Moving furniture made from particle board

We love particle board furniture because it is cheap. When you put a veneer of real wood on it, the particle board looks just like real wood, so you can get a very attractive piece of furniture for a fraction of the cost of real wood. But this cheapness comes at a price. If you move frequently, then you might want to rethink your decision to buy particle board furniture.


What is particle board?
Particle board is a type of manufactured “wood” which is made from taking wood wastes, such as sawdust and adhesive it together with glues and resins. Just because particle board is made from wood, it doesn’t mean it will have the same qualities at wood. Real wood has long, dense grains with which form strong bonds together. The saw dust and shavings which make up particle board are not dense. Because the particles are so short, they can’t even form a strong bond with each other. As a result, particle board furniture is not sturdy at all.


Should you disassemble the particle board furniture?
It is usually a good idea to disassemble furniture before moving. It saves room in the moving truck and also reduce the likelihood of doorways getting nicked when moving the furniture out or in. With particle board furniture though, you’ve got to carefully consider whether to dismantle the furniture.


There is a good reason that manufacturers always send particle board furniture in pieces. They know that the joints of the furniture are very weak. A small bang could result in the furniture joints breaking apart.


However, when you take apart particle board furniture, the screws can easily strip the holes. This means you won’t ever be able to put the furniture back together so it is completely stable.


So, what should you do? Go by these guidelines:


• If the screws have been glued in place, move the particle board furniture without taking it apart.
• If the furniture is large or not very well balanced (such as a particle board dresser), then take it apart. The joints will weaken in the moving truck.
• If the furniture is small, don’t take it apart. Move it as is.