ᐅ The MALM dresser starts to wobble after some time – are there any solutions to stabilize it?
Created on: 24 Jun 2015 10:03
M
Maik6
I have been using the Malm chest of drawers from IKEA for some time, but I am experiencing a problem: after a while, the chest starts to wobble, which is especially noticeable when opening and closing the drawers. The construction itself seems stable, but there seems to be some play or movement developing somewhere that causes this rocking. My question to the community is whether there are any proven fixes, retrofits, or special techniques to permanently resolve this instability. Perhaps someone knows of causes such as loose screws, material changes, or assembly issues that could lead to this behavior. I look forward to any experiences and tips!
As an addition: An important cause of wobbling can be an uneven floor surface. Adjustable feet that do not all make contact with the floor can also cause instability. I recommend checking the floor with a spirit level or leveling tool and, if necessary, using thin felt or rubber pads under some of the feet. This will compensate for any floor irregularities and reduce wobbling.
Thank you for the advice regarding the screws and the floor situation. The dresser base in my case is quite level, but I hadn't considered screw locking. @GLORIA, do you have any recommendations for screw locking products suitable for IKEA furniture? How careful do you need to be if you want to disassemble the dresser later? Are there alternative fastenings that don’t involve adhesives but are still stable and reversible?
As an addition: There are also special metal brackets or corner connectors that can be discreetly attached on the inside at the joints. These increase stability without the need for adhesive and are reversible. This might be a neat solution if screws alone are not sufficient or if repeated assembly affects smoothness.
When assembling the Malm dresser, it is important that all screws are tightened in the specified order and to the correct torque. Screws that are too loose can cause wobbling, while screws that are too tight may damage the materials. The IKEA assembly video also recommends checking the dresser with a spirit level once assembly is complete. If wobbling occurs, it is advised to first check the floor surface, then retighten all screws, and if instability persists, use threadlocker.
GLORIA schrieb:
Tightening the screws carefully is the first step.I have now systematically retightened all the screws, checked each one, and secured some with Loctite 243, as recommended. After a few hours of use, I do notice a slight improvement, but there is still a minimal wobble. Since the dresser is standing on carpet, I will try felt pads this evening. Thanks for the really helpful tips so far!
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