A friend is installing a row of Ikea bookcases along a wall of his
living room. Unfortunately the floor is far from level, sloping down
from the walls (like most floors in old Edinburgh buildings!). And of
course the slope randomly varies along the length of the wall (the
floor is sanded floorboards and each floorboard is a bit different).

Is there any better solution than fixing varying thicknesses of
hardboard to the bottoms of the bookcases?

-- Richard

"Richard Tobin" wrote in message
...
A friend is installing a row of Ikea bookcases along a wall of his
living room. Unfortunately the floor is far from level, sloping down
from the walls (like most floors in old Edinburgh buildings!). And of
course the slope randomly varies along the length of the wall (the
floor is sanded floorboards and each floorboard is a bit different).

Is there any better solution than fixing varying thicknesses of
hardboard to the bottoms of the bookcases?

You can buy little stepped wedges but, with a wooden floor, you are going to
get a gap somewhere that shows. In my view, the important thing is that the
top and shelves look level, people don't tend to look at the floor line. He
could plane the plinth(s) but, if he moves the bookcases latter, then he'll
have a problem.

Brian

On 27 Jun 2006 22:17:45 GMT, (Richard Tobin)
wrote:

Is there any better solution than fixing varying thicknesses of
hardboard to the bottoms of the bookcases?

Fixing varying thicknesses of gold-plated hardboard to the bottoms of
the bookcases?



(More seriously, I use old PCBs for this. Fibreglass PCB is damp proof
and effectively unbreakable, unlike hardboard)

Richard Tobin wrote:
A friend is installing a row of Ikea bookcases along a wall of his
living room. Unfortunately the floor is far from level, sloping down
from the walls (like most floors in old Edinburgh buildings!). And of
course the slope randomly varies along the length of the wall (the
floor is sanded floorboards and each floorboard is a bit different).

Is there any better solution than fixing varying thicknesses of
hardboard to the bottoms of the bookcases?

The best solution IMO is to bolt all the book cases together and level the
whole lot as one large bookcase. Failing that, level the floor they are
going to stand on first by building a shallow base for them to sit on.


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

Richard Tobin wrote:
A friend is installing a row of Ikea bookcases along a wall of his
living room. Unfortunately the floor is far from level, sloping down
from the walls (like most floors in old Edinburgh buildings!). And of
course the slope randomly varies along the length of the wall (the
floor is sanded floorboards and each floorboard is a bit different).

Is there any better solution than fixing varying thicknesses of
hardboard to the bottoms of the bookcases?

-- Richard

Yes. Junk the Ikea book cases and make something that actually fits, is
made of something reasonable, and doesn't look like everyone elses pile
of utter cheap tat.

Or if you must use them make a level MDF plinth to sit them on, and
paint it dayglo pink.

On Tue, 27 Jun 2006 22:44:27 UTC, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On 27 Jun 2006 22:17:45 GMT, (Richard Tobin)
wrote:

Is there any better solution than fixing varying thicknesses of
hardboard to the bottoms of the bookcases?

Fixing varying thicknesses of gold-plated hardboard to the bottoms of
the bookcases?

(More seriously, I use old PCBs for this. Fibreglass PCB is damp proof
and effectively unbreakable, unlike hardboard)

Less seriously, use wedges. Then sew a nice little varying-depth pelmet
to pin to the bottom shelf.

--
The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
Avenue Supplies, http://avenuesupplies.co.uk

Richard Tobin wrote:
A friend is installing a row of Ikea bookcases along a wall of his
living room. Unfortunately the floor is far from level, sloping down
from the walls (like most floors in old Edinburgh buildings!). And of
course the slope randomly varies along the length of the wall (the
floor is sanded floorboards and each floorboard is a bit different).

Is there any better solution than fixing varying thicknesses of
hardboard to the bottoms of the bookcases?

