The correct order for assembling a furniture carcass: from unpacking to hanging doors and positioning on site. Common sequencing mistakes.
Before you start
- Unpack all parts and lay them out on the floor — check for any damage in transit
- Cross-reference the diagram: identify left, right, top, and bottom panels
- Sort fixings by type: confirmat screws, dowels, cam locks, small screws — keep them separate
- Prepare your tools: drill/driver with PZ2 bit, confirmat key, rubber mallet, spirit level
Step 1. Assemble the carcass
Assemble the carcass on the floor — it's easier to control the geometry and you don't need to hold panels in mid-air.
- Insert dowels into the edge holes of the side panels
- Join a side panel to the base: seat the dowels, hand-tighten the confirmat screws only
- Attach the second side panel
- Add the top panel and any horizontal shelves or dividers
- Check the diagonals: measure corner to corner with a tape — both diagonals must match
- Only once square: tighten the confirmat screws to resistance plus half a turn
Step 2. Back panel
The HDF back panel slots into grooves or is screwed around the perimeter. It locks the carcass geometry — don't skip it.
- Slide the back panel into its groove (if provided) or lay it flush on the panel edges
- Check the diagonals once more — the back panel will lock any twist in permanently
- Fix with 3.5×16 mm screws around the perimeter at 15–20 cm intervals
- Don't drive screws into the corners — the HDF is thin there and can split
Step 3. Legs and plinth (base units)
- Screw the adjustable legs into their plastic sockets on the base panel — before moving the unit into position
- Standard leg height: 100–150 mm — leaves space for the plinth strip
- The plinth strip is fitted after the full run of base units is in place
Step 4. Position the carcass
- Base units: move into position, adjust legs until the full run is level
- Connect adjacent units to each other with connecting bolts through the side panels
- Wall units: mark the fixing line on the wall with a laser or spirit level
- Fix a hanging rail or individual screws and wall plugs to the line
- Hang the unit, level it, and tighten the fixings
Step 5. Worktop (base units)
- Lay the worktop on the base units — check the fit against the wall and check the gaps
- Fix from underneath with brackets or angle plates — not through the top surface
- Wall joint: a thin bead of neutral silicone — not standard building sealant
Step 6. Hinges and door fronts
- Fit hinge mounting plates in the carcass to the layout marks (standard: 100 mm from top and bottom)
- Clip the door fronts onto the plates
- Adjust: 2–3 mm gap all round, all doors flush in the same plane
- Height, lateral, and depth adjustment — three separate screws on each plate
Step 7. Drawers and runners
- Fix the runners in the carcass to the layout marks — strictly horizontal, always check with a level
- Clip the drawer sides onto the runners and lock them in
- Attach the drawer front via adjustment bolts — same 2–3 mm gap all round
The golden rule of sequencing: carcass and geometry first — doors last. Hanging doors on a twisted carcass is pointless — the gaps will never come out even.
Common sequencing mistakes
- Tightened the confirmat screws before checking diagonals — carcass is racked, very hard to undo
- Forgot the back panel — remembered after the unit was already in position on the wall
- Hung the doors before levelling the run of base units — gaps vary along the whole length
- Laid the worktop before connecting adjacent units — can't reach the connecting bolts afterwards