Hello everyone,
I recently purchased several Ikea Platsa modules and am now facing a problem during assembly: the floor in my apartment is not completely level but has noticeable unevenness – both across the surface and in the slope. Since I want to build the furniture securely and have it stand safely, I’m wondering what the best approach is to install the Platsa furniture stable and straight despite the uneven floors.
Are there any special techniques that have proven effective for such challenges? Which assembly materials or additional parts would be recommended to prevent tipping or uneven standing? Do I need to level out the floor irregularities first, or can the furniture components be adjusted accordingly?
I would greatly appreciate concrete tips, step-by-step explanations, and practical experience, preferably with advice on what to watch out for specifically when working with Platsa. Thanks in advance!
I recently purchased several Ikea Platsa modules and am now facing a problem during assembly: the floor in my apartment is not completely level but has noticeable unevenness – both across the surface and in the slope. Since I want to build the furniture securely and have it stand safely, I’m wondering what the best approach is to install the Platsa furniture stable and straight despite the uneven floors.
Are there any special techniques that have proven effective for such challenges? Which assembly materials or additional parts would be recommended to prevent tipping or uneven standing? Do I need to level out the floor irregularities first, or can the furniture components be adjusted accordingly?
I would greatly appreciate concrete tips, step-by-step explanations, and practical experience, preferably with advice on what to watch out for specifically when working with Platsa. Thanks in advance!
M
Matthewt4817 Aug 2023 08:47Hello Malena,
first of all, thank you for your well-formulated question. The challenge of uneven floors doesn’t just affect PLATSA, but many pieces of furniture. With PLATSA, there are some proven ways to securely set up the furniture despite floor unevenness:
- First, use a spirit level to check exactly how uneven the floor is and where the biggest deviations are.
- Ikea PLATSA often comes with adjustable feet, which you can use to compensate for minor unevenness.
- For larger height differences, furniture shims that can be placed between the floor and the feet are suitable.
- Another option is to use appropriate underlay plates or wooden strips to create a level supporting surface.
- Additionally, wall mounting the units is recommended; PLATSA supports this and reduces the risk of tipping.
It’s important to set up the furniture provisionally first and then adjust it step by step so that the load is distributed optimally. If you have to compensate for very large unevenness, using a floor leveling compound before assembling the furniture might be sensible, but this is usually more labor-intensive.
I hope this gives you a good starting point. If you like, I can explain more about adjustable feet or wall mounting elsewhere.
first of all, thank you for your well-formulated question. The challenge of uneven floors doesn’t just affect PLATSA, but many pieces of furniture. With PLATSA, there are some proven ways to securely set up the furniture despite floor unevenness:
- First, use a spirit level to check exactly how uneven the floor is and where the biggest deviations are.
- Ikea PLATSA often comes with adjustable feet, which you can use to compensate for minor unevenness.
- For larger height differences, furniture shims that can be placed between the floor and the feet are suitable.
- Another option is to use appropriate underlay plates or wooden strips to create a level supporting surface.
- Additionally, wall mounting the units is recommended; PLATSA supports this and reduces the risk of tipping.
It’s important to set up the furniture provisionally first and then adjust it step by step so that the load is distributed optimally. If you have to compensate for very large unevenness, using a floor leveling compound before assembling the furniture might be sensible, but this is usually more labor-intensive.
I hope this gives you a good starting point. If you like, I can explain more about adjustable feet or wall mounting elsewhere.
Hello Malena,
I’d like to take the opportunity to go into more detail on this topic, as uneven floors are often underestimated and can have a negative impact over time, especially with modular furniture like PLATSA.
First of all, you should measure the exact floor unevenness: digital levels or even a laser leveling device can help you accurately determine the slope. If the gradient is more than 5 mm per meter (0.2 inches per foot), caution is advised.
Regarding assembly, I recommend the following approach:
- Adjust the supplied furniture feet to their maximum height to create a rough initial level.
- Depending on the size of the difference, you can insert wooden shims or plastic pads under the furniture legs. Make sure the materials are pressure-resistant and non-slip so there’s no movement.
- For maximum stability, secure the furniture modules with the wall fasteners provided by Ikea. This is especially important with PLATSA since the modules are stacked and form a single unit.
