IKEA PAX Wardrobe Assembly in HDB Flats: Time, Height, Anchoring

A 236 cm frame fits if the lowest point along the wall clears 237 cm to build upright, or 245 cm lying down.

The figures come from IKEA Singapore's PAX frame page, IKEA's assembly instructions and IKEA's clearance guide. Building lying down is easier: you fix the panels flat on the floor, then two people tilt the frame up, and its diagonal sweeps past the ceiling. Building upright means holding tall panels in place while you fix them. IKEA Singapore's PAX planning guide is more cautious and suggests 250 cm or more for 236 cm frames.

Many HDB bedrooms measure around 2.6 m, but measure yours at the lowest point along the wall, not the middle of the room. Beams, curtain pelmets, aircon trunking and false ceilings all cut the clearance. HDB lets a false ceiling sit as low as 2.4 m and a curtain pelmet as low as 2.1 m; 2.4 m is too low to tilt a 236 cm frame up and leaves no spare room for sliding doors. Under 237 cm, choose the 201 cm frame.

Fix it with IKEA's enclosed wall fastener, using screws and plugs that suit your wall type; IKEA supplies the fastener, not the wall fixings.

IKEA's instructions call an unanchored PAX a tipping hazard and say to seek professional advice if unsure. Level the frame with its adjustable feet first, then fix it. HDB walls vary, sometimes within one room:

• Concrete or precast walls: masonry plugs and screws, drilled with a hammer drill.
• Drywall partitions (common in BTO flats): heavy-duty drywall anchors. HDB's drywall user guide rates them under 25 kg per point load for bookshelves and cabinets, against under 12 kg for light and medium anchors.
• Ferrolite partitions: HDB bars holes within 200 mm vertically below the ceiling or a beam. In a room under about 256 cm, the top of a 236 cm frame falls inside that strip, so get advice on the fixing point.

Drill only within HDB drilling hours.

Most DIY problems come from building flat in a room too low to tilt up, skipping levelling, and weak wall fixings.

• Building lying down under a low ceiling. The frame jams against a beam or false ceiling halfway up.
• Light plugs in drywall, or no fastener at all. Both leave a tall frame free to tip.
• Not levelling first. If the frame isn't level on its adjustable feet before fixing, the doors never line up.
• Missing hinges. On combinations, hinges are included in the price but collected separately at IKEA.
• Skirting gaps. PAX has no skirting cut-out, so the frame stands off the wall. Pack behind the fastener or notch the skirting; don't cut the frame.
• Lifting alone. The 236 cm frame box weighs about 41 kg.
• Knocking glass doors. IKEA warns glass sliding doors are most vulnerable to side collisions.

What usually fails first is door alignment: hinges drift and sliding doors stop tracking straight. Wardrobe door alignment costs from $60 if a DIY build needs correcting.

Yes: remove doors and interiors first, then the frame; never move a tall PAX assembled, as the joints loosen.

1. Empty the wardrobe and remove drawers, shelves and interior fittings.
2. Take off the hinged doors, or lift sliding doors out of their rails.
3. Unscrew the wall fastener with the frame supported.
4. With two people, lower the frame onto a blanket if the ceiling allows; otherwise dismantle it standing.
5. Remove the hardboard back carefully; it often tears, so plan a replacement.
6. Bag and label the screws and fittings for each frame.

Patch the old anchor holes before handover; small drill hole patching costs from $60. SG QuickFix charges from $100 to dismantle and reassemble, or from $50 to dismantle only.

DIY suits hinged-door frames built by two people on a concrete wall with room to build lying down; otherwise hire a handyman.

The DIY route costs your time plus wall fixings, which IKEA doesn't include. SG QuickFix assembles a large PAX wardrobe from $150, and corner units or full walls are priced from photos. IKEA's own 10% service is compared in the guide to the IKEA assembly fee in Singapore, and other jobs are in the full handyman price list for Singapore. For an accurate price, send your PAX planner list and a photo of the wall, including the ceiling above it.