But decorating your home need not be a frustrating or time-consuming process. To avoid regrets over your next flat-packed furniture purchase from the Swedish giant, here are some tips for buying and assembling IKEA furniture. To anticipate when a given product might be above your skill level: To make the assembling process easier, IKEA has created how-to videos for eight of their best sellers, which includes the PAX wardrobe, MASKROS pendant lamp, and HEMNES desk. IKEA flat-packs their furniture using minimal packaging materials, and it doesn’t include familiar padding materials such as bubble wrap or crinkled cut paper. This is why a dinged package so often is an accurate prediction that the goods inside the box are also damaged. Don’t let this happen to you. Here’s how:
Plenty of clear floor space. To calculate how big your work area should be, double the item’s measurements. A clean rug or canvas drop cloth to cover your work area. You can also use the cardboard boxes that came with your purchase. Even small bits of grit and debris can scratch the thin veneer surfaces on IKEA furniture.
Review the instructions from start to finish before getting started. Notice that each illustration provides important visual clues for proper assembly. For example, the drawing shown here gives a clear indication of which direction the exposed edges of the particle board should be facing.Lay out the components you’re connecting in exactly the same orientation as shown in each of IKEA’s diagrams. Don’t begin assembly until you mentally understand what each step entails. Build the piece mentally several times before beginning the process for real.
To make your IKEA furniture look more professional and expensive, use glue during assembly. When applied correctly, the glue will prevent wobbling and make for strong, good-looking furniture that will last for many years. Assembly experts recommend using either white Gorilla glue or Gorilla construction adhesive. White gorilla glue is a fast-drying, 100-percent waterproof glue—a polyurethane glue that is much stronger than standard carpenter’s glue. It is excellent for a wide range of materials, including wood, plastic, and metal. Gorilla construction adhesive is an even stronger version of the classic polyurethane glue, and it will bond to almost everything. It is applied in caulk-gun tubes, making it good for large projects. Be aware that polyurethane glues expand to fill available space. This is helpful for bonding the porous edges of particle board panels, but it also means the glue needs to be used sparingly to avoid being visible along seams. Used correctly, either Gorilla Glue product will make for rock-solid furniture pieces. Note: It is also a good idea to use a dab of glue to bond each screw and cam lock permanently, too.
Your name and addressContact information including address and phone numberOrder numberThe product number for the item that’s missing partsExplanation of the missing parts, including their reference numbers (for small parts like dowels and screws, you’ll find this information in the assembly instruction booklet)
IKEA also partners with experienced local professionals who can deliver and then put together your in-store purchase. An item’s retail cost determines the price for assembly, which starts at $89. Sofa delivery/assembly has its own pricing tier, ranging from $39 to $79.
