ᐅ What should I do if Malm furniture feels unstable?

Hello everyone, I have a question that has been on my mind for a while: What should I do if my Malm furniture starts to wobble?

More specifically, it concerns a chest of drawers and a small desk from the Malm series by Ikea. Although the furniture is well-made, it becomes increasingly wobbly with daily use, which is especially bothersome with the desk, particularly when I am working at it. I have already checked the screws, and most of them are tight, but the wobbling persists. Are there any proven methods to improve the stability of Malm furniture or perhaps special reinforcements that I can install?

I would appreciate any tips or experiences.

Basically, there are several causes for shaky furniture from the Malm series that should be checked systematically.

1. Check all fasteners: Even if screws appear tight, wooden dowels or screw-in connections can loosen. Retightening is essential.
2. Floor leveling: Uneven floors often cause wobbling. Felt pads or adjustable furniture feet can help here.
3. Reinforcement: If instability persists, adding metal brackets to internal corners or back panels is recommended, provided you are willing to slightly modify the furniture.

It is also advisable to review the manual before purchasing reinforcement parts to see if the Malm furniture is designed to accommodate them.

I would like to share a brief guide that I find helpful when Malm furniture starts to wobble.

First, as mentioned before, check and tighten the screws. A common mistake is not checking whether the dowels at the joints are still firmly in place. If they have loosened, you can secure them with wood glue and then retighten the screws.

Second step: Check the floor support. Especially on uneven floors, wedges or pads can help ensure even support. You can also use special furniture glides that protect the floor at the same time.

Third, it is advisable to inspect the back panel of the furniture. On Malm pieces, this is often attached with staples only. If it has become loose, the entire frame can become unstable. Adding thin screws or nails can provide additional stability.

Summary: Careful tightening, securing dowels with glue, leveling the floor support, and reinforcing the back panel can solve most wobbling issues.

usbla schrieb:
Checking all fasteners

This is key. I would like to add that Ikea furniture like Malm often uses so-called cam connectors, which can loosen under prolonged stress. These should be additionally secured with an adhesive such as wood glue.

Guyju schrieb:
Back panel is not stable enough

You can effectively address this by reinforcing the back panel with small angle brackets, which prevents the furniture from shifting sideways. The effort is minimal, but the effect is significant.

Tighten screws, check the floor, reinforce the back panel. Otherwise, equip the furniture bottoms with felt pads. This provides better stability and protects the floor.

I’m happy to provide a more detailed explanation, as this topic often comes up with Ikea furniture.

If you say the screws are tight, that’s a good start. However, joints made of wood and dowels can loosen over time due to moisture and stress. Simply applying wood glue to these areas, then tightening the screws again, followed by carefully adding weight on the furniture to press the glued parts together, helps the glue to set properly.

I also recommend securing the furniture to the wall using furniture stoppers or brackets, which greatly reduces wobbling. This is especially effective for desks, providing additional stability.

If the furniture is standing on an old or uneven floor, be sure to shim it appropriately. Small rubber or felt pads can help improve cushioning.

If wobbling is still noticeable after all these steps, it might be caused by a damaged back panel or missing joints, which should be retrofitted.