My second bedroom has low ceilings. I bought an IKEA closet, but somehow botched the measurements when I was seeing if it would fit. So, instead of having ~10cm of room for the top of the cabinet, I have 2-4mm on the high side. I got lucky that they fit at all. 🙂
However, the ceiling sags a tiny bit, such that one corner of one wall of the closet does not fit between the floor and the ceiling. I'd guess that it's about 2mm too tall. It seems like I should be able to shorten the wall by minimally sanding/shaving/sawing exactly where it strikes the ceiling.
The question is: This cabinet is made of particleboard. It seems like particleboard doesn't cut well, as it's already so soft. What is the correct and safest way to shorten this cabinet without causing structural or aesthetic damage?
Best Answer
If you don't have a lot of material to remove, you could use a belt or palm sander to gently sand it down. Be very careful not to press too hard so you don't damage the wood, if you take your time it should work just fine.
If you have to remove a bit more material you could use a circular saw, just make sure you get a saw blade with lots of teeth. For materials like this the more teeth the better, as it will give you a smoother cut and minimize chipping.