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Leveling a cabinet

T

Tbonedog

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Aug 18, 2015
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I bought a used metal cabinet today. Decent shape. 36x24x72. I would like to place it in the corner of my garage, but I am finding the the cement is not lever there. It rises slightly in the corner. This make the cabinet rock back and forth and effects the door operation. Any suggestion on how to level this thing? It doesn't have leveling feet. Thanks!


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fyrlt1

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Feb 19, 2008
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central florida
lowes and h.d. have assorted lengths/thicknesses of metal flat stock which could be cut to fit on any of the sides needed to level it out and provide support side to side and front to back
 
M

Marctrees

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TX/LA border - Toledo Bend
You may not realize, it is to be totally expected, on a typical floor, for that to need shimming.

Rock the cab with a level on it,level it, and measure the gap on the corner sitting high.

Fill with above suggestions, or any thin plywood, or anything will do.

The advantage of the plastic shims described above, is they will last 200 years, rather than 30 yrs for just anything, unless your floor has moisture often , then use the plastic.

Absolutely a no bigee everyday tiny thing. Marc
 
R

Ron_CA

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Apr 20, 2014
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San Diego
Anything you got handy? Shove it under there :D

A couple of mine I put small carpet squares under one corner. Doesn't come out and leveled it perfectly.
 
S

ssdave

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Eastern Oregon
If you're not too obsessive about it, fold up some cereal box strips and stuff them under the low edge. If it still rocks, add a few more. If you're worried about their stability, glue them to the cabinet and floor with some silicone caulk after you get the quantity right.

Or, use wooden or composite door wedges as recommended before. Use them in pairs, varying how much they overlap so they make a parallel shim. They can also be caulked in place when you get them right.
 
G

Garage_Junky

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Sep 21, 2015
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I have been toying with a solution to a similar situation. I am to eventually build a work bench with cabinets along a side wall in my garage. The floor isn't level from the back wall to the garage doors. Consequently, the bench won't be either unless I do something to lift the low-end to level the bench along its length. The solution I have in mind is to frame up and pour a concrete pad on top of the slab with something such as plastic film on top of the slab to separate the two. I will do something to create an anchor point to keep the pad from moving like put a couple of tapered pens on the slab before the pour. The pad will provide the level surface on which the bench will sit. This will take plenty of static weight and my occasional banging on the bench.

You may also be able to hang the cabinet on the wall like I have done four times now. I intended to hang a cabinet of the size you have once I find one to buy. I have two 2-drawer lateral cabinets and a five drawer lateral hanging on the wall. The file cabinets are 18" deep. The 2-drawer units are 42" wide, and the 5-drawer unit is 36" wide. All three are used commercial quality office equipment. I also have a similarly constructed cabinet mounted on the same wall that is ~78" tall by 18" wide by 18" deep. The wall is sheeted over drywall in 3/4" OSB sub flooring, and the cabinets are held to the wall with a sandwich of 3/4" plywood inside and the wall sheeting outside. I used deck screws and washers. The plywood inside is along the top and bottom of the 2-drawer units. I have four rows top-to-bottom for the 5-drawer unit. All have been reliably and safely holding a lot of weight for a year.
 
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nadogail

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Coronado, CA
I cut a piece of 1/2" plywood the same size as the cabinet bottom and very carefully leveled the plywood with wedges.

This allowed the bottom of the cabinet to sit flat on the plywood, avoiding the racking that would happen if the cabinet if there were an uneven support.
 
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Marctrees

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Garagejunky sed - "I have been toying with a solution to a similar situation. I am to eventually build a work bench with cabinets along a side wall in my garage. The floor isn't level from the back wall to the garage doors. Consequently, the bench won't be either unless I do something to lift the low-end to level the bench along its length. The solution I have in mind is to frame up and pour a concrete pad on top of the slab with something such as plastic film on top of the slab to separate the two. I will do something to create an anchor point to keep the pad from moving like put a couple of tapered pens on the slab before the pour. The pad will provide the level surface on which the bench will sit. This will take plenty of static weight and my occasional banging on the bench."

Are you trying to make it difficult?

Any carpenter would simply fasten a rear ledger on the wall level, build the top frame of your workbench onto that, level forward, hold up front w temp legs, then simply measure down for the changing heights of your front legs, cut each to fit and install.

Done. Marc
 
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Garage_Junky

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Sep 21, 2015
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Marctrees said:
Garagejunky sed - "I have been toying with a solution to a similar situation. I am to eventually build a work bench with cabinets along a side wall in my garage. The floor isn't level from the back wall to the garage doors. Consequently, the bench won't be either unless I do something to lift the low-end to level the bench along its length. The solution I have in mind is to frame up and pour a concrete pad on top of the slab with something such as plastic film on top of the slab to separate the two. I will do something to create an anchor point to keep the pad from moving like put a couple of tapered pens on the slab before the pour. The pad will provide the level surface on which the bench will sit. This will take plenty of static weight and my occasional banging on the bench."

Are you trying to make it difficult?

Any carpenter would simply fasten a rear ledger on the wall level, build the top frame of your workbench onto that, level forward, hold up front w temp legs, then simply measure down for the changing heights of your front legs, cut each to fit and install.

Done. Marc
Click to expand...


I am not intentionally making it harder. I will be able to move the bench away from the wall if it isn't hanging off the wall. Having it sit on a level surface keeps the mobile bench from being fixed to the pitch of the floor where it will sit most of the time. I have also been thinking of having fold up panels on the back side to provide a larger work surface for when it is rolled away from the wall.
 
P

Playwme

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Sep 13, 2012
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The Lucky Country Down Under
Screw some leveling feet to that sucker.

I do a lot of dump runs for people. Always keep an impact driver in the truck so I can pinch any good hardware off the old rotten furniture before it gets chucked out. They come in real handy.
 
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