We are moving soon and are wondering if anyone can share their experience moving with IKEA-bought wardrobe (PAX anyone? )

I have heard once you disassemble them they don't re-assemble as well as brand new ones (loose joints, etc, etc), but have never experience it first hand.

Anyone has experiences/suggestions?

tips:

only take apart what you need to take apart
do not do the job with one person
store all screws, bolts, dowels, etc
do it slowly, with care and you'll have it up again

I have moved some wardrobes 2-3 time and only had a couple of small issues.

and if you take a lot of things apart to move them, LABEL each batch of screws etc. "Of course we'll know which are which when we come to put it all back together again." Famous last words!

had PAX wardrobe...put together 3 times then it was junk and threw it out...it is fine for interim/short period of time but forget it if you think you will have it for years...junk

Our plan is to let the movers (3 people) do everything (disassemble and re-assemble) so we don't have a hassle.

Unfortunately I get a feeling they may need to take apart everything otherwise the wardrobe won't be able to get out of the room (it sits just 2cm under the ceiling ).

Thanks for the input!

We've moved ours 3 times and they are still perfect - having said that hubby is very careful about these types of things ;-) Maybe check if your moving company has insurance and if so what do they cover?

ah yes, I forgot the pencil writing on masking tape on each part, thanks

the movers I have had have been amazing. I'll see them again in 7 weeks
The care good movers take you will notice.

I agree, you can move Pax armoires at least a couple of times. I would however suggest you do it yourself. You will take more time and put more care into it than ANY movers (who are under time pressure).

Put all of the screws etc. into a Zip-Lock bag by each upright section/element (magic marker each bag). Use brown tape on each element/shelf etc. and write on it where it goes.

Get moving blankets from Jumbo (in the moving box/stuff section) and wrap the upright elements (especially the outside face). Then tape them together making sure all of the corners are covered (most fragile for a move). If you use the blankets, you can leave the shelf sliders on the upright sections. In terms of weight, you can put two upright elements together. Don't try more as the can be two heavy. You can normally leave the base elements assembled.

And yes, two people are needed.

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Do or do not, there is no try(ing). Yoda

I'm with the other posters. Do it carefully for the best results but remember it is an Ikea wardrobe and not Chippendale. It's no family heirloom but should last a couple of moves.

Our plan is to let the movers (3 people) do everything (disassemble and re-assemble) so we don't have a hassle
May be cheaper to buy new ones!

I think the question you want to ask is whether it makes sense to pay movers to take apart and build these? It is time consuming, time is money. The quality of Pax does not lend itself to being moved unless one is very careful, which takes even more time. Just taking out the nails out of the back panel is a job in itself. If you can do it on the cheap yourself, fine. Otherwise sell them, use the money, go to Pfister, buy Jutzler and get it delivered and assembled. The delivery and assembly is less than what a mover would charge. The quality is much better than Ikea and they can be taken apart over and over again. The furniture rental company uses this product. Don't forget to get a Pfister card.

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Agree with others that you absolutely SHOULD NOT let the movers do this for you. They'll not take the time and care that they should, and I can personally attest that we've had plenty of furniture ruined by cack-handed movers.

The most important tip about assembling / disassembling Ikea furniture is this: remove only the screws that are not secured in wood. The chipboard cannot withstand multiple screwings / unscrewings.

So, to summarise, leave these screws attached:





And remove these:




That should be all you need to unscrew to make your flat-pack flat again.

Disassemble as little as possible to minimise the risk of damage.

The other alternative if you really want to move them, need help and don't have a van is to call http://joethehandyman.shutterfly.com/

He has done plenty of work for forum members and has an excellent reputation.

It may also be worth your while to sell the units and have the new buyer arrange for Joe's services.

I've found that putting a splinter of wood in the re-used chipboard screw holes helps when they get loose.

Definitely use more than one person. I tried to collapse a PAX with one person...it was something from the film the Money Pit as both sides of the wardrobe went in opposite directions at the same time...oh how my wife laughed...

We just had one PAX wardrobe disassembled by the removals guys who had lots of practice doing them and they didn't damage it at all. My husband put it back together without problems and it still standing strong.

One tip is to tape the screws to the parts they belong as well as taking pictures of how and where they go (do not economise on tape here to be sure you don't loose the screws on the removals van). As a last resort you can give a tip to the removals guys and they will assemble it for you

Should you loose any screws you can go to any Ikea and they provide them at the customer services desk for free (at least it was free in the UK). I also think they provide extra sheets with instructions should you need it. Good luck!

These screws usually rotate through 180 degrees, tightening and then locking the "bolt" by wedging it in place.

To unscrew you simply rotate back through 180 degrees (usually anti-clockwise). Have a look with a torch - on some models, there is usually an arrow above one of the cross hairs in the nut. This is where the aperture (or hole) is to allow the bolt head in and out.

I would recommend doing this with a manual screwdriver rather than a electric one, as you are more likely to damage the fittings.

I could see the arrow.
I rotated it back 180 degrees. However the cam lock is stuck there itself. I tried to pull it out with a tweezer . However it is still stuck there.

Did you see the atrached piece move at all? Is the arrow pointing towards the bolt? If so gentle tapping of the attached wall/side with a rubber hammer near where it is should free it.

Otherwise it is difficult to help without being there to see what else might be holding it in place. There could be a structural element, e.g. a shelf bolted in place or another screw holding it.