Wood Dresser Drawers Sticking

If you can t find any obvious obstruction and your drawer still sticks your next step is to sand the drawer.

Wood dresser drawers sticking.

Also rub some wax or soap on the drawer itself where the bottom slides on the dresser. Changing humidity levels cause wood to absorb or expel moisture. Work slowly taking off a little at a time. Cabinet builders and other woodworking craftsmen know that a piece of wooden furniture constantly expands and contracts.

Remove the drawer completely that is sticking from the dresser. Take the wax or soap and rub it on the runner where the drawer slides on. Another problem we run into with dresser drawers sticking is when the side of the drawer is broken under the bottom panel of the drawer. The most common reason for a wooden drawer to get stuck is swelling of the wood.

Once the wood of the drawer starts to swell it s possible that it will become too large for the dresser or cabinet and become stuck inside. Take a regular pencil not mechanical and where the drawer is sticking shade that patch of wood in with the pencil. If you don t mind a marking on the inside of the drawer there is another method. Take the sticky drawer out and turn it upside down.

Since there is a notch cut out in the side of the drawer for the bottom panel to slide into it s easier for the side of the drawer to break under pressure. Put the drawer back in the dresser and test. Just rub it against all the areas of the drawer where there s friction when you open and close it especially on the tracks and around the outside edges. Apply nylon drawer slide tape to the wooden drawer runners if the wax lubrication doesn t free up the sticking drawer.

For drawers fitted with rollers and guides photos 1 and 2 wipe them clean and spray the rollers with a drying type silicone lubricant that doesn t attract dust. One of the most popular household items that helps with sticky drawers is a regular paraffin or beeswax candle. Use medium grit sandpaper and a sanding block to remove some wood from the bottoms of the drawer edges. This works best with the smaller problems as the graphite is only a lubricant not sandpaper.

Instead of fighting sticking drawers take about two minutes per drawer to clean and lubricate them so they ll glide in and out with the touch of a finger.