Like that one t-shirt or pair of jeans that just seem to fit perfectly, you can find drawer slides with the perfect size and features for your project. But what should you consider when shopping for the perfect slide?
One important consideration is where the slide mounts. Center Mount slides are affixed to the bottom of the drawer and are often a cheaper option, but they have a lower load rating than other options. Visit for Drawer slides supplier.
Measure Your Drawers
Drawer slides consist of steel ball bearings that roll in a thin track. When selecting a pair of drawer slides it is important to consider the size of the cabinet opening and how much extension or over-travel you require.
For example, if you want your drawer box to extend all the way out of the cabinet look for a full-extension slide. If you only need the drawer to go halfway out of the cabinet then a 3/4 extension slide will suffice.
It is also important to know that each type of slide offers a different load rating. For example, center-mounted slides have a lower load capacity than under-mount or side-mount slides.
Know Your Loads
The most important factor to consider when choosing drawer slides is how much weight they will be required to support. Each type of drawer slide is rated for a specific load capacity and the heavier the load the more robust the slide will need to be.
If your drawer will be filled with heavy items like a tool chest or even a file cabinet you’ll need a heavy-duty slide. These are typically made from thicker metal and feature more bearings than standard drawer slides allowing them to carry much greater loads.
Other considerations include whether your drawer will require full extension or just over travel or whether it will need a locking feature or specialty finish. You’ll also need to decide if you’ll be installing your slides into new drawers or if you will be doing an undermount replacement. If you are building new drawers it is best to choose the slides before constructing your cabinet boxes. This will ensure that the drawer box is built to fit the dimensions of your selected slides.
Know Your Cabinets
Nothing will throw your drawer installation project off the rails like having the wrong length slide. Side-mount slides attach to the cabinet sides, while the center and under mounts attach to the face frame and then the back of the cabinet (with rear mount brackets). For new drawers or replacements in existing cabinets, measure from the front edge of the cabinet to the inside cabinet back wall, subtract 1″, and choose your slide based on that measurement.
Different drawer slide types offer different load capacities. If you plan to store heavy items like cookware, pantry pull-outs or tool drawers, opt for a heavy-duty slide. Many of these slides also come with features to enhance functionality. For example, soft-close slides add a dampening effect to prevent slamming and self-close slides only require a slight push to open. Other options include full-extension slides that travel the entire distance of the closed drawer and telescoping slides that provide over travel to 120%.
Know Your Slides
Drawer slides help support the drawer box’s weight and reduce friction as the box moves in and out of the cabinet or piece of furniture. They also help extend the life of the drawer by keeping the box and housing separated rather than constantly touching and wearing down the surfaces of each.
There are many different types of drawer slides available, and knowing how you’ll use a cabinet or piece of furniture will help you filter out which ones to choose. For example, you might need a heavy duty drawer slide for a file cabinet or a telescopic extension slide for a tool chest.
It’s also important to pay attention to the side clearance of a pair of drawer slides. This refers to the distance needed on each side of a cabinet for the drawer slides to mount without interference from the frame or face frame.