-- Richard

What you need is these?
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Hard...gs/d170/sd2674

Code 61932

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

In article ,
The3rd Earl Of Derby wrote:
What you need is these?
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Hard...gs/d170/sd2674

Code 61932

I don't think it would be wise to have the weight of the books on such
small things. The bookcases are very tall, and will be full.

-- Richard

On 27 Jun 2006 23:04:50 GMT, "Bob Eager" wrote:

Less seriously, use wedges. Then sew a nice little varying-depth pelmet
to pin to the bottom shelf.

I'd never use wedges (or wall unit shims) under a bookcase - far too
heavy.

In message , Richard Tobin
writes
A friend is installing a row of Ikea bookcases along a wall of his
living room. Unfortunately the floor is far from level, sloping down
from the walls (like most floors in old Edinburgh buildings!). And of
course the slope randomly varies along the length of the wall (the
floor is sanded floorboards and each floorboard is a bit different).

Is there any better solution than fixing varying thicknesses of
hardboard to the bottoms of the bookcases?

That's what beer mats are for

--
geoff

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message , Richard Tobin
writes
A friend is installing a row of Ikea bookcases along a wall of his
living room. Unfortunately the floor is far from level, sloping down
from the walls (like most floors in old Edinburgh buildings!). And of
course the slope randomly varies along the length of the wall (the
floor is sanded floorboards and each floorboard is a bit different).

Is there any better solution than fixing varying thicknesses of
hardboard to the bottoms of the bookcases?

That's what beer mats are for

The standard levelling device for snooker tables.

Colin Bignell

Richard Tobin wrote:
A friend is installing a row of Ikea bookcases along a wall of his
living room. Unfortunately the floor is far from level, sloping down
from the walls (like most floors in old Edinburgh buildings!). And of
course the slope randomly varies along the length of the wall (the
floor is sanded floorboards and each floorboard is a bit different).

Is there any better solution than fixing varying thicknesses of
hardboard to the bottoms of the bookcases?

Tape some thin polythene to the floor where the bookshelves will
run (masking tape). Choose a suitable piece of board to rest the
shelves on. Mark, with tape, the edges of where the board will
go. Run a thick bead of car body filler along the edge of the
board, with not too much catalyst in it. Put the board down, so
that the filler squeezes out onto the protecting polythene, and
takes up gaps (you want a continuous run of filler, don't squeeze
it too hard). When the filler is rubber-hard, pull up the board,
and cut off the excess. When the filler is hard, treat the board
with stain or whatever, making sure that the filler takes the
colour (a marker pen might be handy). Put the board down, and
stand the shelves on it (you might want to have a frame, rather
than a board (or batten). N.B. the smell goes away quite quickly.

Richard Tobin wrote:
The bookcases are very tall, and will be full.

Chain 'em to the wall, just in case.

The message
from "The Medway Handyman" contains
these words:

The best solution IMO is to bolt all the book cases together and level the
whole lot as one large bookcase. Failing that, level the floor they are
going to stand on first by building a shallow base for them to sit on.

I reckon that's the solution I'd go for. Build a level plinth for 'em to
sit on.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

The message
from "nightjar" nightjar@insert my surname here.uk.com contains
these words:

That's what beer mats are for

The standard levelling device for snooker tables.

Called a ludlow in Douglas Adams' "Meaning of Liff".

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

Andy Dingley wrote :
On 27 Jun 2006 22:17:45 GMT, (Richard Tobin)
wrote:

Is there any better solution than fixing varying thicknesses of
hardboard to the bottoms of the bookcases?

Fixing varying thicknesses of gold-plated hardboard to the bottoms of
the bookcases?



(More seriously, I use old PCBs for this. Fibreglass PCB is damp proof
and effectively unbreakable, unlike hardboard)

....and is much thinner than hardboard giving a finer adjustment of
height.

Why not build a plynth for them to stand upon, say four inches high -
top perfectly level and bottom to suite the floors varying height. The
four inches would help hide the variation.

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk