Just bought some inexpensive Ikea brand particle-board bookshelves. I’m tempted to use wood glue as I assemble them to give them added stability and strength. On the other hand, I like it that I can break them down to their component parts in the future for moving or storage.
I’m torn. Any thoughts?
Don’t use the glue. You’ll never be able to take them apart and move them.
Only use it if they get loose and screwing the joints tighter no longer helps.
My whole bloody condo is full of Ikea furniture. I’ve never glued anything I’ve purchased from them, unless they packaged a little bottle of glue in the assembly package.
I’ve never really had much of an issue with things coming loose. The only things that do are my dresser knobs, and those can easily be tightened back down with a screwdriver.
I don’t think it’s necessary.
I’ve always used wood glue on my Ikea furniture for extra added strength. However, I never planned on dismantling the furniture so I had no qualms about it. Additionally, the furniture is not meant to be dismantled after you put it together…I’d think then integrity of the hold would diminish if you did dismantle it…
I thought I was the only lunatic to glue Ikea furniture on assembly.
I’m so relieved… 
The only problem I’ve had with IKEA furniture is having the frame back on a crosspiece for the frame of my couch. The problem was just age and the fact that the crosspiece had a knot in it.
I don’t think it’s necessary. Thet hold together pretty well without it. And despite what Phloshpr said, you might just want to dismantle them at some point. And I think glue would make that difficult while not resulting in them being that more secure while you’re using them.
However all that is an noththing compared to the weird guy on the plane who wants you to hit him as hard as you can.
If the glue comes with it, I use it.
I figure later, when someone is showing it my bookshelf on the Antiques Roadshow, Leigh and Leslie can point to the glued pegs and note it was an example of fine craftsmanship.
If there’s a finish on the wood then glue will be less effective than against bare wood. However, it will still provide some additional strength.
With that said, the structural support in free-standing bookcases is done with cross bracing. If it has an enclosed back then that will keep the shelves wiggle free for the life of the unit.
I use a product called Selleys Liquid Nails Clear. It is a clear construction adhesive.
I recently bought a 2nd hand Ikea Malm. The drawers were in much worse condition than mine, simply because mine have glue along all joints, where possible.
IMHO, Ikea furniture is fine-as long as you don’t move it. The stuff I’ve had has held up OK. The difficulty comes when you break it down and reassemble it too many times-then the particleboard cracks, screws strip, etc.
Its low quality stuff, amde for a certain price point-you cannot expect it to hold up to a lot of buffeting.
Depends on the product line. IKEA makes plenty of stuff that is all wood, or only has very limited use of particleboard. That never has an issue any more then any other brand of all wood furniture. Glue it if you want stability. Just don’t expect to get it apart again.
My sister has Ikea shelving units they bought in Germany and later moved to the US, then again across the country She’s had it for over 20 years and it still looks like new. It’s the real wod stuff, not the particle board. I don’t think they dismantled it for shipping, but doubt the used glue if it wasn’t included in the package.
StG
This comedy song seems appropriate right now. Safe for work but its a song so careful with the volume.
Might as well go with this one too - IKEA - Jonathan Coulton - YouTube
The only Ikea furniture that’s fallen apart on me was a pre-assembled couch. I’ve dismantled my Malm bed a couple times and have abused it heavily over the years and it’s never been anything less than solid as a rock.
I think glue is probably unnecessary, but it’ll be an individual judgement call.
Overkill. My Ikea particle-board bookshelves have been around since 1989, IIRC. They’re crumbling under books and other stuff, they have followed me in a number of places (something that wouldn’t have been possible if I had glued them) and they’re as good as new .
Similarly, my IKEA USSR-made folding chairs survived for almost 20 years. Then I eventually had to replace them, I used up three different sets bought from neighboring shops in 1 year and a half.
IKEA sells some pretty sturdy stuff. Especially impressive since it’s cheap stuff (I didn’t really expect particle-board bookshelves to be still there a quarter of a century later). Or at least they used to : if their furnitures are of lower quality nowadays, I wouldn’t know since I don’t have any IKEA stuff younger than 15 years.
If you’re planning on moving a lot, hold off on the glue. If not, it can’t hurt.
I don’t glue, but I haven’t broken my stuff down in YEARS. It’s just too much of a pain to break it down, so I’ve moved it as is.
The only downsides are greater cost for the glue, more time to let it all set and the inability to break it down. I life people who take the time to ‘do it right’, so I’d recommend glueing (gluing?) unless one of the above downsides is significant.
Pretty much our whole house is furnished in IKEA and we have not used glue on anything.
The only problems we have had with our furniture are the $20 dining room chairs. The wood is fairly soft and the kids have scratched them up real good (but, hey, they’re $20 chairs). We have had them for 6 years and they could use replacing.*
A friend of mine got Ikea cabinets for his kitchen. Knowing that there would be inevitable spills, and knowing what water does to exposed particle board, he used latex caulk in every joint.
Yes, he may be a bit obsessive, but in this case I think his obsession was a darn good idea.