This article provides information on how to diagnose and fix wobbly or unstable furniture.
Joints Requiring Tightening
Most furniture legs are fixed with either screws or bolts. If your furniture legs are screwed in; make sure you have the right type of screwdriver and tighten the screws as much as possible. This will make the legs steady again.
Remember, if the item is new some of the screws may require additional force to fix them into place as the holes might be a little smaller than the screws in the manufacturing process. If the item is wobbling ensure that all the connections are equally inserted into each other. If the connecting pieces are not inserted the entire way inspect the connection for any debris from the manufacturing process. This may need to be removed manually.
Wood is slightly elastic and therefore a little wobbling when the item is assembled is natural, if the furniture item is designed to bear a load we suggest adding weight to the item to check if the wobbling is reduced. This may be as per the furniture’s design to cope with the stress when weight is applied.
Older furniture may become wobbly due to the movement whilst in use, for example, chairs that are pulled in and out from under a table. If your furniture has become wobbly over time it is likely they need to be freshly tightened.
The easiest method of fixing a wobbly item is to first disassemble the item entirely and address the root problem. If the issue is that a dowel came loose, the issue may be a simple fix. Refer to the manual for correct instructions on assembling your item. Ensure that you are only using the materials supplied to construct the item and that you have double-checked that the correct size fixing is being used.
Ensuring The Floor Is Level
If the item has been recently moved or placed in the desired location for the first time the issue may be the surface the furniture has been placed on. Put the Furniture in its regular/ desired spot and find out where it wobbles. Then, if possible, move the table around the floor to find out the position in which it wobbles the least. You can also use a spirit level to determine where the floor is uneven.
If you have discovered that the floor is not even in the desired location you can purchase a variety of furniture levels or floor protection pads to level out the furniture item from our website or local hardware stores.
Issues With The Holes Or Threading
If you have attempted the above and this does not resolve the issue there may be an issue with the manufactured holes or threading of the unit.
If the holes are not lining up as expected please double-check the manual to ensure that you are connecting the correct pieces and using the correct fixings.
