Four Tips to Deal with a Common Cabinetry Problem: Uneven Floors
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Even if the original design for a closet remodel is fabulous and was manufactured flawlessly, a bad install could turn the entire project sour.

Here are a few tips from professional installers on dealing with the most common problem they face on the job site: Uneven floors. When the floor is uneven, you can typically get away with shimming a system up to ¼ to ½ inch. But what if the floor slopes up to 2 inches?

Tip 1: Panel Sizing

Cut the panels and scribe the toekick.
A) Start with the panel at the lowest end (do not cut that panel)
B) Place the panel in place
C) Draw a level line from the top of the panel to the end of the system
D) At the location of each panel, measure from the floor to line – that’s the height of your panel. Cut the panel on the bottom and continue to the last panel
E) Scribe toekicks in to fit

Tip 2: Hardware Tricks

Mounting hardware can help correct problems in closet spaces that are out of plumb or out of square. Some closet installers, for wall-mounted systems, use brackets that provide an allowance of 1-1/4 inches of play in several directions.

Tip 3: Filling Gaps

Scribe tape, self-adhesive edgebanding, can be used for small gaps. For gaps larger than 3/8 inch, the entire closet organizing system is shrunk down in the design stage and fillers are included.

Tip 4: Scribe Moulding

Make a scribe moulding with the HPL and scribe it to fit the wall and then laminate it to the edge of the board. Fill in any tiny gaps with caulking.

Source: Anthony Noel owned and operated Noel Custom Woodworking for 15 years and was a contributor to CWB and Closets magazines.

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About the author
Anthony G. Noel