Stand Tall Furniture Upright Over a Block Stack So the Legs Survive

The Problem

A tall wardrobe or shelf unit gets assembled lying flat on the floor, and then someone has to stand it up. If you're working alone, that means lifting the top edge and walking it upright — and the whole time, the piece is pivoting on the two legs that touch the floor first. Furniture legs are made to carry weight straight down. During the tip-up they're taking the full weight of the piece as sideways shear at a joint that's often nothing more than a plastic foot on a screw thread. That's how legs snap before the piece has ever stood on them.

The Technique

1. With the piece still lying flat, slide a stack of blocks — scrap lumber works — under it near the foot end. Build the stack tall enough that the piece rests on the blocks with the legs held clear of the floor.
2. Lift the top edge and walk the piece up. It pivots on the block stack instead of on the legs.
3. As it approaches vertical, the feet swing down and touch the floor, taking the weight the way they're designed to — straight down. Slide the blocks out.