ᐅ Are there any recommendations for installing Ikea Hemnes furniture on uneven floors?
Created on: 12 Jun 2022 18:34
J
janvicenzoJ
janvicenzo12 Jun 2022 18:34Hello everyone,
I am planning to assemble my IKEA Hemnes chest of drawers soon in an older house with a significantly uneven wooden floor. I am aware that the IKEA assembly instructions provide little guidance for situations involving uneven floors, so I am wondering: Are there any general or practical tips or experiences on the best way to assemble and stabilize IKEA Hemnes furniture—especially chests of drawers—when the base surface is not level?
I am particularly interested in how to handle unevenness without the furniture becoming misaligned or the drawers no longer sliding smoothly. Are there specific techniques, additional accessories, or craftsmanship solutions that have proven effective?
I would be very grateful for any constructive advice or suggestions!
I am planning to assemble my IKEA Hemnes chest of drawers soon in an older house with a significantly uneven wooden floor. I am aware that the IKEA assembly instructions provide little guidance for situations involving uneven floors, so I am wondering: Are there any general or practical tips or experiences on the best way to assemble and stabilize IKEA Hemnes furniture—especially chests of drawers—when the base surface is not level?
I am particularly interested in how to handle unevenness without the furniture becoming misaligned or the drawers no longer sliding smoothly. Are there specific techniques, additional accessories, or craftsmanship solutions that have proven effective?
I would be very grateful for any constructive advice or suggestions!
Hello janvicenzo,
The Hemnes series is quite sturdy, but on uneven floors the dresser may tilt, which can later cause problems when opening the drawers. I recommend the following:
- Before assembly, measure the floor with a spirit level and mark areas with significant height differences.
- If the floor is very uneven, felt pads under the furniture legs can help gently compensate for small irregularities.
- Another option is to prepare small wooden wedges or plastic shims to place between the furniture leg and the floor.
This will keep the dresser stable and ensure the drawers operate smoothly. If you’re interested, I can also provide a step-by-step guide for adjusting furniture on uneven floors.
The Hemnes series is quite sturdy, but on uneven floors the dresser may tilt, which can later cause problems when opening the drawers. I recommend the following:
- Before assembly, measure the floor with a spirit level and mark areas with significant height differences.
- If the floor is very uneven, felt pads under the furniture legs can help gently compensate for small irregularities.
- Another option is to prepare small wooden wedges or plastic shims to place between the furniture leg and the floor.
This will keep the dresser stable and ensure the drawers operate smoothly. If you’re interested, I can also provide a step-by-step guide for adjusting furniture on uneven floors.
J
janvicenzo12 Jun 2022 20:16Thanks in advance for the initial tips. The advice about adjustable furniture feet sounds particularly interesting.
I’m wondering whether these feet can simply be screwed onto the existing furniture feet of the Hemnes, or if the original feet need to be replaced entirely?
Also, I’ve read that some users fix the furniture to the wall and use this to compensate for unevenness – does the wall mounting then hold the dresser stable enough on uneven floors, or is it only useful as an additional measure?
I’m wondering whether these feet can simply be screwed onto the existing furniture feet of the Hemnes, or if the original feet need to be replaced entirely?
Also, I’ve read that some users fix the furniture to the wall and use this to compensate for unevenness – does the wall mounting then hold the dresser stable enough on uneven floors, or is it only useful as an additional measure?
Hello janvicenzo,
I understand that you want to install the furniture properly on uneven floors. There are some important points to consider:
- Hemnes furniture generally comes with fixed feet, which are usually not height-adjustable. Therefore, in most cases, you will need replacements if you want to compensate for height differences. Adjustable furniture feet that can be screwed on are a very good solution. You can usually unscrew or remove the original feet for this purpose.
- When replacing the furniture feet, make sure the new ones are sturdy and can support the weight of the chest of drawers. IKEA chests can be quite heavy, especially when fully loaded.
- Accurate measurement of the floor with a long spirit level before installation is essential. Mark all the points where the feet will stand and determine the necessary adjustment in millimeters. For significant unevenness (more than 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 inches)), you can make wooden shims or buy plastic wedges.
- Wall fixings are mandatory for safety with Hemnes chests of drawers but primarily serve to prevent tipping. They reduce the risk of the chest tipping over but do not compensate for floor unevenness. Therefore, they should be seen as a supplement.
- I would recommend first adjusting or replacing the feet so that the furniture is really stable on the floor. Then install the wall fixings to secure the chest against tipping.
Have you already checked the exact installation spot with a spirit level? I’m interested in how severe the unevenness is.
I understand that you want to install the furniture properly on uneven floors. There are some important points to consider:
- Hemnes furniture generally comes with fixed feet, which are usually not height-adjustable. Therefore, in most cases, you will need replacements if you want to compensate for height differences. Adjustable furniture feet that can be screwed on are a very good solution. You can usually unscrew or remove the original feet for this purpose.
- When replacing the furniture feet, make sure the new ones are sturdy and can support the weight of the chest of drawers. IKEA chests can be quite heavy, especially when fully loaded.
- Accurate measurement of the floor with a long spirit level before installation is essential. Mark all the points where the feet will stand and determine the necessary adjustment in millimeters. For significant unevenness (more than 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 inches)), you can make wooden shims or buy plastic wedges.
- Wall fixings are mandatory for safety with Hemnes chests of drawers but primarily serve to prevent tipping. They reduce the risk of the chest tipping over but do not compensate for floor unevenness. Therefore, they should be seen as a supplement.
- I would recommend first adjusting or replacing the feet so that the furniture is really stable on the floor. Then install the wall fixings to secure the chest against tipping.
Have you already checked the exact installation spot with a spirit level? I’m interested in how severe the unevenness is.
J
janvicenzo13 Jun 2022 09:17Laukau5 schrieb:
Have you already checked the exact installation spot using a spirit level? I’m interested in how uneven the surface is.Thank you for the detailed information, Laukau5. Actually, at the installation location, the wooden floorboards are uneven with variations between 0 and 12 mm (0 and 0.5 inches). It’s not an extreme wave, but clearly enough to cause issues when assembling furniture.
I think I will remove the original feet and instead get adjustable metal feet. Having wooden or plastic shims ready also seems like a good idea as a backup in case fine-tuning is needed.
If anyone has additional advice on the exact procedure for changing the feet on the IKEA Hemnes, I would be happy to hear it.
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