ᐅ How can I securely install BILLY shelves on uneven tiled floors?

Hello everyone,

I am currently facing the following problem: I want to set up my IKEA Billy shelves on a rather uneven tiled floor in the living room. The issue is that the tiles are uneven in some areas, causing the shelves to feel unstable, wobble, and not stand straight. My specific question is: How can I secure or level my Billy shelves on such an uneven tiled floor so that they remain stable and upright over time, without the unevenness causing any damage to the furniture? I have already considered furniture glides or small shims, but I am unsure which solutions will be truly durable and also visually acceptable. I would appreciate any practical tips or experiences!

Your concern is valid. Many people underestimate how much an uneven surface can affect the stability of a shelf. A general recommendation would be to equip the shelf feet with adjustable furniture glides. But here the question arises: Have you checked whether the issue is caused more by the unevenness of the tiles themselves or the floor underneath? Because only if the unevenness of the tiles is significant do you need to address the shelf base. Otherwise, attaching fixed brackets to the wall might be sufficient. Have you measured how much movement the shelf has? Perhaps a combination of floor pads and wall fixing works best.

It’s interesting how we all immediately focus on the adjustable feet. I believe that issues with Billy-style shelves on uneven floors are often overestimated. These shelves are actually quite sturdy. In my opinion, any wobbling can be fixed simply by wedging small pieces of wood under the shelf feet. Why make it complicated when it can be done easily? Don’t get me wrong, of course, you can spend a long time tinkering with these solutions, but often a simple screw and some slats from a hardware store are enough. Also, as sifope mentions, wall mounting isn’t always necessary if you properly compensate for the unevenness. My question for you: How severe is the unevenness, measured in millimeters?

Thanks for your previous input. The unevenness is up to 5 mm (0.2 inches) in some spots. The shelf wobbles especially when you pull on it or put more weight on it. I haven’t used adjustable furniture glides so far, but that sounds like a reasonable idea. The idea of fixing the shelf to the wall is basically good, but unfortunately it’s not possible at that spot because there is a large glass panel. Wedging with pieces of wood sounds practical, but I would prefer a permanent solution that doesn’t slip and remains stable under load. I would also like a solution that looks reasonably good, since the shelf is visible in the room.

Here is a brief guide on how to deal with this issue:

1. First, use a spirit level and a ruler to check for unevenness at the four support points of the shelf.
2. Next, get adjustable furniture glides that can be set in millimeter increments – these are often available at hardware stores.
3. Then, stick small non-slip felt pads under the feet or place non-slip mats underneath to prevent the shelf from sliding on smooth tiles.
4. Use a hex key or screwdriver to adjust the glides to the exact level.

If the unevenness is too large, you can also make hardwood wedges or use ready-made plastic wedges that slide under the individual feet. Make sure the wedges are abrasion-resistant so they don’t break over time.

Finally, I recommend leaning the shelf lightly against the wall after setting it up (even if you can’t secure it): this greatly increases stability. In small rooms, you can also place anti-slip pads underneath.

A very thorough answer: There are different approaches to installing BILLY shelves on uneven tiled floors to ensure they remain level and stable over time.

First, you should make sure to accurately measure the actual unevenness. In addition to a simple spirit level, using a digital inclinometer app is also useful.

Once you have the measurements, I recommend the following process:

1. Check if the furniture glides on the shelf legs have a suitable thread length and diameter to allow up to 5 mm (0.2 inches) of adjustment.
2. If not, you can use long-thread screws (M8–M10) to create custom adjustable feet. For this, use screws and washers as spacers.
3. Then place high-quality non-slip pads under the feet to prevent the shelf from sliding on the smooth tiles.
4. To protect the tiles, I recommend rubber or felt glides as end caps.

Another option is to forgo wall mounting and instead install corner connectors to join multiple shelves together—this significantly improves stability.

Also, have you checked whether the tiles at the installation site already have cracks? These could worsen under load, which would be dangerous for both the floor and the shelf.

I mention this because such details should be clarified beforehand before you start adjusting the shelf.