Assembling the IKEA HEMNES Line: What's Different About Solid Wood

HEMNES Is Solid Wood — That Changes Everything

The IKEA HEMNES line is solid wood (pine), not particleboard. That makes it heavier, sturdier, and assembled differently. The same techniques that work on MALM will split a HEMNES piece.

Pre-Drill Every Screw

Solid wood doesn't compress the way particleboard does. A screw driven straight into pine without a pilot hole can split the grain. The HEMNES instructions include a note about pilot holes — follow it.

Mind the Grain Direction

Dowels go in parallel to the grain, not across. A dowel across the grain acts like a wedge and splits the wood. Check the grain before inserting any dowel.

Hand-Tighten, Then Check

Solid wood pieces need to be snug, not cranked. Over-tightening pulls the joint past square. Tighten by hand, check the corner is 90°, then a quarter turn more.

The Weight

A HEMNES dresser is 30% heavier than a MALM of the same size. Build it where it will live — a fully built HEMNES dresser is a two-person move.

Drawers Need Wax

The solid-wood drawer runners benefit from a rub of candle wax. The wood-on-wood glide is smooth but can stick without wax; a paraffin rub makes it silent.

Book a HEMNES assembly in NYC — solid wood, done right.