It’s also important to avoid putting excessive load on the furniture if it wobbles slightly – this could damage both the furniture and the floor. If the unevenness is too severe, it may be worthwhile to apply a special leveling compound to the floor before assembly, even though it involves time and cost.
From practical experience in my circle: a friend bought furniture leveling legs with screw threads, similar to Ikea’s feet but with a longer adjustment range – this gave him more flexibility and stability.
I’m curious, Malena: How severe are your floor irregularities approximately? Only at the edges or across the whole surface? And is your floor carpet, laminate, or tile? The material also affects the stability in different ways.
Best regards!
I’d like to take the opportunity to go into more detail on this topic, as uneven floors are often underestimated and can have a negative impact over time, especially with modular furniture like PLATSA.
First of all, you should measure the exact floor unevenness: digital levels or even a laser leveling device can help you accurately determine the slope. If the gradient is more than 5 mm per meter (0.2 inches per foot), caution is advised.
Regarding assembly, I recommend the following approach:
- Adjust the supplied furniture feet to their maximum height to create a rough initial level.
- Depending on the size of the difference, you can insert wooden shims or plastic pads under the furniture legs. Make sure the materials are pressure-resistant and non-slip so there’s no movement.
- For maximum stability, secure the furniture modules with the wall fasteners provided by Ikea. This is especially important with PLATSA since the modules are stacked and form a single unit.
It’s also important to avoid putting excessive load on the furniture if it wobbles slightly – this could damage both the furniture and the floor. If the unevenness is too severe, it may be worthwhile to apply a special leveling compound to the floor before assembly, even though it involves time and cost.
From practical experience in my circle: a friend bought furniture leveling legs with screw threads, similar to Ikea’s feet but with a longer adjustment range – this gave him more flexibility and stability.
I’m curious, Malena: How severe are your floor irregularities approximately? Only at the edges or across the whole surface? And is your floor carpet, laminate, or tile? The material also affects the stability in different ways.
Best regards!
Thanks already for the different inputs!
@bapar: I’m happy to answer your questions in detail, as that is important. The unevenness has a difference of about 7 mm (0.3 inches) over one meter (3.3 feet), with the slope running diagonally from the window to the room door. The floor is laminate, so no tiles, but also no carpet.
I have already tried the IKEA legs at their minimum and maximum settings, but the difference doesn’t seem sufficient for the height variations. Furniture shims were also on my mind in principle, but I’m unsure how to place the shims under the legs without causing the furniture to wobble or become unstable.
I will definitely use wall mounting; I was just uncertain whether that makes installation more difficult on an uneven floor or if I first need to level the wall.
If anyone has tips on how to apply shims effectively and securely, that would be great.
@bapar: I’m happy to answer your questions in detail, as that is important. The unevenness has a difference of about 7 mm (0.3 inches) over one meter (3.3 feet), with the slope running diagonally from the window to the room door. The floor is laminate, so no tiles, but also no carpet.
I have already tried the IKEA legs at their minimum and maximum settings, but the difference doesn’t seem sufficient for the height variations. Furniture shims were also on my mind in principle, but I’m unsure how to place the shims under the legs without causing the furniture to wobble or become unstable.
I will definitely use wall mounting; I was just uncertain whether that makes installation more difficult on an uneven floor or if I first need to level the wall.
If anyone has tips on how to apply shims effectively and securely, that would be great.
M
Matthewt4817 Aug 2023 12:59bapar schrieb:
A practical experience from my environment: An acquaintance bought so-called furniture leveling feet with threaded screws for his PLATSA modules, which work similarly to the Ikea feet but offer longer adjustment ranges – this gave him more flexibility and stability.That’s a very useful tip.
Malena, if the Ikea feet are not sufficient, you can indeed use such threaded leveling feet – they are available at hardware stores or online and are sturdy as well as continuously adjustable. This allows you to precisely compensate for uneven floors.
Regarding wedges: I recommend always placing them exactly under the feet. It’s best to use felt pads or non-slip rubber pads between the wedge and the foot to prevent slipping. Also, after adjusting, be sure to check again with a spirit level to ensure everything is aligned.
Concerning wall mounting: The wall does not need to be perfectly flat when mounting, but you should try to install the wall brackets so the modules cannot twist. If necessary, you can place small shims behind the brackets for adjustment.
Similar topics