The first step towards choosing the correct drawer slide for your cabinet is to measure your cabinet. Drawer slide come in standard lengths, with many drawer slides being short and others being long in order to accommodate deeper cabinets. In order to determine the correct size of drawer slide that you will need to purchase for your specific cabinet, you must take a measurement of the depth of your cabinet.
Using a tape measure, you should measure from the front of the cabinet to the back of the cabinet. Once you have taken this measurement, you must subtract approximately one inch from that measurement to ensure that you will recieve the correct length of drawer slide. This extra space accounts for the drawer front and for the mechanical movement of the drawer slide; if you dont subtract one inch, your drawer will not close correct.
Measure Your Cabinet and Choose the Right Drawer Slides
Additionally, you also need to take into account the type of drawer slides that you want to use in your cabinets in order to accommodate them accordingly. If you purchase drawer slide that is longer than the length that is required for your specific cabinet, your drawer will never close completly. However, if you purchase a drawer slide that is slightly shorter than the measurement of your cabinet, your drawer will operate proper and still close completely.
There are different types of drawer slides. Some drawer slides are side mount drawer slides. Side mount drawer slides attach to the sides of the cabinets, meaning that the drawers requires a clearance of approximately one-half inch on each side of the drawer in order to utilize these types of drawer slides.
Other types of drawer slides are bottom mount or center mount drawer slides. These types of drawer slides attach to the bottom or center of the drawer instead of the sides of the cabinet walls. These types of drawer slides is useful in situations in which the sides of the cabinets need to remain visible.
Finally, undermount drawer slides are those that are mounted underneath the drawer box, which means that they are hidden from view when the drawers are opened. Undermount drawer slides often include soft close features. Undermount drawer slides also provide a more aesthetic appearance to the cabinetry because the drawer pull are hidden.
Extension is another important factor to consider when choosing drawer pulls. Three quarter extension drawer pulls only move the drawer out of the cabinet a certain amount, so they are often used for cabinets with light storage needs. Full extension drawer pulls will move the drawer out of the cabinet completely.
Over travel drawer pulls will move the drawer further than the cabinet itself. They are used for situations where the face frame of the cabinet limits how far the drawer can travel out of the cabinet. Weight rating is also a consideration when shopping for drawer pulls.
The weight rating for drawer pulls determines the weight that the pulls can support. For light loads, a 75-pound weight rating for drawer pulls will suffice. For heavy loads, like kitchen dishes, a 100-pound weight rating is necessary.
For very heavy items, like pots and pans, use heavy duty drawer pulls with a 150-pound weight rating or higher. The mechanism of the drawer pulls can also affect the way the drawer pulls work. Ball bearing drawer pulls use steel balls to move the drawer.
They will last longer than other type of drawer pulls. Plastic roller drawer pulls are used for applications where there is light use of the drawer. Ball bearing drawer pulls are used for applications where there is heavy or frequent use of the drawer.
Soft close drawer pulls use a hydraulic braking system to stop the drawer. This prevents the drawer from slamming into the cabinet. Choose a weight rating that is more higher than the weight that you will load into the drawer.
Otherwise, the drawer pulls will eventually fail. Ensure that the drawer pulls are level and parallel to one another, otherwise the drawer will not slide smoothly out of the cabinet.
