Packing, Levelling & Spacing for Accurate Trade Installation

A few millimetres can be the difference between an installation that lines up cleanly & one that keeps needing adjustment. Hobson packing shims give builders, window & door fitters, kitchen installers, carpenters, tilers & other trades known thicknesses for controlled packing, levelling & spacing during installation.

Across the Hobson range, plastic packing shims & aluminium packing shims provide options for different jobs. Colour-coded plastic sizes make common thicknesses easy to identify while aluminium packers extend the choice for installations where their material & available dimensions better suit the application.

Getting the position right is only part of the job. Browse Bolts & Fasteners for general fastening hardware, Screws & Anchors for fixing into suitable substrates or Measuring & Leveling Tools to check the installation before everything is secured.

► Known thicknesses for controlled adjustment
► Plastic & aluminium packing options
► Colour-coded plastic sizes for quicker identification
► Multiple dimensions across the wider Hobson range
► Practical for building, joinery, fit-out, window, door, kitchen, tile & decking work

The packer may be hidden when the work is finished but the position it helped establish remains part of the job.

What Are Hobson Packing Shims?

Ever reached the final stages of an installation only to discover one side needs a small lift or an extra gap needs correcting? Packing shims provide a controlled way to introduce a known thickness between surfaces instead of relying on improvised offcuts.

Hobson's plastic window packing shims include selected 1.5 mm, 3.2 mm, 5 mm, 6.4 mm & 10 mm thicknesses. Their colour coding creates an immediate visual reference once installers become familiar with the range.

Selected aluminium versions add 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 5 mm & 10 mm thicknesses, with 75 mm, 90 mm & 140 mm lengths represented across Hobson's wider range.

That variety becomes useful when site conditions don't match the drawing perfectly. Rather than trying to make one packer solve every discrepancy, installers can select a thickness closer to the adjustment actually required.

Why Choose Hobson Shims?

Small dimensional errors have a habit of becoming more obvious as the installation gets larger. A frame slightly out of position, an uneven cabinet run or inconsistent spacing can affect both appearance & operation.

Known shim thicknesses make those adjustments easier to control. The installer can measure the difference, introduce an appropriate packer then check the result instead of guessing the thickness of scrap material.

Repetitive work brings another advantage. Colour-coded sizes allow commonly used plastic packers to be recognised quickly when multiple adjustment points are being handled across a job.

Simple components can make accurate installation considerably less complicated.

Common Applications

Window & Door Installation

The opening on site doesn't always match the dimensions on paper as neatly as expected. Hobson identifies its packing shims for window & door installation, where controlled packing can help establish the required frame position before final fixing.

Check level, plumb, alignment & operation as the frame is positioned. Keep checking while fasteners are tightened because securing the assembly can influence the position established during initial setup.

For related installation hardware, explore  Structural Fasteners & Bolts.

Kitchen Cabinets & Furniture

A cabinet that's slightly low at one end can throw out the line of everything installed beside it. Hobson identifies plastic packing shims for levelling furniture & kitchen cabinets in suitable applications.

Adjust progressively rather than concentrating on one point alone. Longer cabinet runs should be considered as a complete installation because changing one support position can influence neighbouring units.

Façades, Cladding & Weatherboards

Long exterior lines are particularly unforgiving when components don't sit where they're intended. Selected aluminium packing shims can provide controlled dimensional adjustment where their material & dimensions suit façade, cladding or weatherboard work.

Exposure, surrounding materials & project requirements should all influence product selection.

Where specialist fixing hardware is also required, browse Specialty Fasteners & Fixings.

Steel Connections

Even fabricated components can meet with a dimensional difference that needs to be accounted for. Selected aluminium packers provide several thickness options for appropriate connection & installation work.

Where structural or engineered connections are involved, follow the applicable design requirements. A shim should form part of a suitable installation method rather than conceal a larger alignment or fabrication problem.

Tile Spacing

Consistent gaps are easier to repeat when they're based on a physical dimension rather than judged by eye. Hobson lists plastic packing shims for spacing floor & wall tiles in appropriate applications.

Select the thickness around the spacing required then keep checking the developing layout.

Here the shim acts as a spacing reference rather than simply supporting an installed component.

