4 Solutions For Balancing Out A Wobbly Desk
We’ve never really been the type to walk into a furniture store and point to an office desk and say, “That one!” We’re more of the salvaged, thrifted or repurposed type and although that badge of honor carries a green footprint it can mean there’s a chance our finds having a little wiggle or jiggle to their stance. Over the years, we’ve become pros at leveling out shaky surfaces and we’ve learned much along the way.
Although we’re not above shoving a folded over piece of junk mail or old magazine to balance things out, there are a few more sophisticated options to help level out your work space. Here’s a few options that look to be the cream of the crop. Do you have a favorite that we missed? Make sure to let us know in the comments below!
1. Give It A Checkup: Before you can fix a problem, you have to find out what’s causing it. Just because we’re not above shoving a piece of mail under a table leg, doesn’t mean we’re really fixing the problem or even helping the situation. Flip your table over or at least onto its side and check for loose joints that might need to have screws tightened or look for missing foot pads, glides or protectors.
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2. Lengthen A Leg: Lengthening a leg isn’t a tricky as it sounds, you simply need a small bit of wood or even a stray wine cork and cut it to fit. Attach with wood glue to the bottom of the existing leg and you’ll be good to go. If you want a cohesive look for the legs, try painting them all one color to help disguise the mended piece.
3. Trim All Your Legs & Add Casters: Although many casters are adjustable in height and you could simply make one longer than the others, we feel the best looks come from trimming all your legs to the same height before hand. Assuming your desk was an adequate height to begin with, you can simply trim all your legs to the length of the shortest one. If you’d like to make it a bit shorter to accommodate a larger wheel, just make sure you have the wheel in hand before you hack down your legs.
4. Remove Legs Altogether: If you’re not comfortable adjusting the height of the legs and casters aren’t really your cup of tea, simply try removing them! Most legs will screw off, though if they don’t you have our permission (in case you needed it) to cut them off with a hand saw. Head to your local hardware store and pick up a pair of sawhorses for the top to rest on instead. If you think it looks mismatched, try painting it all one color and you’ll be suddenly surprised!
(Image: flickr member sashafatcat licensed for use by Creative Commons)