I recently built a freestanding cabinet with carefully fitted doors and a base with legs. When I moved it from my shop to my living rooms, the doors bound. What’s going on?
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Installing a leveler is as simple as screwing it into a pronged T-nut installed in each leg.

Q:

I recently built a freestanding cabinet with carefully fitted doors and a base with legs. When I moved it from my shop to my living rooms, the doors bound. So I took it back to my shop to fix it, and the doors work fine. What's going on?
—David Marshall, Raleigh, N.C.

A:

An uneven, out-of-level floor in your shop, your living room, or both may be causing your problem, David. Unless both locations are identical, the cabinet's frame can twist or rack when relocated to a new site. That can play havoc with tight tolerances in drawers and doors. To remedy things, carefully level your assembly table or workbench. Before your project leaves the shop, add adjustable feet to each leg or cabinet corner. That way, you can level the cabinet even if the floor is wavy or uneven. Use a padded leveling foot for hard flooring, such as wood or tile, and a smooth foot, like the one shown above, on carpeted surfaces.

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