For homeowners routinely engaged in remodeling and repair projects around the home, certain tools and materials quickly become must-have items. Keep reading to learn more about how to use a shim from the home repair and maintenance experts at Mr. So, if you are shimming up cabinets or subflooring near sinks, leveling a toilet, or other moist areas, plastic shims will be a better choice. They lack the pliability of plastic, making them vulnerable to vibration, friction, and other forces that can move them out of alignment. With window and door installation, this is usually done by driving casing nails or screws through the jambs into the framing right through the shim locations.

It is also pressure treated to protect against fungal attack, so is ideal for joist work and roof rafters.Wickes Treated Regularised Kiln Dried C16 Timber has been graded to C16 strength for structural use and planed to regular widths for accuracy. Unlike wood, they are impervious to water, making them perfect for a variety of construction applications including in-house restoration, such as window and door replacement, as well as outdoor construction, such as precast and tilt-up.

Handyman or request an appointment online for a guaranteed professional service and the perfect fit for your home service needs. Once the window or door is firmly seated and nailed, use a utility knife to score the excess shim length and break it off. Rather than agonizing over cutting a new frame or trying to nail in an absolutely precise opening, shims are used to make the final tweaks, so everything fits perfectly.Once a door or window is seated into the opening, place shims in any gaps between the window or door casing and the framed opening. If using wood shims, lightly score the wood with your utility knife as close as possible to the workpiece. Wood shim material has a rough finish that gives it good friction, allowing them to stay in place without slipping, especially when used to align or elevate wooden building materials.

You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Despite the best measurements and care, once a door or window is put into place, it’s unlikely to be perfectly square. For most homeowners, the low cost, easy availability, and uniform size of manufactured shims make them a better option than homemade shims. Grove Shims is here to help you level objects easily and efficiently with our high-quality color-coded plastic shims. Their high composite strength makes them ideal for aligning production and packaging equipment and other automation.

Kelly Bacon is a licensed general contractor with over 40 years of experience in construction, home building and remodeling, and commercial building. Understanding the role of the shim allows you to choose the best material and shape for your application.