Timber Decking

One irregular gap can become surprisingly noticeable when you sight along a finished deck. Plastic shims can provide a repeatable reference for suitable timber-deck spacing work.

Confirm the spacing requirements for the decking system first then use an appropriate known thickness to help reproduce that gap across the installation.

Product Selection Guide

Plastic or Aluminium?

Don't choose on appearance alone — consider where the shim will actually be used.

Hobson's plastic packing shims are designed as lightweight, non-perishable packers for building & installation work including windows, doors, cabinets, tiles & decking.

Aluminium options expand the available material, thickness & length combinations for other suitable packing applications.

Surrounding materials, exposure, load conditions & project requirements should guide the final decision.

Match the Thickness to the Adjustment

Over-packing a small discrepancy simply creates another discrepancy in the opposite direction.

Measure how far the component needs to move before choosing the packer.

Hobson's plastic range uses a straightforward colour system:

The visual distinction becomes particularly useful when several thicknesses are being carried together.

Selected aluminium options across Hobson's wider range include:

Check the individual product specification before ordering a particular configuration.

Think Beyond Thickness

Two packers can share the same thickness without necessarily fitting the same installation equally well.

Length, width, available bearing area & surrounding components can all affect selection.

Hobson's plastic range includes selected 75 mm & 90 mm configurations while aluminium versions extend across selected 75 mm, 90 mm & 140 mm lengths.

Choose dimensions around the actual installation rather than thickness alone.

Consider a Mixed Pack for Variable Work

What happens when every opening on the job needs a slightly different correction?

Selected Hobson mixed plastic shim packs combine multiple thicknesses, giving installers several adjustment options without relying on one size.

That can make practical sense for fit-out, renovation & maintenance work where site tolerances change from one position to the next.

Check the Result Before You Commit

Packing gets the component into position; measurement confirms whether the correction is right.

Once the shim is placed, check level, plumb, spacing or alignment as relevant to the installation.

Repeat that check as the fixing system is tightened. If the component starts moving away from the required position, investigate why rather than automatically adding another packer.

For hardware commonly used when securing assemblies, browse Nuts & Washers.

Plastic vs Aluminium Packing Shims

Both solve dimensional problems but that doesn't make them interchangeable in every installation.

The better packer is the one that suits the assembly, environment & adjustment being made.

Expert Tips for Better Packing, Levelling & Spacing

Measure Before Reaching for a Colour

Knowing that red means 5 mm is useful only after you know the installation actually needs 5 mm.

Measure the discrepancy first then choose the closest appropriate thickness.

That removes unnecessary trial & error from what should be a straightforward adjustment.

Build Up Packing Deliberately

Need more thickness than one packer provides? Make every additional shim part of a considered adjustment.

Where combining suitable packers is appropriate, keep the arrangement stable & properly positioned.

A growing stack should also prompt a question: is the difference still reasonable or is there a larger installation issue that needs correcting?

Look Along the Whole Installation

A level reading at one point doesn't guarantee everything beside it has followed.

Windows, doors, cabinets & longer components should be checked at the relevant positions as adjustments are made.

Changes at one packing point can influence another part of the assembly.

Keep the Colours Working for You

A colour-coding system loses most of its advantage when every size is mixed loose in the bottom of the toolbox.

Keep commonly used plastic shims organised so the required thickness can be recognised & retrieved quickly.

On repetitive work, that small habit can make adjustments noticeably more efficient.

Watch What Tightening Does

The final fixing stage can undo careful positioning if nobody checks the component while it's being secured.

Monitor alignment as fasteners are tightened.

If the assembly pulls out of position, investigate the fixing sequence, support & packing arrangement rather than using another shim to hide the movement.

Know When Packing Isn't the Answer

A surprisingly large gap can be useful information rather than an invitation to keep stacking.

Major misalignment, damaged framing, uneven supporting surfaces or incorrect fabrication may need correction before installation continues.

Purpose-made shims are excellent for controlled adjustment. They aren't a substitute for resolving a larger underlying problem.

Consider the Shim's Working Environment

The packer stays behind after the installer leaves.

Moisture, temperature, adjoining materials & project-specific requirements can influence material selection over the life of the installation.

Where structural, façade, fire or engineered requirements apply, follow the relevant design & product documentation.