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Publication #FCS5234-08

Making Simple Repairs: Repairing Drawers1

Mary N. Harrison2

Problem

• Drawers stick.

• Drawers come apart.

• Handles or knobs are loose or broken.

Supplies Needed:

• Screwdriver

• Sandpaper

• Candle wax or paraffin

How To Fix

Handles and knobs

  • Tighten handles or knobs with a screwdriver from the inside of the drawer.

  • You can buy knobs, or use small spools to replace lost knobs.

Sticking drawers

1. Remove the drawer. Look for shiny places on top or bottom edges or on the sides.

2. Sand down these shiny areas. Try the drawer to see if it moves more easily. Repeat sanding if it still sticks.

3. Rub the drawer and the frame, where they touch, with candle wax, paraffin, or soap. This makes drawers glide easier. This is important if drawers are usually filled with heavy items.

4. If glides are badly worn, the drawer may not close all the way. If the drawer needs to be lifted, remove it and insert two or three large smooth-head thumbtacks along the front of each glide.

5. Do drawers stick only in damp weather? When weather is dry, and drawers are not sticking, coat the unfinished wood with a penetrating sealer or wax.

6. If drawers are made of pressed wood they will absorb moisture easily. Paint the entire drawer with polyurethane lacquer (brushing lacquer). The lacquer will seal the drawer and help it to last longer.

Footnotes

1.

This document is FCS5234-08, one of a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, University of Florida. Publication: May 2002. Revised: December 2005. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Mary N. Harrison, professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.