leveling furniture on sloping floor
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I am designing a long sideboard (6-7 feet long) that will be placed on a floor which slopes nearly 1/2″ in 7 feet. The legs (at this stage of design development) taper from about 1-5/8″ (top) to 1-3/4″ (bottom). I am planning on using six legs. Any ideas how to unobtrusively incorporate leveling feet to such a design? Of course, there are threaded levelers available, which can be screwed into the bottom of each leg. But I really don’t like the idea of seeing one of the legs floating 1/2″ off the floor.
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hey joe,
the taper you speak of, is it narrower at the top?
of course you are not going to make some of the legs longer. does the piece have a specific place in the home? if so, why not place a decorative rug underneath it. beneath which you could hide a shim that would lift one end the required 1/2"?
i don't like those levelers either.
eef
Yes, it tapers from 1-5/8" square at the top to 1-3/4" square at the bottom. Picture one of those "Krenovian" style legs. I'm not locked into this design, but it is currently the boss's favorite. As to the floor, it will be sitting on hardwood flooring - rugs are out.
but it is currently the boss's favorite..
I assume that the 'boss' is you mate?
One half inch over 7 feet on six legs. If this is for your use why not custom fit the legs for it's home?
Or as one poster said, make the legs adjustable in height. I think this would be the best answer. Make the basic cabinet in the usual manner so it's construction fits good design standards so that the top portion (without legs) is as it should be by your standards. I would make all the legs the same length so if in the future you could place it on a level floor.
My thought was sliding dovetails in the apron area that would hold the leg secure but each leg would have a custom fitted 'insert at top of the leg' wood piece that could be removed if you ever want all the legs level again.
You never mentioned the basic style of sideboard so not sure about this. It would be alot of extra work but I think it is workable.
As to style of the legs. If there are design elements on the legs this may not be workable. Carvings or whatever would not be on the same plane on the horizon....
Also, the legs may not be as strong as a 'real' leg.. But I think it could be workable. Make up a 'sample' apron and leg assembly in pine or whatever you have and see if you think it is workable.
Sounds like a fun project to me!
Edited 12/19/2008 11:52 am by WillGeorge
Here is my harebrained idea.;)
Make a shallow platform matching the style of the cabinet that receives the bottom of the legs and put 2 sets of levelers in it. One set down to the floor and a second set up to each foot. You split the difference when you do the leveling so there is only 1/4" above and below the platform for the eye to find. If the bottom of the legs are parallel sided for the last bit at the platform and the hole they sit in, closely fit, I doubt anyone would ever see the sloping floor and the owner gets a display place for some wood or ceramic bowls to boot!
Use a cut off from the pieces used to make the legs and slip it under the leg to level the piece once it is finished.
Or do nothing and just put it in place. I think this works best. The owners can hire a carpenter to fix the floor if they want.
If this were a built-in then it is a different story.
But it is a piece of furniture, so just build it as if the floor were level.
F.
My biggest concern with a piece that big would be building it in such a manner that it wouldn't sag to fit the uneven floor as most large, heavy pieces eventually do.
Drill the legs and insert a small section of dowel, trim the dowels to match the floor. This will take the strain off the piece. Stain the dowels. If you put a rug under the piece this will mask the whole issue as well.
Thank you all for your thoughtful suggestions. Maybe now I can go back to sleeping at night.
My first thought was a wooden base (of matching or otherwise wood) that was fitted to the project?
Maybe a flat wooden base set in ThinSet? Or whatever..
Just my thoughts sorry!
Another thought, depending on the design, would be to place a square of a contrasting wood (ebony, perhaps) underneath each of the feet. Adjust the thickness of each square to achieve level. The differences in thickness will be less noticeable, and that allows the sideboard itself to remain true.
Instead of building the furniture to fit the uneven floor, consider straightening the floor. I have done that several times which has made a pretty straight and decent house. I raised the corner of one house four and a half inches by jacking it up and concreting the foundation.
How do the legs attach at the top? If the tops are hidden from view you could make the height adjustment at the top.
ASK
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