Hello everyone,
I noticed that the cross brace—the horizontal support piece that stabilizes the KALLAX shelving unit between the vertical sides—is quite loose.
To be more specific: the cross brace wiggles a bit and seems to shift slightly under load. The shelf itself is fairly stable, but I’m concerned this could become a problem over time, especially if I want to store heavier items.
I wanted to ask how I can best secure the cross brace firmly again. Are there any special techniques, screws, or perhaps additional reinforcements recommended?
Also, could the movement or slight wobbling of the cross brace indicate incorrect assembly or insufficient screw tightness?
I’d appreciate any helpful advice on what to do in this situation without having to take the entire unit apart. Thanks in advance!
I noticed that the cross brace—the horizontal support piece that stabilizes the KALLAX shelving unit between the vertical sides—is quite loose.
To be more specific: the cross brace wiggles a bit and seems to shift slightly under load. The shelf itself is fairly stable, but I’m concerned this could become a problem over time, especially if I want to store heavier items.
I wanted to ask how I can best secure the cross brace firmly again. Are there any special techniques, screws, or perhaps additional reinforcements recommended?
Also, could the movement or slight wobbling of the cross brace indicate incorrect assembly or insufficient screw tightness?
I’d appreciate any helpful advice on what to do in this situation without having to take the entire unit apart. Thanks in advance!
angel schrieb:
If the screws don’t hold any better, you can fill the holes with wood glue and small wooden pieces (like toothpicks or wood shavings)I tried this yesterday at one spot after removing the screw. The hole was indeed a bit stripped.
Filling it with toothpicks and wood glue actually worked well – the screw now holds much more firmly.
Thanks a lot for the tip, it saves me a lot of effort!
Do you think it’s advisable to leave the shelf unloaded for a few hours after such a repair to let the glue fully cure? Or is that being overly cautious?
Ivojan schrieb:
Do you think it’s advisable to leave the shelf unloaded for a few hours after such a repair?That’s exactly right.
Wood glue requires—depending on the product instructions—at least 30 minutes to set, but 1 to 2 hours is better, and 24 hours to fully cure.
If you leave it undisturbed for a few hours, the stability of the repair will improve significantly.
So whether at home or on the go, it’s best to allow some time for this; it never hurts.
If you only apply light loads to the shelf beforehand, that’s fine, but it’s better to avoid heavy loads until after the glue has fully cured.
I really appreciate how helpful everyone is here.
From my experience, the shelves remain stable for a very long time. But I personally had a spot where the crossbar became a bit loose. It feels insecure at first, but after a small repair – like the one described here – everything was fine again.
Sometimes we worry more than necessary, and that’s okay.
Just stay relaxed and give the shelf time to dry, and it will be fine again.
And thanks to everyone for the helpful advice; I really appreciate that in a forum like this.
Ivojan schrieb:
How long have you been using your KALLAX shelves without these kinds of issues?
From my experience, the shelves remain stable for a very long time. But I personally had a spot where the crossbar became a bit loose. It feels insecure at first, but after a small repair – like the one described here – everything was fine again.
Sometimes we worry more than necessary, and that’s okay.
Just stay relaxed and give the shelf time to dry, and it will be fine again.
And thanks to everyone for the helpful advice; I really appreciate that in a forum like this.
J
JEREMIAH389 Dec 2021 13:18angel schrieb:
If the screws don’t hold better, you can fill the holes with wood glue and small wooden piecesWe often do that in the carpentry workshop as well.
Sometimes it looks like a bigger problem at first, but it can be quickly fixed with these simple methods.
If you’re unsure, you can later add metal brackets from the inside for extra security, in case the shelf might shift over time.
The important thing is not to overload the shelf—so avoid placing extremely heavy loads on a small shelf board.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the repair goes well!
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