Updated on Nov. 08, 2023
Master the art of IKEA furniture assembly with in-the-know tips from an engineer and seasoned DIYer with years of IKEA assembly time under his belt.
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Welcome, DIY enthusiasts and furniture aficionados! Today, we embark on a journey through the world of IKEA furniture assembly, guided by my expertise as an experienced manufacturing engineer and seasoned homeowner.
As someone who has spent a decade honing his skills in DIY projects and seven years navigating the joys and challenges of homeownership, I bring a wealth of knowledge and practical insights to help you master the art of assembling IKEA furniture.
Over the years I have worked on a great many projects. There was even a period I sold a few assembled IKEA tables per day! I bought a whole pallet of them and assembled them as customers were driving to my house to pick them up. Needless to say, I got pretty efficient at assembling that one table.
Having all the tools ready to go is always one of the most time efficient steps. It’s something I learned at my manufacturing engineering job; this is how we do our work in manufacturing plants.
I have done large-scale projects around the house, like building my own deck, re-roofing the garage and running a bunch of electrical. But all of these projects are one and done. When you do a project over and over, you learn the small efficiency tips that make it a breeze on your 12th table.
First things first: Sort every IKEA project part by type and size. This makes it easier to find what you need when you need it, which goes a long way toward a successful and timely build.
Use small plastic bins or paper plates and bowls to keep smaller pieces organized and prevent them from getting lost. Take the foam and packing off of the larger parts and lay them out as well.
In the process, you’ll find the instruction manual. Use it to check that you received all the parts and that nothing is damaged. It’s best to determine this right away before you put time and effort in and can’t finish, or reach the point where you’re precariously holding up two heavy sub assemblies and realize the last fastener is missing!
Sure, it may be the most obvious point. But it’s also the most critical. I’ve made this mistake myelf.
Sometimes I’ll look at the picture and start putting the major components together before reading the instructions. More than a few times, it’s forced me to stop, take off parts and flip them around.
So to avoid issues, read the page you’re on, then the next page to see where you’re going. Don’t skim. Give all steps and diagrams your undivided attention. Understanding the steps involved and familiarizing yourself with the necessary tools and hardware will significantly reduce the chances of making simple mistakes.
Read through the entire instruction manual. This will give you a comprehensive overview of the process and help you anticipate — and head off — challenges.
This is one of the best methods for making sure you don’t make simple mistakes as you go.
Align all physical parts in the exact same orientation as in the instruction manual diagram. If you don’t and then try to intuit how things should come together, it’s too easy to accidentally assemble things backward.
Just like not reading the instructions, the most common mistake I see is flipping a section the wrong way. The three-hole side being where the two-hole side should be certainly won’t work, even if you’re trying a hack rather than a regular assembly!
Sometimes sub-assemblies or small parts look similar, so lining them up to match the picture can be critical to a successful assembly.
When assembling IKEA furniture, using a drill instead of the supplied Allen keys is a real game-changer.
This increases speed, safety and precision while making the process less physically taxing and greatly reducing your risk of damaging the new furniture.
Just be sure to set the drill to a low-torque setting to prevent over-tightening. Over-tightening the sometimes weak fasteners can break them. Or, in the case of metal fasteners, high torque might break the plastic twist lock components or pull the cam lock nut through your wood components. In both cases, it ruins your project or greatly reduces its strength. Learn how to paint IKEA furniture.
If you’re using a drill, you’ll need to pair it with the correct size hex bit. (Hex bits are less common than standard bits, but still relatively easy to find.) Another option: Make custom bits out of the included Allen keys.
Using an angle grinder or large bolt cutter, carefully trim the long end of an Allen key, leaving a shorter, stubbier shaft that should fit perfectly into your drill’s chuck. Voilà ! You now have a custom-made IKEA-friendly Allen-key bit for your drill.
These might not look as good, but you can’t beat the price of free! It will save time on this project, allow you to use a drill, and give you the right hex bits for any future projects.
This step creates a permanent assembly, ensuring you’re building a sturdy, long-lasting piece of IKEA furniture that can withstand daily use and moves. Just be sure the fully-assembled item will fit through doorways and down tight stairs!
Another option is gluing selectively. This increases strength yet allows for easy disassembly when moving — one of the main benefits of IKEA furniture, after all. Think gluing a cabinet, but not the shelves.
I like to glue drawers together when I assemble them since they take the greatest force and wear. And when moving, I leave things in the drawers anyway.
One of the nice things about gluing up IKEA furniture is not needing to clamp anything. All the parts have fast and easy fastening methods, so when the glue is drying, the factory-designed fasteners will hold them firmly.
The type of glue you use depends on what you’re deciding to glue. Similar materials are more straightforward, but dissimilar materials might need some research. A few good choices are standard wood glue for dowels, Loctite for plastics and two-part epoxy for metals. Allow all glued joints to dry to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Note: Gluing may void a warranty, so weigh this against your needs.
Resist the temptation to jump ahead or skip steps. Steps build upon each other. Deviating from the recommended order can lead to confusion, mistakes and time wasted disassembling, only to then do things the way you should have to begin with.
One time I was putting together the Malm high bed frame with drawers and accidentally skipped putting in the center supports before attaching the two sides together. There was no way I could squeeze them in, and had to take the now-mostly-assembled bed apart. Checking along the way to make sure would have saved me, especially on this somewhat larger build.
As each step leads to a completed sub-assembly, double-check your work. Ensure all pieces are secure, and compare your work to the diagram. Orient your work the same way as the diagram so you can more easily see whether or not they’re the same. Only move forward once you’re confident on the match.
When you get to the end, take a seat, put your things in it, test it out. Make sure you check the functionality and sturdiness of your new piece of furniture. I think this quote rings true: “Nothing lasts longer than a temporary solution.”
Now is the time to fix things if you’re not happy. Your tools are out and ready. Go back and tighten it down more if anything wiggles. If you realize you have a few extra pieces left over that should be attached, do it. You can even go back and glue some of the joints to add stability. Once you call the project done, the likelihood you will go back after the fact is near zero.
