Fix Wobbly Furniture Permanently (No Matchboxes)
Wobbly furniture can lead to all sorts of minor tragedies, from spilled drinks to scratched floors, but you can make your furniture more stable simply by using a simple hammer, screwdriver, and drill.
There are three main reasons your furniture may wobble: the hardware holding the legs may loosen, the legs attached to the legs may be missing, or the legs of your furniture may not be flush with the floor. All of them are easily repaired.
First, pull up your equipment
Look at the bottom of your piece of furniture near where it attaches to the legs. Some furniture has screws, bolts, or nuts that can be tightened, so use a screwdriver or wrench. If your furniture has legs that screw into the base, make sure the legs fit snugly against it. If not, give your legs a twist or two. Place the figure back on its feet and see if that helps. If so, well done! Otherwise, read the next paragraph.
Next, we check the feet
Check the bottom of the legs to see if there are legs with nails, glues, or screws. If so, check to see if there are any. Sometimes these parts can fall off, causing your feet to stand unevenly on the floor and your part to wobble.
If you find that your furniture is missing one or more legs, it is important to find out which legs they are. In most cases, it is easier to replace all legs at the same time to ensure the same size and shape.
There are many types of legs, but it is important to choose the ones that suit your floor and furniture. You can determine the size by measuring the approximate diameter of the leg of your furniture. You will find this measurement on the packaging of most furniture legs in a hardware store.
The material of the legs must also be indicated on the packaging, including the type of floor for which they are intended. In addition, you will want to opt for non-slip (rubber) or light-slip (Teflon) feet depending on whether you want to move furniture frequently or not.
If you already have screw-in foot hardware, you can probably get new feet from your local hardware store. Often the best way to do this is to unscrew one of the existing legs and bring it to the store to use as an example to make sure you are getting the correct thread size and type. If your furniture is branded, it can also be helpful to search the internet for brand name and “adjustable feet”.
Replace damaged or missing parts
Once you have received your hardware, you just need to attach it. If it sticks, make sure the bottom of your item’s feet is clean and dry, then peel and stick. If you choose the nail option, turn the piece upside down and hammer your feet into the end of the legs with a light hammer. If the legs are screwed in, select a pilot bit that is slightly smaller than the screw on your foot, drill a pilot hole and screw in.
If your furniture already has screw-down adjustable legs and one or more legs are missing, you can skip the pilot hole and simply screw on the new legs. Check if you are free from wobbling. If so, then your problem is solved. If not, there is another easy trick (and a paragraph to read).
As a last resort, add self-leveling feet.
If your furniture is still wobbly, you may need to align the legs using the leveling tool. There are many types of adjustable feet on the market, but keep in mind the same things as with regular furniture feet: size, floor type and desired mobility are all things to consider when choosing your equipment.
The adjustable legs consist of two parts: a threaded insert that fits into the bottom of the furniture leg and a leg that screws into it. To install the insert, select a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the outside of the threaded part. Drill a hole deep enough to fit the hardware in each leg of the furniture, then use a hammer to install the insert. Then you can screw in the legs.
Flip the piece right side up and see which way it tilts when swinging. You can use the adjustable feet to adjust the legs of your furniture slightly until you have eliminated the wobble. If that doesn’t work, check the floor or house for ghosts.