ᐅ Why do the fittings on MALM furniture come loose?

Lately, I have noticed several times that the fittings on my Malm furniture come loose, which is quite annoying and also affects stability. Unfortunately, the problem does not occur with all fittings at once but gradually in different places. My question is: Why do the fittings on Malm furniture come loose? Could it be due to the assembly, the quality of the screws, or the material? I followed the assembly instructions, but it seems that the screws loosen over time despite being tightened. Has anyone had similar experiences or can explain this from a technical perspective? Are there any tips to prevent this or fix it permanently?

It is usually due to the type of wood and the load applied to the furniture parts. When the screws are in particleboard, they tend to loosen easily. My tip: Use wood glue on the screws for better hold.

Hey, I know that all too well! My MALM dresser had the same issue – the screws kept coming loose until I started tightening them occasionally. 😊 Just keep at it, and it will get better! You can do it too!

To thoroughly analyze the issue of hardware loosening on MALM furniture, it is important to first consider the type of material used. MALM furniture is mainly made of particleboard with a thin decorative veneer. Particleboard has the disadvantage that it quickly loses strength when subjected to stress and moisture due to swelling, causing screws to no longer hold securely over time. The screw threads essentially strip out or become too loose. Additionally, MALM furniture often uses fasteners made of plastic or metal combined with wood, which can loosen when there is slight movement or stress. Have you checked whether all screws were tightened with the correct torque? It is also important to know if the furniture is placed in areas exposed to temperature fluctuations or humidity. Could the load distribution on the individual hardware components also be a factor, for example, due to excessively heavy loads? If possible, please specify the type of hardware involved and the location where it is loosening, so I can provide more precise advice.

TEBILO schrieb:
Have you checked if all screws were tightened to the correct torque?

I tightened the screws with a standard cordless drill set to a fixed speed, but I did not use a torque wrench. The furniture is located in a relatively dry room, away from heaters or windows. The fittings that are coming loose are mainly on the drawer fronts and side panels, where there is considerable tension load.

The loosening of fittings on MALM furniture is often simply due to chipboard panels yielding under tension. Tip: regularly check screws and tighten them if necessary.