How to Fix a Dresser Drawer That Falls Out
An improperly functioning drawer can be very annoying and should always be addressed as soon as possible, whether due to human error or wear and tear. Therefore, it’s in your best interests to address it immediately.
One common solution for dresser track issues is replacing the guides that hold down the bottom panel – these can usually be found at home centers and hardware stores.
Remove the Drawer
If one of your dresser drawers is giving you trouble, it may be worth taking action to assess it further. Broken or worn-out parts might need replacing; otherwise there may be ways you can prevent future slipouts.
Dependent upon the type of drawer you possess, removing and fixing it might be straightforward. But if it has become stuck or jammed in place, the process could prove more challenging.
Dresser drawers that have become difficult to open may have broken pieces of wood that make opening them difficult, or an improper track system may not be operating efficiently.
If the issue lies within broken wood, Bondo can help repair and rebuild it back together. A fast-drying material, Bondo can be applied directly onto it to strengthen and reinforce it so it can bear the weight of the drawer.
Another solution to try is creating a new bottom for the drawer. Simply take out the old one, remove any remaining pieces of plywood, cut to size for your opening and secure with glue or staples to form a tight fit in one direction of your drawer box.
Assemble your drawer carefully when reassembling it. Secure all screws properly to prevent further dislodgments of its contents. Consider adding a stop to prevent future misplacements of its contents.
Drawer stops are small plastic tabs that prevent drawers from fully pulling out of a dresser. While their forms vary, some manufacturers offer their own exclusive designs.
These stops may need to be pushed or turned in order to release the drawer. While this task should be easy, you will first need to select an appropriate stop for your dresser.
Drawers may become stuck if their slides or rollers in the tracks have become damaged from corrosion, needing replacement, or are stiff and sticky, needing lubricant for smooth movement. You should consider replacing these parts immediately or applying some form of grease so they remain flexible.
Check the Tracks
Dresser drawers usually open and close using rollers that slide back and forth on a track, but when these come loose it can be an extremely frustrating occurrence as well as damaging to both the drawers themselves and any contents stored within.
Reasons behind drawer dislodging may range from human error or wear and tear to mechanical malfunction. Whatever it may be, it can often be easier to address an issue if you understand why the drawer has dislodged in the first place.
One common cause of a drawer that keeps falling out is it being stuck in its tracks. To address this, take steps such as taking out the drawer from its dresser holder and inspecting its tracks closely.
Check your tracks for any damaged sections, such as bent areas that could cause rollers to come unglued from their tracks. If necessary, use pliers to reinstate these bent sections back into place.
If the drawer doesn’t move as you expect it should, try adjusting the track screws. These screw are located in oval holes on each track and enable easy adjustment of its position so it glides smoothly.
After you have tightened the screws, test out your drawer again; if it remains unresponsive, it may require replacing its track.
Lubricate the tracks with lubricant to enhance smoother performance; these products can often be found at local hardware stores.
To lubricate the tracks, first clean them with a damp cloth before spraying a thin coating of lubricant onto the runners. For optimal results, oily cloth or soft brushes may also work; just be wary not to overspray on to your drawer bottoms!
Reassemble the drawer, and ensure it’s tracking correctly. If not, check for stripped out screw holes on its tracks and tighten as required.
If you’re uncertain if your drawer track is mounted correctly, check its arrows to ensure they point upward. If they do not, loosen any necessary screws and switch around before reinstalling.
Remove the Guides
Dresser drawers that suddenly come tumbling out can be extremely infuriating, but there are easy solutions. First step should be checking that all guides on the drawer are secured in their positions with no loose screws or other damage that could cause it to come tumbling back out again.
Guides are typically secured in place with three screws, but they can be easily replaced if they become damaged or broken. To do this, remove the old guide, place in its new counterpart in alignment with its holes, tighten all three screws to secure it to its new position and tighten tight the new guide into position.
Depending on how tightly your existing guide fits, it may serve as a template for cutting a replacement. Make sure the new one matches its width so it fits as seamlessly in the drawer as the old one did.
Or you could purchase a replacement guide online from a home center or hardware store for less than $15. If the new guide is too loose, simply push it back in place using a toothpick until it holds securely in its position.
Another solution to consider is replacing the drawer bottom panel, which often features an undulated surface that can warp easily. You could try flattening this bottom panel by placing it in direct sunlight and leaving it sitting on wet grass for some time so the top side of board dries out before placing back into its original spot.
If a bottom panel has warped out of position and no longer fits back into its slot, cut a piece of plywood or hardboard to fit its slot instead. Furthermore, seal your drawer again using polyurethane in order to help ensure its stability and keep things flat and even.
Additionally, you can repair the drawer’s slide portion with a new hole. This solution can help dresser drawers featuring ball bearing slides that have become worn-out or no longer operate smoothly to slide smoothly again.
If you’re uncertain of the best solution, consulting a professional is recommended. They can help identify whether the problem lies with the slider itself or elsewhere within the drawer and offer tips to avoid future complications.
Replace the Guides
If your dresser drawer keeps falling out, replacing its guides on the interior bottom could be the answer to a simple and cost-efficient fix. Replacing them could save time and money in the long run.
Drawer guides are small plastic pieces that enable the bottom of a drawer to move smoothly on a wooden drawer track. Over time, however, these guides may become worn-out and brittle; to replace one that has broken, all it takes is a drill, screws, block of wood, pencil, and screwdriver to replace it.
Before beginning, empty the drawer to conduct a thorough inspection. This is crucial as drawers may be subjected to frequent opening and closing which could cause joints to loosen, which in turn could damage its frame.
Lubricate the joints of your frame to improve how easily it opens and closes, either using stick lubricant, candle wax, paraffin, or silicone spray.
Install a stop block. These blocks can be made of either plastic or wood and will prevent drawers from dislodging themselves from cabinets or dressers; you can find these online or at local home centers.
As part of your drawer repairs, repair its runners – parts that hold it closed. If the runners are worn down, plane and rabbet each edge to create an even and smoothly mortised strip before glueing a thin strip of hardwood into each edge so it restores to its original height. Finally, secure them using small nails countersinking them so as not to interfere with its operation.
Alternately, you could switch up the bottom of your drawer. Instead of using wooden strips as supports for its contents, metal slides could be cut and fitted for its bottom surface – either as single tracks beneath its center or multiple rollers at each side of the drawer.
Add a dowel to the bottom of each drawer as support, for an affordable solution to dresser drawers that fall out. It works especially well on drawers that are narrow. A typical drawer requires around six dowels cut down to 2-3” long; cutting these may save time during assembly.
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