How to Fix a Drawer That Falls Out

Nothing like opening an odds-and-ends or silverware drawer, only to have everything spill across the floor. Old-fashioned drawers with wooden runners or drawers with worn-out metal glides may become slack and fall out when opened. Loose, hanging drawers are unsightly, and drawers that fall out of a cabinet or dresser can cause messes and property damage. Fix loose drawers with a few simple repairs.

Scrap hardwood
Small saw
Drill
Wood screw
Screwdriver
Smooth-headed thumbtacks

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the drawer from the cabinet. Replace any missing screws in the drawer glides and try using the drawer again. If the drawer is still loose, you can make a drawer stop to fix the problem.
- 2
  Saw a piece of hardwood to make a ½-by-3/4-by-2-inch block.
- 3
  Turn the block vertically and mark a drill hole in it ¾ inch up from the bottom. Mark another hole in the back center of the drawer, 1½ inches down from the top edge.
- 4
  Drill starter holes through both of these markings.
- 5
  Place the block along the back of the drawer's interior. Align the hole in the block with the hole in the back center of the drawer, then screw the block in place.
- 6
  Turn the wood block horizontally and slide the drawer halfway into the cabinet.
- 7
  Flip the wood block vertically and slide the drawer the rest of the way into the cabinet. You can turn it horizontally again if you ever need to remove the drawer.

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