyone know of alternative sources?
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