Use this guide when you have a new wardrobe, chest of drawers, bed or desk to build. Clear a floor space bigger than the finished item, and have a cross-head and flat-head screwdriver, a hammer or rubber mallet and a small container for fittings.
Step by step
Unpack and check every part
Open the boxes on a rug or the flattened cardboard to protect the panels and floor. Lay out the panels and count the fittings against the parts list before you start. If anything is missing or damaged, contact the retailer now rather than halfway through.
Read the instructions through once
Look through all the pages before picking up a tool, noting which way panels face and where holes should point. Mark the finished front edges or the side with pre-drilled holes with a pencil so you do not fit a panel back to front.
Fit cam locks and dowels first
Tap wooden dowels into place and screw in cam bolts before joining panels, as the instructions show. Turn cam locks until they are firm but do not force them, as chipboard strips easily. Leave screws slightly loose until a section is square, then tighten.
Keep the frame square
Check the carcass is square by measuring both diagonals: they should be equal. Nail or pin the back panel on only when it is square, as this locks the shape. Get a second person to help lift and turn large pieces.
Fit doors, drawers and adjust
Hang doors and fit drawer runners last. Use the small adjustment screws on the hinges to line up the doors so the gaps are even. Check drawers run smoothly before loading them.
Fix tall furniture to the wall
Use the anti-tip kit supplied with wardrobes, bookcases and chests of drawers, choosing wall fixings that suit your wall type. This matters most in homes with young children, who may climb drawers. Check for hidden pipes and cables before drilling.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Clear floor space and protective sheet or cardboard
- Parts and fittings counted against the list
- Cross-head and flat-head screwdrivers
- Rubber mallet or hammer
- Pot or tray for small fittings
- Second person for large items
- Anti-tip kit and suitable wall plugs
- Instructions kept for future moves
Practical tips
- A hand screwdriver or a cordless drill on its lowest clutch setting avoids stripping screws in chipboard.
- Take a photo of each stage so you can check your work if something does not line up later.
- Keep spare fittings and the instructions in a labelled bag taped inside the furniture for when you move.
Common problems
A screw has stripped its hole and will not tighten.
Take it out, push a few wooden toothpicks or a matchstick with a little wood glue into the hole, snap them off flush and let the glue set. Then refit the screw gently by hand.
The doors do not line up or rub against each other.
The carcass may be out of square or the floor uneven. Check the diagonals, pack under the base if the floor slopes, then use the hinge adjustment screws to move each door up, down, in or out.
A panel was fitted the wrong way round several steps ago.
Undo the steps back to that panel rather than forcing things, as chipboard does not take repeated screwing well. Loosen cam locks by turning them back and ease joints apart slowly.
This guide gives general information, not personal legal, financial or medical advice. Rules and prices change, so check the current position with the official service before acting.
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