A grandfather clock lends an aura of elegance to any room. If you’ve bought one but are not sure how to set it up so that looks and works at its best, here are several quick tips to help you out. * A grandfather clock should always stand on a level surface. This sounds elementary, but failure to ensure this can affect its functioning adversely.

When setting it against the wall, sometimes you’ll find that the carpet is thicker towards the wall because of grip rods. Or perhaps there’s a skirting board where the floor meets the wall and so you don’t have a level surface.

If the case leans a little in any direction, compensate for it by using pieces of wood, carpeting or other material so that it stands vertically.

You can even screw a long case clock to the wall, provided it stands upright and doesn’t lean backwards.

* When fastening the pendulum, remember that most pendulums are not uniform — they have distinct front and back sides. The front of the pendulum is usually the flat side of the bob. It’s the side that’s highly polished.