Category: Ikea fix

Posted on

Do you believe Ikea makes quality furniture?

Ikea carries several lines of furniture. some are inexpensive and designed for people on a budget, and some are very high quality that wear well and have better wood components, hinges, levelling feet, etc.

Almost all IKEA furniture is based on 32mm “RTA” (Ready To Assemble) construction methods, and requires some attention to detail when assembling.

True32 Flow Manufacturing Kindle Edition

The 32mm system, using materials and hardware (designed for RTA cabinetry) enable IKEA to ship cabinets flat in boxes, so that more product can be carried in trucks and containers. it also provides a standard assembly method for almost all IKEA casegoods.

The Truth about IKEA: The Secret Success of the World’s most Popular Furniture Brand — Amazon

Many of the better pieces have panels made of MDF instead of particle board and laminated instead of printed finishes.

How to spot quality furniture at Ikea — Curbed

While you may not consider all IKEA furniture quality, their products are functional and serviceable.

My opinion is that you get a good value for the money, just don’t expect something to hand down to your great grandchildren.

Disclaimer: I shop at IKEA, and am an Elite Tasker for Taskrabbit — which is owned by IKEA. I repair and assemble IKEA furniture for Taskrabbit. You can read my blog on woodworking here.

I will say that IKEA is known for it’s food. I love the meatballs.

IKEA’s Real Swedish Food Book

For laughs and giggles you can take to the bank:

Ikea furniture could be worth a fortune in years to come

Posted on

How can I screw into a particle board after I have removed the screw?

Alan Chenkin, Lifelong Carpenter/Cabinetmaker, owned an AWI certified shop for 10 years.

Image result for wood cabinet loose screws

This issue with IKEA products and most inexpensive RTA (Ready To Assemble) cabinets almost universal.  Screws do not hold well in particle board, and cabinets can get loose, or come apart.  My solution is simple and can be done by almost any person with a little knowledge and desire to fix their cabinets.

Here is one of my solutions, which is often the quickest and most practical (IMHO), and can solve the reassembly problem without waiting for glue to dry.  In many cases, a squirt of Titebond glue and a toothpick broken off in the screw hole will make the screw form new threads in the wood when you put it back in.
Image result for damaged screw hole
This is an ANGLE BRACKET, also known as an “ELL” bracket. It is even stronger when combined with the toothpick and glue fix, and can give an Ikea cabinet a new lease on life.
This will keep an Ikea cabinet box together. I usually use 2 or three on each corner. One caveat – use these screws instead of any that come with the bracket:
Most of the boards are about 5/8″ thick, so 1/2″ screws don’t break out the other side.
You can get these parts at any hardware or big-box store. Most of the time they do the trick.
There are lots of different types of angle brackets. Here is a typical flange type (it’s wider):
Here is a typical application:
Angle brackets can be used on any kind of casework, like drawers, kitchen cabinets, and furniture.  Angle brackets come in many sizes, I like the smaller ones for fixing most Ikea products. I like the ones that have 2 screws on each side, because more screws equal more holding power.  They are not overly large, and are easy to install with a power screw gun, without pre-drilling.
Thanks for reading and feel free to share this!

All rights reserved by Alan Chenkin & Primrose Path LLC.  Remember to give credit to the author and any cited works. If you enjoyed this blog, please feel free to share.  Links may be promoted to sponsor sites, but are relevant to the topic. 

Also Check out my other sites: