IKEA LACK Spare Parts: Screws, Dowels, Wall Fixings – The Complete Guide

Missing wall screw, LACK shelf not staying on the wall, dowel nowhere to be found: everything you need to know about fixing and maintaining IKEA LACK tables and shelves. Variants, load limits and assembly tips.

IKEA LACK Shelf and Table: Fixings, Variants and Pitfalls to Avoid

No wall screws in the box. A honeycomb cardboard structure under the coating. An invisible fixing system that allows no room for error. The LACK is the IKEA furniture item that generates the most questions on DIY forums – and for good reason.

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LACK Variants: Tables and Shelves

The LACK range covers two product families. They share the same manufacturing technology.

Model	Dimensions	Use
Short wall shelf	30 x 26 cm	Single item, small niche
Standard wall shelf	110 x 26 cm	Current use, living room or hallway
Long wall shelf	190 x 26 cm	Entire wall, light bookcase
Coffee table	90 x 55 cm	Living room, in front of sofa
Side table	55 x 55 cm	End of sofa, bedroom

The shelves are said to be "floating": mounted on the wall, they completely conceal their fixing system. The tables rest on hollow square legs screwed into the top.

Available finishes: white, black-brown, bleached oak, red. The surface is a paper-foil coating glued onto an alveolar panel. It does not tolerate impacts on the edges and cannot withstand prolonged humidity.

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What No One Tells You About the LACK Structure

The LACK is made of alveolar panel: two thin sheets of compressed cardboard frame a honeycomb of paper. The whole is covered with a decorative coating. Lightweight, rigid over the entire surface – but structurally hollow.

The resistance is superficial, not punctual. A load of 10 kg distributed over 110 cm passes without problem. The same load concentrated over 10 cm can irreversibly perforate the panel. Place wide objects, never heavy and small objects.

A misplaced screw destroys the thread permanently. If a screw goes through the coating and penetrates the honeycomb, there is nothing left to grip. The screw turns in the void. This material is not repairable.

The load limit for LACK wall shelves is 15 kg, evenly distributed. This is not a recommendation – it is a mechanical limit dictated by the alveolar structure.

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The Wall Fixing System: How It Really Works

The floating LACK shelf hides inside a horizontal metal rail. This rail has notches that come to rest on screws previously planted in the wall.

The correct process is as follows:

1. Locate the two screw positions indicated in the instructions (precise spacing).
2. Plant the screws in the wall to the correct depth – they protrude by about 25 mm.
3. Slide the shelf onto the screw heads until it locks.

The critical point: the inner rail must align exactly with the screws. If the screw spacing does not correspond to the rail, the shelf will not lock. Re-measure the instructions before drilling.

On a Placostil partition, the studs are spaced 60 cm apart. Alignment with the LACK screws depends on the chosen location. When the screws do not fall on a stud, an appropriate dowel is essential.

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Screws and Dowels: What IKEA Doesn't Provide

No wall screws are included in the box of LACK shelves. The instructions assume you have the material suitable for your wall.

What you need depending on the support:

• Concrete or brick wall: 5 x 60 mm screw minimum + expansion dowel. The screw must bite into the hard material for at least 40 mm.
• Plasterboard partition with stud behind: long screw (60 mm+) screwed directly into the stud. No dowel needed. This is the strongest fixing.
• Plasterboard partition without accessible stud: Molly dowel or toggle dowel. These systems expand behind the plate. Limitation: 5 to 8 kg per fixing point.

Always use screws of at least 60 mm. A short screw (30-40 mm) does not go through the plaster to reach the masonry. This is the main cause of shelves coming off the wall under load.

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Common Problems and Solutions

The shelf tilts after installation. The two wall screws are not at the same height. Check with a level before planting the second screw – not after.

The screw turns without resistance. It has gone through the coating and penetrates the honeycomb. The thread is lost. There is no satisfactory repair. For a table leg: try a large washer with a larger diameter screw, or replace the top.

The coating peels off on the edges. This is normal wear and tear of the paper-foil. Paper glue solves the problem visually. The mechanical resistance of the edge remains compromised.

The table legs move. The LACK legs are screwed in via inserts in the top. If the insert has been tightened too much and then loosened several times, the housing deforms. Solution: epoxy glue in the housing before re-screwing, holding for 24 hours.

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FAQ

Can you put plants on a LACK wall shelf?
Yes, if the pot does not exceed 3-4 kg and is not placed on the edge of the shelf. A heavy pot in cantilever concentrates the load on one point – exactly what the honeycomb cannot tolerate.

Can you paint a LACK piece of furniture?
Yes, with a paint for laminate or a layer of adhesive primer before classic paint. The paper-foil surface does not directly grip standard acrylic paint.

Where can I find replacement screws for the LACK table legs?
The LACK leg screws are standard wood screws M6 or M8 depending on the generation of the model. IKEA provides them via its spare parts service (IKEA.fr, SAV section). In a hardware store, compare the diameter and pitch with an original screw before purchasing.

Can the LACK support a television?
No. A 32-inch television weighs 5 to 8 kg – technically below the limit. But the weight rests on four small feet: high punctual load on the honeycomb. The risk of progressive perforation is real. The LACK coffee table is made for books, magazines and light decorative objects.