In terms of installing hardware, nothing can make or break your household renovation project like drawer slides. Whether it’s for updating your kitchen, your office, or outfitting new cabinetry, the drawer slides you pick can influence the quality of your project. That’s why it can be quite a daunting task for anybody.
Knowing what’s good and what’s not, what fits and what doesn’t can possibly save you from all the hassle in the world. Installing the right drawer slide can make your life a little easier. But how does one choose drawer slides that fit your needs?
Learn more here and read about slideology 101. Here are the tips to remember when choosing drawer slides.
Mounting options
There are currently five basic types of mounting options for drawer slides available. The mounting option that you will pick must be considered through the space available inside the drawer of the cabinet, weight holding capacities, visibility, and cost.
Here are the five basic types of drawer slide mounting:
- Bottom-mount: The bottom-mount drawer slides have each slide attached to the bottom left and bottom right of the drawer box and are generally a roller guided drawer slide instead of ball bearings.
This type has an angle flange that supports the drawer box which has an option for indexing the side for ease of installation. These are more commonly used for frameless cabinets but have been adapted for frame cabinet used in the United States.
- Side-mount: For side-mount drawer slides, the slides are attached horizontally to the drawer and the cabinet body. This type can be used in a variety of applications because of its weight-bearing capacities and durability. It’s also available with either a ball-bearing or a rolling mechanism.
- Center-mount: This type is a single slide that is mounted directly under the center of a drawer. Easier to install, but most center-mount slides can only hold less weight than the other alternatives.
- Undermount: This type mounts itself to the sides of the cabinet and connects to locking devices that are attached to the underside of the drawer body inside of the cabinet.
Undermount slides are perfect for highlighting the quality of your cabinetry because it hides the slides.
- Groove mount: These slides mount in a groove milled into the side of drawer boxes and are identified by the groove height.
Slide length and extension
Since drawer slides can last for years, it’s important to consider their length and extension. Invest in the configuration that you would most likely be using for a long period of time. The general length that people purchase ranges from 10 to 28 inches.
As for how long your drawer should extend, there are three choices: ¾ extension, full-extension, and overtravel. As read on their labels, they allow you to open your drawer as far as indicated, with the overtravel allowing drawers to be opened beyond the full extension.
Weight rating
There are two types of load ratings that measure the drawer slides’ weight-bearing capacity. The load rating includes the weight of the drawer as part of the total load to be carried.
- Dynamic load – This rating is determined by cycling a weighted drawer for a specified number of cycles. The slide should be able to function with minimal changes to the required opening and closing force all throughout the test.
- Static load – This rating is the weight limit of the drawer itself without cycling. The slide must be able to support the load without buckling.
Colors or finish
There are only a few options for colors when it comes to drawer slides. The majority that is sold today is available in a metallic zinc finish. This finish keeps the drawer slide away from corrosion in non-humid environments.
Motion features
Consider if you want special motion features like push-to-open, self-close, and soft close. Today’s slides have a wealth of features that come at reasonable prices.
The main components of a drawer slide hardware are always function and durability. Choose wisely to save money and for household storage comfort.
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