Hello everyone, I bought Malm dressers from Ikea some time ago, which have proven to be very practical in everyday use. However, I have noticed that the drawers, especially with frequent pulling and the weight of stored items, tend to become somewhat unstable over time. The drawer boxes sometimes start to wobble on the sides or no longer feel firmly secured in their frames.
My question is: How can I reinforce Malm drawers to improve their stability without damaging the original structure or undertaking major modifications? It would be great if you have tips on suitable materials, exactly where to reinforce, and whether there are specific strengthening techniques that have worked well with these dressers.
I have fitted drawers made of wood-based panels with metal drawer slides, in case this is relevant for recommendations. I’m also open to suggestions for tools or particular joining methods. Thanks in advance for your help!
My question is: How can I reinforce Malm drawers to improve their stability without damaging the original structure or undertaking major modifications? It would be great if you have tips on suitable materials, exactly where to reinforce, and whether there are specific strengthening techniques that have worked well with these dressers.
I have fitted drawers made of wood-based panels with metal drawer slides, in case this is relevant for recommendations. I’m also open to suggestions for tools or particular joining methods. Thanks in advance for your help!
K
Keatondra26 Aug 2020 09:57Mukau schrieb:
How can I reinforce Malm drawers securely without damaging the original structure or undertaking complex modifications?I think this is a good question because the lightweight construction is typical for Malm dressers, and you often have to carefully consider how much reinforcement to apply.
A gentle approach is to apply self-adhesive wood reinforcement strips to the inside sides of the drawers. These are available at hardware stores and are thin but increase the tensile strength of the side panels against wobbling.
Additionally, you can glue thin plywood strips to the inside of the drawer backs—this works similarly to the strips but is even less noticeable.
So overall, this is more of a slight improvement using simple means—I tend to avoid heavier reinforcements like brackets unless absolutely necessary because the drawer slides can be sensitive to thick attachments.
Thank you very much for all the helpful tips so far! The idea with the angles and wooden strips sounds reasonable, although I’m concerned whether the drawers will still slide smoothly afterward.
I think that’s very important; of course, I want to avoid any rubbing against the runners or causing jamming later on.
I’m also wondering whether it’s better to glue and screw the strips during assembly, or if glue alone is generally sufficient when the strips are cut very precisely. I have worked with MDF/coated boards, which can sometimes be affected by screws.
And what about the weight of the drawer when using plywood bottom panels or additional strips — will the overall weight of the drawer increase significantly?
onMarcos schrieb:
Another tip from me is to carefully measure everything before installing the strips or bottom panels and to close the drawers as a test before screwing the strips in place
I think that’s very important; of course, I want to avoid any rubbing against the runners or causing jamming later on.
I’m also wondering whether it’s better to glue and screw the strips during assembly, or if glue alone is generally sufficient when the strips are cut very precisely. I have worked with MDF/coated boards, which can sometimes be affected by screws.
And what about the weight of the drawer when using plywood bottom panels or additional strips — will the overall weight of the drawer increase significantly?
Mukau schrieb:
I’m also wondering whether it’s better to glue and screw the moldings during installation, or if glue alone is generally enoughGood question! If the moldings fit very precisely and the glue cures solidly, glue alone can often be sufficient, since the drawer sides are stabilized anyway by the way the inserts wrap around them.
However, I generally recommend using a combination: glue plus one or two small screws or nails. This helps prevent the moldings from loosening due to movement. It’s important that the screws are thin so the MDF doesn’t split.
Mukau schrieb:
And what about the weight of the drawer if I use plywood bottom panels or add extra moldingsPlywood and moldings noticeably increase the weight, but the dresser is designed to handle loads of up to 10–15 kg (22–33 lbs) per drawer. As long as you reinforce sparingly with chambers and use wooden battens instead of solid boards, the weight remains manageable.
If weight is a concern, you can use MDF boards or plywood instead of multiplex. These are lighter yet still strong enough.
My tip: Thin (around 6–8 mm (1/4–5/16 inch)) plywood cuttings from a hardware store can do a lot with minimal weight increase.
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