Ikea Furniture

[RKelly]

I know Ikea is not the best furniture (ie filled with particleboard, etc) but I am looking for an inexpensive TV Stand since I don't have a lot of cash to spend. One that looks really good to me the Benno TV Unit with coasters, but it states its max load is 66lbs. I have a 42" plasma which weighs about 89 lbs. Should I try to use the unit in hope that it works?

[SquirrelDip]

I wouldn't...

Doesn't make much sense trusting a $2000 monitor on a $20 stand...

[rallynavvie]

I picked up the Stormark stand for the LCD in my bedroom. It's silverish finish went well with the grey trim on the TV. The tempered glass shelves were enough to fit my PS3 on the bottom and a receiver on the upper shelf. It'll hold up to 100kg per Ikea so that's about 220 lbs. It's not terribly attractive but I'm more interested in function over form anyway.

I also picked up the rectangle glass swivel for it but my LCD only weighs 55 lbs so I don't know if I'd trust that same swivel for anything heavier. The stand certainly seems sturdy enough.

[zzyzzx]

I also would not. And friends don't let friends buy particleboard!

[rallynavvie]

Well the funny thing is that when I bought my LCD TV at Best Buy I looked at the units they had which were $250 and up and were particleboard with faux-wood laminate. The one I got at Ikea was almost identical to the one at Best Buy except its particleboard was covered with a metallic laminate and cost only $60. Both use tempered safety glass for the two shelves and both required assembly (though Best Buy offers in-home assembly for another $50).

[SquirrelDip]

I'm not totally against Ikea - their stuff isn't all that bad for what it is. Particle board, imo, can work for you - just don't move it around too much (too much movement seems to loosen them up pretty bad).

Point was not to trust something under rated.

[lordsmurf]

There's nothing wrong with particle board. For bedroom furniture and nice home office, I'd suggest real wood or mostly real wood. But for other things, particle board is fine, like guest bedroom furniture or lightweight-item display shelves.

Some of the higher-compressed particle board is actually more durable than real wood, and costs more too. I would be open to this on a good tv stand. I would still want it to have solid wood posts, however. Only the shelves could be composite material. Some of my real-wood furniture uses a mix of dense particle and real wood, to get the best effect and durability.

[stiltman]

Some of the higher-compressed particle board is actually more durable than real wood, and costs more too. I would be open to this on a good tv stand. I would still want it to have solid wood posts, however. Only the shelves could be composite material. Some of my real-wood furniture uses a mix of dense particle and real wood, to get the best effect and durability.

MDF or MDO

MDO is really expensive too

[rallynavvie]

just don't move it around too much (too much movement seems to loosen them up pretty bad).

That's definitely true.

[sacajaweeda]

Particle board is fine until you get it wet, or humidity takes it's toll.

[gll99]

To answer the question directly, no don't use something rated at less than the recommended load bearing capacity. There is probably a margin of error but why risk an expensive set. Another aspect is safety. Many children are killed or seriously injured by falling furniture including TV sets each year so why take a chance with someones life.
As some have said IKEA offers other models that look as good as the so called "matching" stands that can carry a much larger load at less than 1/2 the cost of those offered in the tv stores.

The only stand I ever purchased (it came included) with a set was a swivel corner model streamlined and angled to fit a particular Toshiba 32" tv with depressions for the tv foot pads and a bracket to secure the tv. If the stand / base is specifically designed to only fit a specific model then I might consider buying it especially if the unit is going to be in a room where appearance is important.

[zzyzzx]

Particle board is fine until you get it wet, or humidity takes it's toll.

I really don't want anything in my house, espically the bathroom or kitchen, that disintigrates when it gets wet.

[ozymango]

I'm not crazy about particle board myself, but when it comes to most TV cabinets or shelves or whatever it can be very difficult to find a piece of furniture that doesn't have PB as a major component; so the goal is, make sure it's put together well in the first place. And you can almost always find an equivalently built product for less money at IKEA than, say, Best Buy (for furniture, anyway), so there's that.

It's very true that PB should not be used in damp locations, but if your PB TV shelf is in danger of failure due to moisture, I'm guessing you've already rusted out a few components in your rack by then. :P

The thing about "real wood" is that it's not cheap -- it's difficult to find/mill very clean boards for building things like TV cabinets, unless you like the look of knots. I do, but not everybody does. Also "solid" wood had it's own issues in that it's more difficult to keep really flat/straight, as a solid board can very easily warp due to heat and moisture variations in your average house.

I make cabinets and furniture as a hobby, by the way.

One thing I really, really, really recommend when it comes to PB furniture -- if it's at all possible to fasten together with both the mechanical fasteners (screws, bolts, etc.) and adhesives -- glue, in other words -- that can really help make a very stable structure. I know that this can be problematic if you need to disassemble a larger piece if you ever need to move (and it won't fit through the door assembled), but for most smaller furniture, "screw and glue" can make a major difference in structural integrity.