How To Level Your Furniture Using Wedges
A Step-by-Step Guide
If your floor is slightly uneven and particularly if heavy items have been placed inside your furniture, you may notice that the doors do not line up correctly.
Don’t worry — this is usually an easy fix!
Levelling your item using wedges is a simple and effective way to correct minor alignment issues. By adjusting the support beneath the piece, you can help ensure it sits level on an uneven floor, allowing the doors to hang correctly and close properly.
Lets look at a cupboard for example:
Follow our simple step-by-step guide to get your furniture sitting level and looking its best.
What You’ll Need
- We recommend wedge strips available from Screwfix, Amazon, etc.
- A spirit level
- A helper, if the item is large or heavy
- A torch, if the space beneath the piece is difficult to see
Step 1: Empty your furniture
Remove heavy items from your item to make it lighter and easier to adjust. If it is a tall cupboard or bookcase, take extra care when removing items and ensure the unit remains stable.
Step 2: Check your doors
Open and close the doors to identify the problem. Look for uneven gaps between the doors, doors that catch on the frame, or doors that swing open by themselves.
Place a spirit level on the top of the furniture to check whether it is leaning from side to side or from front to back.
Step 3: Identify Where Needs Support
See image above for reference ⬆️
Look underneath the item to identify which corners or feet are not making firm contact with the floor.
On an uneven floor, you may find that one corner sits lower than the others, causing your furniture to lean and the doors to become misaligned.
Step 4: Position the Wedge Strip
Carefully slide a wedge beneath the low corner or edge of the cupboard that needs raising.
- Use a wedge strip to make small adjustments.
- Insert the wedge gradually until it supports your furniture firmly.
- If necessary, use additional wedges at other support points to distribute the weight evenly.
- Snap off the remaining wedge strip
Important: Do not force a wedge into place or lift a heavy item by yourself. If the piece needs lifting, ask someone to help or use an appropriate lifting method.
Step 5: Check the Level
Place the spirit level back on top of the item. Adjust the wedges gradually until the piece is level from side to side and front to back.
Make sure the item is firmly supported, does not rock, and all intended support points are stable.
Step 6: Check the Doors
Open and close the doors again. Check whether the gaps are more even and whether the doors open and close without catching. The best place to identify the level is if the gap along the doors is even.
If the doors are still misaligned, make small adjustments to the wedges and recheck the level.
If your piece is level but the doors remain out of line, the hinges may need adjusting instead.
Step 7: Secure and Finish
Once your furniture is level, ensure the wedges are firmly positioned and cannot slip out. Trim any protruding wedges only if appropriate for the material and installation, taking care not to damage the floor or furniture.
If your item is tall or top-heavy, secure it to the wall using suitable anti-tip fixings.
Finally, replace the contents carefully, distributing heavy items across the lower areas and not concentrating placing them in one area. Recheck the doors once everything is back in place.
A Few Helpful Tips
- Always make small adjustments rather than raising one corner too far.
- Concentrate your levelers on the back corners, so you don’t see the wedges
- Use durable, load-bearing wedges suitable for the weight.
- Avoid cardboard or soft materials that may compress over time.
- Protect delicate flooring from scratches or pressure damage.
- Remember that wedges correct the level of the whole cupboard; they will not fix every hinge or door alignment issue.
With a little patience, levelling wedges can help your cupboard sit securely and allow the doors to work as they should.