Hello everyone,
I recently bought an IKEA Malm chest of drawers and unfortunately noticed that it ended up slightly crooked during assembly. Despite carefully following the instructions, the chest does not stand firmly or straight but leans slightly to one side. All screws seem to be properly tightened, and the floor adjustment screws have also been adjusted.
My question is: What steps should I really follow to assemble an IKEA Malm chest of drawers correctly so that it stands stable and straight? Are there specific tips or common mistakes to avoid when putting this chest together? I am especially interested in how to effectively correct any leaning and whether it might be worth partially disassembling and reassembling the furniture to prevent further issues.
Thank you in advance for your help!
I recently bought an IKEA Malm chest of drawers and unfortunately noticed that it ended up slightly crooked during assembly. Despite carefully following the instructions, the chest does not stand firmly or straight but leans slightly to one side. All screws seem to be properly tightened, and the floor adjustment screws have also been adjusted.
My question is: What steps should I really follow to assemble an IKEA Malm chest of drawers correctly so that it stands stable and straight? Are there specific tips or common mistakes to avoid when putting this chest together? I am especially interested in how to effectively correct any leaning and whether it might be worth partially disassembling and reassembling the furniture to prevent further issues.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Hello Dofi1,
First of all, a warm welcome to the forum! Your question is very well formulated and shows that you have already put some thought into it.
There are a few basic points to consider when assembling the IKEA Malm chest of drawers that are often underestimated:
1. Check the levelness of the floor: An uneven floor can cause the chest to stand crooked. Small furniture pads or adjustable feet, which you can fine-tune, can help here.
2. Tighten screws properly and evenly: Sometimes one screw is overtightened while another remains loose. This leads to distortions. Proceed step by step and tighten all screws evenly several times one after another.
3. Inspect components: Before assembly, check that all parts are straight and free from deformations or damage.
4. Follow the instructions carefully but also pay attention to the sequence: It is often worthwhile not only to follow the steps strictly but also to occasionally verify that the side panels are perfectly square.
If the chest is still crooked despite all this, it can be helpful to completely disassemble it and reassemble it from scratch – sometimes it’s easy to overlook a mistake.
I hope this gives you a helpful first overview! 🙂
First of all, a warm welcome to the forum! Your question is very well formulated and shows that you have already put some thought into it.
There are a few basic points to consider when assembling the IKEA Malm chest of drawers that are often underestimated:
1. Check the levelness of the floor: An uneven floor can cause the chest to stand crooked. Small furniture pads or adjustable feet, which you can fine-tune, can help here.
2. Tighten screws properly and evenly: Sometimes one screw is overtightened while another remains loose. This leads to distortions. Proceed step by step and tighten all screws evenly several times one after another.
3. Inspect components: Before assembly, check that all parts are straight and free from deformations or damage.
4. Follow the instructions carefully but also pay attention to the sequence: It is often worthwhile not only to follow the steps strictly but also to occasionally verify that the side panels are perfectly square.
If the chest is still crooked despite all this, it can be helpful to completely disassemble it and reassemble it from scratch – sometimes it’s easy to overlook a mistake.
I hope this gives you a helpful first overview! 🙂
Hello Dofi1,
I’d like to add a few practical steps that can help you fix the tilt of your Malm dresser. Here is a short step-by-step guide:
1. Use a spirit level to check all the side panels of the dresser as well as the back panel. The back panel provides stability for Malm dressers, so make sure it is not warped or installed crookedly.
2. Sometimes the wooden dowels are not fitted perfectly during assembly, which can cause tension later on. Loosen the screws, remove the back panel, and carefully reinsert the dowels correctly.
3. Initially tighten all screws by hand, then tighten them evenly to avoid stress or warping.
4. Check the floor for unevenness and, if necessary, level it out with special felt pads or small wedges.
5. Finally, place the dresser on the floor without any load and check again before filling it.
Common causes of issues with Malm dressers are uneven floors, crookedly inserted back panels, and unevenly tightened screws.
In short: accuracy and patience are important during assembly—you can do it. Good luck!
I’d like to add a few practical steps that can help you fix the tilt of your Malm dresser. Here is a short step-by-step guide:
1. Use a spirit level to check all the side panels of the dresser as well as the back panel. The back panel provides stability for Malm dressers, so make sure it is not warped or installed crookedly.
2. Sometimes the wooden dowels are not fitted perfectly during assembly, which can cause tension later on. Loosen the screws, remove the back panel, and carefully reinsert the dowels correctly.
3. Initially tighten all screws by hand, then tighten them evenly to avoid stress or warping.
4. Check the floor for unevenness and, if necessary, level it out with special felt pads or small wedges.
5. Finally, place the dresser on the floor without any load and check again before filling it.
Common causes of issues with Malm dressers are uneven floors, crookedly inserted back panels, and unevenly tightened screws.
In short: accuracy and patience are important during assembly—you can do it. Good luck!
Jeanbar schrieb:
Sometimes you tighten one screw too much while another one is still loose.This is an important point. Especially with furniture made of wooden panels and backboards like the Malm, uneven tightening of screws can cause mechanical stresses.
teyosef schrieb:
Check all side panels of the dresser as well as the back panel with a spirit level.Here, I also recommend continuously checking with a spirit level during assembly, ideally before fully tightening all screws.
Additionally, make sure all connecting parts, especially wooden dowels and metal fittings, are properly seated. Pressing too hard or inserting them too loosely can later lead to misalignment.
If your dresser still stands unevenly after correct assembly, be sure to check the floor. Even minor unevenness can be enough to make the furniture wobble or appear tilted.
One more tip: Check if the back panel of the Malm dresser is properly seated and aligned in the designated grooves. With my Malm, I had installed the back panel slightly crooked, which caused the dresser to lean.
Sometimes it helps to adjust and align the back panel before fully tightening the screws. Only tighten the screws once everything is properly positioned.
Also, for the Malm dresser, it makes sense to level the unit without the drawers installed, as the dresser then sits more flexibly and nothing shifts later when the drawers are put back in.
Summary: Align the back panel, tighten screws evenly, and compensate for uneven flooring.
Sometimes it helps to adjust and align the back panel before fully tightening the screws. Only tighten the screws once everything is properly positioned.
Also, for the Malm dresser, it makes sense to level the unit without the drawers installed, as the dresser then sits more flexibly and nothing shifts later when the drawers are put back in.
Summary: Align the back panel, tighten screws evenly, and compensate for uneven flooring.
teyosef schrieb:
Sometimes the wooden dowels don’t fit perfectly when assemblingThank you for pointing that out; I hadn’t considered it. I put the parts together using some force during assembly but didn’t double-check whether all the wooden dowels were fully and properly seated.
anken schrieb:
Sometimes it’s advisable to adjust and align the back panel before fully tightening the screws.That makes a lot of sense. I’ll apply that next time.
One more question: If the dresser slightly leans during assembly, can that be caused by warped side panels, or is it usually due to assembly errors? As usual, what’s the best way to identify such warping?
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