ᐅ What should I do if IKEA Hemnes furniture is not perfectly aligned?

Hello everyone, I have an issue with my IKEA Hemnes furniture, specifically a few cabinets and shelves that just aren’t standing straight. Despite careful assembly, they wobble slightly or seem a bit tilted. I have already checked if the floor is uneven, but this is only minimal and shouldn’t have such a strong effect.

My question to the community is: What exactly can I do if IKEA Hemnes furniture isn’t standing level? What steps can I take to fix this without having to completely disassemble it? Are there any special adjustment options, assembly tips, or tools that might help?

I appreciate any advice because the furniture feels somewhat unstable, and I want to avoid that.

Hello zyaire, your issue with the Hemnes furniture is unfortunately quite common and can usually be resolved through several measures. First, it is important to systematically check the assembly process and the environment to identify the actual cause. - First, make sure all screws are fully tightened. Often with IKEA furniture, screws are only tightened by hand, which is not sufficient for stability. You should tighten them further with a suitable Phillips or Allen key, but be careful not to overtighten, as the material, which is either fiberboard or solid wood, can be easily damaged. - Then definitely check if the floor is truly only slightly uneven. Small irregularities of a few millimeters are often enough to make cabinets feel unstable. In such cases, I recommend using adjustable furniture glides, which you attach to the feet. This allows you to adjust the height of each furniture foot with millimeter precision to balance and level the piece. - If your Hemnes furniture doesn’t have adjustable feet, you can place small washers or felt pads under the legs to slightly even out the standing surface. - For cabinets with back panels, it’s also worth checking that these are securely attached. The back panel stabilizes the piece and prevents tipping or warping. Sometimes the nails or screws loosen over time. - Finally: some Hemnes models come with wall mounting screws, which you should definitely use—not only for safety but also because this makes the furniture more stable and prevents wobbling. Have you already attached these mounting anchors? If so, we can rule out some other causes.

Could you please specify which exact furniture pieces are affected (wardrobe, chest of drawers, shelf?) and whether you’ve already tried leveling with pads? That would help to give more specific advice.

Hi, zyaire! Furniture from the Hemnes series that isn’t sitting straight can really test your patience – I know that well! 😊 What I usually do first is try a simple but effective trick: take a close look at the legs. Over the years (and often even during assembly), the small plastic protectors on the furniture legs can become nearly invisibly deformed or shifted. The quickest fix is self-adhesive felt pads from the hardware store that you just stick underneath. They’re inexpensive, protect the floor, and compensate for minor unevenness. If you also use a level and a flat wooden block to adjust, it can work wonders.

If your floor isn’t perfectly even, I’d also recommend these adjustable screw feet that you can screw onto the furniture legs. They can be adjusted quickly, so you don’t have to keep moving or tinkering with the furniture. Plus, the wall anchoring system from Hemnes really provides excellent stability – definitely use it!

I understand you’re not too keen on taking everything apart again. But sometimes it helps to check the back panel carefully. If a nail is sticking out or the frame is slightly twisted, everything will wobble, of course.

Good luck straightening it up – you’ve got this! 😉

Hello zyaire,

I am summarizing the key steps to accurately level IKEA Hemnes furniture when it is not standing straight:
- Floor assessment: Precisely measuring the floor’s evenness with a spirit level at various points can reveal irregularities of just a few millimeters.
- Legs inspection: Hemnes furniture sometimes does not have height-adjustable feet, which often causes instability.
- Height compensation: Using adjustable screw feet or small shims to compensate for sloped floors is recommended.
- Assembly check: Ensure all screws and joints are tightly secured and assembled correctly.
- Fix the back panel: The back panel must be securely and properly attached to prevent warping.
- Wall mounting: Installing the included wall anchors provides additional support and significantly improves stability.

I also recommend carefully following IKEA’s assembly instructions, as there are often specific steps that are important for solid wood furniture like Hemnes. Using a spirit level tool (there are also apps available) and having a second person assist can make leveling and checking much easier during assembly.

Can you provide specific details about the flooring or the type of furniture? That will help narrow down the possible causes.

kaubi schrieb:
If your Hemnes furniture doesn’t have adjustable feet, you can place small washers or felt pads under the furniture legs to level the base slightly.

I wouldn’t recommend that without further consideration. Small washers or felt pads might visually compensate for unevenness, but they only shift the actual problem. If the floor is uneven, it’s better to ask why the floor itself isn’t fixed or why a stable substructure isn’t built. Otherwise, you may create additional stress points that could eventually damage the furniture.

mauka schrieb:
If the floor isn’t perfectly even, I’d also get these screw-in feet that you can attach under the furniture legs.

I agree, that is a reasonable solution. However, those screw-in feet should be of good quality and installed properly.

Regarding wall mounting: it’s true that this adds stability, but I wouldn’t rely on it to make the furniture completely level. It’s more a safety measure than a leveling method.

Finally, I wonder if we aren’t focusing too much on adjusting the furniture instead of addressing the structural cause. It’s better to check and properly prepare the floor rather than improvising on the furniture. What do you think?

BAUEVA schrieb:
It’s better to check and prepare the floor properly than to improvise with the furniture.

I completely understand your point, BAUEVA. However, in reality, most people either can’t or don’t want to carry out extensive floor repairs—especially in rental apartments or with laminate/engineered wood flooring. Therefore, small adjustments to the furniture are often the most practical solution.

BAUEVA schrieb:
If the floor is uneven, it makes much more sense to ask why the floor isn’t fixed or a stable substructure isn’t built.

That applies to new builds or renovations, but not everyday situations. And for Hemnes furniture—which is mainly designed for living areas in apartments—flexible solutions like height adjustment using furniture glides or adjustable feet are the pragmatic approach.

Also, small measures such as tightening screws, properly securing the back panel, and attaching wall anchors complement this and ensure a stable, straight setup. Combining these steps is the best approach.

What about you, zyaire? Do you have the option to retrofit adjustable feet? And what type of flooring do you have?