How to Fix a Sticky Drawer

There might be nothing quite as frustrating as trying to open a drawer, only to force it out through a good ten seconds of struggle. If you're sick of trying to pry open a sticky drawer, or having it fly out at you once you've pried it loose, it's time to get in there and fix it for the long term. There's a good chance that the drawer in question is a wooden one, so let's figure out how to work with a wooden drawer.

Why don't metal and plastic drawers stick? Easy: they are made of moving parts meant to slide. If they do end up sticking, usually some metal lubricant or a Teflon lubricant for the plastic should be able to get things slide again.

When it comes to your wooden drawer, the task isn't so simple. Some wood drawers are made with sliding mechanisms, and others are simply put into place, assuming they will slide because they're made of wood. The first thing you'll need to do is get in there and try and figure out exactly what's causing the drawer to stick. This might be a problem unique to wood - for example, wood can swell and expand, causing it to be trickier to open up.

Check your drawer for anything that seems out of the ordinary - especially as compared to the other functioning drawers. If everything seems to be in place, you might simply need to use a lubricant. On wood, soap and beeswax will function fine as lubricants, but make sure to apply them generously and to as many areas as you can reach. If you miss one key area, it might leave the drawer still sticky even though you've applied a lubricant.

Other problems like loose nails can be causing the obstruction. If your drawer opens partially but suddenly stops, there's a good chance that something hard like a nail is getting in the way. Other hard obstructions in the sliding mechanism might be the cause, as well. If you can, try to remove the nearby drawers so that you'll have better access to the sticky drawer. This should give you the ability to have a closer look at the inner workings of your drawer, which is where you might be better able to make a diagnosis.

A sticky drawer can be caused by one obstruction, but the problem can also be a little more difficult to ascertain. Try to stick with it until you find the problem, and you should have a much better idea where to go from there.

Photo Credits: kcolwell

Originally posted 2009-08-27 03:46:32.

This post involves:

drawers stick, metal lubricant, sliding mechanisms, sticky drawers, wooden drawer

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Furniture, Handyman, How to Fix

Posted by Fix Handyman on August 31, 2010 in Furniture, Handyman, How to Fix. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.