[climber_grrl]

So, we did the gung ho thing and ordered all of our cabinets WAY in advance so that we could get it before the fiscal year changed on July 1. Now I've got a garage so full of flat pack that my longer pieces (e.g. pantry, 8' cover panels) are leaning up against walls, tables, etc. They are horizontal, not vertical, so that the load is pread out along the longest side, but I'm wondering if anyone thinks it's important to lay them flat so that they don't warp, bend, dent (corners), or, in any way, get messed up.

It's going to be months before we get to install them and they've already been positioned that way for 6-7 weeks.If we need to lay them flat then I'd have to give up my side of the garage, which I'm more than happy to do to ensure they remain in perfect Ikea condition.

Thoughts?

Comments?

Concerns?

[vmole]

Generally, the best way to store large panels is on edge, rather than flat. But leaning them halfway is worse. If you still have a while to go, the best thing would be to push the back flush against the wall, on edge, and then either put something heavy against them to hold them, or tie a piece of heavy string across them, fairly high up. The latter takes up less space, but you need to get it *tight*, so that the pieces don't lean away from the wall. The farther they lean, the more force they put on the string. Also, you'll another hand to hold things in place when tieing (and later untieing) the string.

[librarymom03]

I'm also curious, would storage in the garage, ie. weather changes - hot, cold, humid, dry - cause warping?

[vmole]

Particle board is pretty stable with respect to weather changes; the important part is to keep it either flat and completely supported, or on the edge and vertical. If you have one of the door styles with solid wood, I might be tempted to bring them inside, but only if I was storing them for "a long time", several weeks, say. Leave them in their cardboard (they *do* come packaged, don't they?), as that will help "soften" the temperature and humidity swings. Maybe.

I don't mean to make to big a deal of this; my intent is to have my cabinets completely assembled and sitting in my garage in Houston before even beginning demolition of the existing kitchen, and if they sit there for a few weeks, I'm not going to worry about it.

[Tigratrus]

One tip that we have found helpful for storing large panels upright, is to put a piece of "Rug Gripper" material under the edge of the panel. This keeps them from sliding out away from the wall, particularly on hardwood or other hard surface floors. It also helps protect from scratching on either the panel or the floor. I second the warning about storing them at too much of an angle though.

Also you need to be careful about how moist the floor of your garage gets if that's where you're looking to put them for long term storage. Concrete floors cansometimes get almost damp and you definitely do NOT want your particleboard panels in contact with that. Put them up on top of a few pieces of 2X4 or other material to prevent direct contact with the floor if there is any possibility of the concrete getting wet, or water being introduced from wet tires (rain) or condensate from the car's AC system.