ᐅ What should you do if the IKEA BRIMNES unit is uneven or crooked after assembly?

Hello everyone, I recently assembled an Ikea Brimnes shelf, and although I followed the instructions exactly, the piece is slightly crooked. It’s not extreme, but noticeable, especially when viewed from the side. The shelf is placed on a fairly level laminate floor, and I have already checked that all the screws are tight. The back panel is also properly installed. Does anyone know this issue or have tips on how to fix slight leaning afterwards without having to completely take the shelf apart? Are there any fine-tuning methods or tricks to stabilize its standing? I would really appreciate any helpful advice or experiences!

First, check that all screws are properly tightened. Often, misalignment is caused by loose connections. Otherwise, adjust the leveling feet or place small wooden wedges underneath if the floor is uneven.

Oh, the BRIMNES and slightly crooked? Something surely rebelled there 😄. But seriously: Have you tried tilting the shelf a little and then tightening it again? Sometimes changing the location helps as well – a few centimeters can work wonders. If it’s on the floor, that is often the culprit!

Hello Cagatay, I can recommend a few systematic steps for you:
- First, check the floor level using a spirit level or at least a straight ruler. Often, the problem lies with the floor rather than the furniture itself.
- Inspect the back panel: an uneven installation can affect stability and cause the shelf to tip over.
- If necessary, loosen the screws again, carefully align the individual parts before tightening everything.
- Use small plastic or felt pads with wedges under the feet to compensate for unevenness.
- Finally, check if the mounting bracket is fixed to the wall – this sometimes helps prevent leaning. Many people make the mistake of tightly fixing the back panel but neglecting the bracket on the wall.

In short: readjusting with attention to both the floor and the back panel is usually the best solution.

Hello Cagatay, I understand your problem well; crooked furniture is really frustrating, especially with relatively lightweight pieces like BRIMNES. The most important thing is to stay calm and review the assembly step by step. I have often experienced that small inaccuracies during assembly only become apparent once the furniture is standing.

If you don’t want to take the shelf apart, you can try the following:

- Make sure the floor is truly level, possibly check with a spirit level.
- If the floor is slightly uneven, you can place small furniture shims under the feet, which are available at any hardware store.
- Check the feet of the shelf: some models have small screws that allow you to adjust their height slightly.
- Additionally, securing the furniture to the wall can help stabilize it and prevent wobbling.
- Sometimes pressing gently against the back panel can help align the shelf, but be careful not to cause any damage.

If none of this helps and the shelf still feels unstable, you might want to consider disassembling and reassembling it — often, this is when the actual mistake becomes noticeable.

See if you can find the small adjustable feet on the shelf. These can often be slightly adjusted to compensate for minor unevenness in the floor. If they are not present, furniture wedges can help.