How to Level a Bookcase on an Uneven NYC Floor

NYC Floors Aren't Flat

Old NYC apartment floors slope, hump, and dip — a bookcase that's plumb on a level floor wobbles on a 100-year-old walk-up floor. Here's how to level a bookcase so it's stable and doesn't rack.

Check the Floor First

Set the bookcase in place and step back. Identify which corner is high and which is low — a level on the top shelf tells you. Most NYC floors slope toward the center of the room or the hallway.

Adjustable Feet

Many bookcases have threaded feet. Turn the low-side feet out (counterclockwise) to extend them, raising that side. Turn the high-side feet in. Adjust until the top shelf reads level front-to-back and side-to-side.

Shim a Non-Adjustable Bookcase

For a bookcase without adjustable feet, slide a furniture shim (tapered wood or plastic) under the low corner until the bookcase is level. Trim the shim flush with a utility knife so it doesn't show.

Don't Use Cardboard

A folded piece of cardboard under a corner compresses over time and the bookcase goes back out of level. A hardwood shim or a rubber furniture pad holds the adjustment.

Anchor After Leveling

A leveled bookcase still needs a wall anchor — the slope that made it wobble also makes it tip. Anchor the top to a stud at the high side. An anchored, leveled bookcase is solid for years.

Check Loaded

A bookcase levels differently empty and full. Load it, then re-check and re-shim. The weight of the books settles the floor and the bookcase.

Book a bookcase assembly and leveling in NYC.