IKEA Malm beds are among the most popular beds on the market because of their simple design, stylish appearance, and affordable price tag.
Ikea Malm series offer bed frames and complete beds made 100% of wood veneer and comes in various finishes with unique grain and texture variation.
With the Malm series, you can choose any bed size according to the room.
The Malm bed frames come with slats that are long wooden or metal planks that fit inside the bed frame. These are typically distance 2-3 inches apart to support the mattresses.
All the long solid or metal bars are connected to each other and may appear like a ladder, too, and keeps the bars wrapped together while preventing slippage.
However, there are other designs too, where the slats are not joined together and just sit on the bed side by side.
Keeping slats in your bed frames significantly increases your mattress’s lifetime by absorbing stress and weight on the bed.
Without these solid slats, the bed mattress is not supported adequately and will result in the sinking of the mattress, uneven weight distribution, and, eventually, a very uncomfortable night.
We all know that Ikea Malm beds are easy to assemble, budget-friendly, and add a minimalistic, sleek look to your bedroom, but in addition, they are also very reliable.
However, with all the benefits, there also comes some drawbacks. The most commonly occurring problem with the Malm slatted bed foundation is that the slats keep falling through.
This can not only be a frustrating issue but also cause mishaps in the bedroom that may result in serious injuries.
If your Malm bed slats keep falling through, don’t panic, as there are several ways to troubleshoot and solve this problem.
Continue reading the blog post as we list ways to solve this problem and make your bedroom more secure for you and your children.
IKEA Malm Bed Slats Keep Falling Through:
11 Quick steps that you can take to keep your Slats from falling include
- Level the bed frame
- Assemble slats correctly
- Secure them correctly
- Use thicker slats
- Add extra support
- Add layers of slats
- Check for damaged slats
- Check the plastic end caps
- Check center support beam
- Use a board
- Use a mattress topper
- Level, The Bed Frame
One must precisely determine the cause of the problem before trying to address it, whatever the case is.
The first and foremost thing you should consider if your Malm beds slats keep falling is to check the level of your Malm bed frame.
Make sure the frame is level front to back and side to side.
As the slats are usually placed horizontally across the bed frame, you must ensure the two sides of the bed frame are equally distanced from the head and foot sides.
If the bed frame is not leveled properly, for instance, the two sides are close together at the head side and are farther apart at the foot side; you will experience your slats at the foot side falling frequently.
The one-bed frame’s slats may be either 16 or 32 but are of equal length. Hence malalignment and unlevelled bed frame will cause your slats to fall through.
Make adjustments to the bed frame as needed to prevent your Malm bed slats from falling.
- Assemble Slats Correctly
Be sure to assemble the slats correctly. As mentioned before, the 16 glued slats of the Ikea Malm bed sit horizontally across the bed frame.
They should be placed perpendicular to the frame and evenly spaced apart.
If the slats are closer together at one side and far apart at the other end, they will not equally distribute the weight, and consequently, your Malm bed frame slats will fall, plunging the mattress.
- Secure Slats Properly
Be sure to secure the slats properly to the frame. This prevents slats from loosening and falling through. How to attach slats will vary depending on your frame type.
The most common frame type is the IKEA Malm bed frame, with hooks that the slats fit into.
The slats should be firmly hooked into place and unable to move around.
If you have a different bed type or your slats do not snuggly fit into their respective places, you can use adhesives like duct tape and Velcro straps to secure them to the bed frame.
Using both of these methods to secure your loose Malm bed frame slats are reported to be beneficial for many users facing the same problem.
Generally, a thicker grade duct tape provides greater tensile strength and adhesiveness and is relatively easy to access and use.
- Use Thicker Slats
Another essential step that you can take to keep your Ikea Malm bed slats from falling through is to use thicker slats.
If you’re using thin slats, consider switching to thicker slats. A thicker slat will prevent the sag in the middle.
This may be especially beneficial for families who are using one bad for a lot of people at the same time.
Replacing the average-sized slats or adding thicker slats significantly increases the support of the mattress and allows more than average weight bearing on the bed without causing indentations or sinking of the mattress.
- Add More Support
Consider adding more support to the slats by securing them better to the frame or adding more slats. Adding more support makes the surface more level and less likely to sag in the middle.
Another easy way to increase the support is by adding underneath support for the slats alone.
Some foam or wooden blocks would take up the weight of the slats and hence will allow you to put extra weight on the bed without the fear of slats falling through.
- Add Layers of Slats
If you’re only using a single layer of slats, consider adding more layers. This will make the surface more level and less likely to sag in the middle.
Additionally, this will provide extra support to your matters and allow you to use your bed with any kind of extra weight.
If you add layers of slats to your bedframe, you are actually keeping yourself from the anxiety of kids jumping on the bed to fall in the middle and hurt yourself.
This is a really nice option if you have plenty of kids at home who think the bed is a trampoline!
- Check for Damaged Slats
If any of the slats are damaged, they need to be replaced. Damaged slats will not only distribute the weight unevenly but can cause the rest of the slats to sag or fall through.
It is very dangerous to have a bed with damaged slats as it may cause accidents that can result in serious injuries.
Although you can fix the broken slats with glue and adhesives, getting them replaced as soon as possible is recommended, so you have maximum safety on your bed.
- Check The Plastic End Caps
The slats’ plastic end caps fix the slats’ ends into their indentations in the bed frames.
If they’re missing or damaged, they need to be replaced. You can find replacement end caps at most hardware stores.
Not replacing them timely will result in the loosening of the slats even more and frequent falling of the slats.
- Check the Center Support Beam
The center support beam provides extra support to the slats of the bed. Where the bed frame gives it area to sit laterally, the center support beam provides a center in the middle.
If it’s not in place, put it in position and make sure it’s leveled, this will keep your slats from falling.
- Use a Board
If you’re still having trouble with the slats falling through, you can try using a board instead of slats. A board will provide a more solid surface for the mattress to rest on.
Replacing the wood planks; slats with a solid board will provide more support with greater surface area and help you solve your problem if all the other steps can’t help you through.
A firm mattress will provide further support and prevent the slats from sagging. There are a variety of good mattresses on the market, so be sure to research to find the best one.
- Use a Mattress Topper
If you’re still experiencing problems with the slats falling through, you can try using a mattress topper. A mattress topper will add more support and make it less likely for the slats to sag or fall through.
Concluding Thoughts:
We hope this article was helpful in troubleshooting and solving your IKEA Malm bed slats falling through the problem.
Be sure to check all possible causes before completely giving up on the bed. With a little effort, you should be able to get the bed working properly again. Thanks for reading