We have numerous IKEA shelves and drawers - Malm, Tarva, Kallax and Billy - and they all feature on the recent list of furniture published by IKEA that MUST BE FIXED TO THE WALL. But I have a confession. As soon as I finish assembling any Ikea flat pack the last thing on my mind is the extra 'SECURE IT' step posted at the very end of some of the instruction leaflets. "I'll do it later" I think to myself. To this day NONE of our IKEA units are fixed to the wall. "I'll do it later" does't work, you get distracted, life happens and then you forget - at least I do.
But it's recently come to my attention how irresponsible my thinking is; especially after I heard about the deaths of six children in America and Canada, caused by Ikea drawers tipping over - two of these occurred in the last year and involved a Malm chest of drawers falling onto young children.
The Malm series - has been recalled in America and Canada and in all other countries IKEA wants to ensure that everyone has these units securely anchored to the wall. IF NOT SECURED PROPERLY these units can cause serious injury - especially to young children - and even death.
Am I being realistic when I say "I'll do it later" - NO. Is it irresponsible of me to skip this step - ABSOLUTELY. In the meantime, I have been sent numerous emails from my Mum about this. Mum's are great for highlighting danger! She knows my boys love to explore, but climbing on these shelves and drawers is a serious safety hazard especially for young children.
It's easy to prevent these accidents and make our homes a safer place for our little ones by following these steps. First of all, make sure your IKEA shelves and drawers are securely fixed to the wall. Here's how:
WALL ANCHORING GUIDE
FURNITURE MUST BE SECURELY ATTACHED TO THE WALL.
The hardware used to secure your furniture to the wall depends on your wall material. If your wall material is not listed or if you have any questions, consult with a local hardware retailer.
The hardware used to secure your furniture to the wall depends on your wall material. If your wall material is not listed or if you have any questions, consult with a local hardware retailer.
Figure 1
WALL MATERIAL
Drywall or plaster with available wood stud
ANCHORING DEVICE
Screw inserted directly into stud. For example, a 5 mm wood screw provided with IKEA FIXA plug and screw set (Figure 1)
Figure 2
WALL MATERIAL
Drywall without available wood stud
ANCHORING DEVICE
Plug with screw. For example, an 8 mm plug provided with IKEA FIXA plug and screw set (Figure 2)
Figure 3A / Figure 3B
WALL MATERIAL
Masonry
ANCHORING DEVICE
Solid Wall: Plug with screw. For example, an 8 mm plug provided with IKEA FIXA plug and screw set (Figure 3A)
HOLLOW WALL: Toggle-style (Figure 3B)
Other tips for making Ikea furniture safer:
- Never put a TV or other heavy objects on top of a chest of drawers or any furniture not intended for use with a TV.
- Place heavy objects in the lowest drawers.
- Never let children climb or hang on drawers, doors or shelves.
I wrote this post because I wanted to highlight how easy it can be for children to be seriously injured, or worse, when you think - like I did - "I'll do it later".
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