In a mobile home, the drawers in the bathroom, kitchen, desk, bedroom, and dresser may get old and start having issues. You know that it’s time to replace or repair them when they stick, get hammed, or slide unevenly. But when a drawer is not working fine anymore it doesn’t mean necessarily that you have to buy a new one. You can repair the drawers by yourself, because it does not require special skills. Drawer jams are caused by runners that wear down. They are lengths of wood attached to both side rail, which extend from fit into groves and support the drawer as it slides. It’s possible to just replace the drawer runners. Read on to find out about various drawer repair options.
There are also other drawer issues that you can fix yourself and depending on the drawer’s problem there are a few drawer repair options available to you, including replacing kitchen drawer runners, lower the noise level, filling in stripped screw holes, filling in scratches, getting the sag out, lubricating sticking drawers, making the drawers slide again, and more.
Repairing your drawer instead of replacing has advantages. It will cost you less than a hundred dollars and it does not take long time. In comparison, to replace old cabinets would be much more expensive.
For do it yourself drawer repairs you will need in general the following materials:
a) 3/4-in. plywood
b) 1/4-in. plywood
c) Toothpicks
d) Drawer slides
e) Brad nails
f) Removable thread adhesive
g) Back plates for knobs
h) Magnet catch
i) Wood cleaner
j) Wood fill stick
k) Roller catches
l) Dry lubricant
The tools that you’ll need to repair your drawers are:
a) Power drill or screw driver
b) Clamps
c) Level
d) Rags
e) Miter saw
f) Circular saw
g) Measuring tape
h) Utility knife
i) Galvanized nails or screws
j) Wood glue
k) Lubricant
Drawer Repair Options – 6 Tips
1) Replace drawer runners:
The first step is to measure the runners. Remove the existing runners and measure their length. Make sure that the runner flush with the drawer opening and cut new runners. Pre-drill for the screwing rails and install them in place. Fit the drawer back and test it for sliding and ease of movement. Lubricate to make them slide smoothly by applying beeswax, paraffin, silicone, or soap.
2) Lower the noise level:
Drawers may slam loudly when wood smacks against wood and for this reasons they need to cushion the impact and reduce noise with bumpers near the interior corners. The bumpers can fall off. If this is the case with your drawer, you can buy new bumpers at home centers and stick them in place. Make sure you choose bumpers with the same thickness.
3) Fill in stripped screw holes:
The screw hole may be stripped if the screws in the drawer slides turn but don’t tighten. That may prevent the drawer from closing properly. You can fix the problem by using toothpicks and glue. First step is to remove the drawer. Apply a drop of wood glue to the ends of toothpicks then cram as many will fit into the hole. Wipe away any glue that drips out and let it dry. Cut the toothpicks flush with the drawer with a utility knife. In the end, reinstall the hardware by driving the screw through the filled hole.
4) Get the sag out:
Sometimes the thin plywood used for drawer bottoms may get wavy. You can stiffen up the bottoms with 3/8 inch or 1/4 inch plywood. Measure the plywood to leave1/4 inch gap on each side and cut it to fit over the drawer bottom. Glue the plywood over the drawer bottom with wood glue.
5) Fill in scratches:
If your drawer has scratches, you can use a wood fill stick to make them less visible. To make the application easier you may soften the stick with a hair dryer. Fill in and color over the scratch with the stick. Use a wood fill stick to make scratches less visible. Run the stick over the scratch to fill in and colors. Wipe away with a cloth any excess. This fix works well on both shallow and deep scratches. You can buy a fill stick at hardware stores or home centers.
6) Lubricate sticking drawers:
Make drawers slide again by lubricating the sticking drawers. First, remove the drawer and wipe its slides with a cloth to remove debris. Spray a dry lubricant and on the drawer slides and place the drawer back. You can buy dry lubricants in a home center or hardware store.
If you apply one or more of the above drawer repair options, you can hold off on purchasing a new drawer or cabinet.
