ᐅ How do you secure Ikea PAX wardrobes to wooden floorboards?

Good morning everyone, I plan to install an Ikea PAX system in my apartment on wooden plank floors. This raises a fundamental question for me: How can you securely and stably fix Ikea PAX units to wooden plank floors without damaging the planks or compromising the stability of the furniture? I am aware that wooden plank floors are often uneven and sensitive, so I am looking for good tips or proven solutions to reliably anchor the PAX system. Are there specific mounting methods, suitable anchors, or alternative fixings? I look forward to your opinions and experiences!

Kinli3 schrieb:
How can Ikea PAX units be securely and stably fixed to wooden floorboards without damaging the boards or making the furniture unstable?

That’s a really good question. I was also concerned that the floorboards might get damaged by overly strong screwing, especially if you only use simple dowels. What worked for me was first securing the wardrobe to the wall with brackets and using the floor as a load distributor. This way, I avoided screwing directly into the floor. So far, it has held very well. Maybe this could be an option for you too?

Basically, it depends on the type of floorboards: Are they screwed onto joists or installed as a floating floor? With screwed floorboards, you can use suitable wood screws into the joists if you know their exact position. It is important to always use appropriate dowels or pre-drilled holes before tightening to avoid splitting the boards.

For the Ikea PAX systems, I recommend:
- Always secure the back panel to the wall, as it provides stability.
- If you want to fix it to the floor, use screws preferably with Fischer wood screws and light pre-drilling.
- Alternatively, furniture mounting brackets attached to the wall can be a stable solution and protect the floor.

Could you also say how thick your floorboards are and whether you can expose the subfloor?

Palenar schrieb:
Basically, it depends on the type of floorboards: Are they screwed onto joists or installed as a floating floor?

Good question. In my case, the floorboards are about 20mm (0.8 inches) thick and screwed onto joists. Unfortunately, the joists are not accessible without significant effort. My main concern is the direct attachment of the cabinet to the floor as an additional safety measure, since I want to be extra cautious because of a child and a pet.

Kinli3 schrieb:
My main concern is directly securing the cabinet to the floor as an additional safety measure, since I want to be extra cautious because of children and pets.

I completely understand. I have small children myself and know how important it is to make furniture tip-resistant.

One method that works well for me is using floor screws with wide washers to distribute the load, while avoiding going too deep into the floorboards. It’s important to always check beforehand that the screw doesn’t hit a joist, which could cause the wood to split.

Additionally, I have used tensioned metal brackets that are attached to both the cabinet and the wall, reducing the risk of tipping. Securing directly to the floor involves some risk in my experience, so I would only do it cautiously if the floorboards won’t be damaged.

elgla schrieb:
Ground screws with wide washers to distribute the load, but without going too deep into the decking boards.

That is a good tip.

Additionally, I would recommend pre-drilling the screws using a countersink drill bit and tightening the screws with a torque wrench to prevent the decking boards from splitting.

You could also consider attaching felt pads or thin wooden strips as load distributors on the underside of the PAX elements. These reduce pressure on the floor and prevent sagging.