For any type of cabinetry, it is the drawers which are the most essential component, be it a closet drawer, a kitchen cabinet drawer or a tea table drawer. The push and pull operation of the drawer is maintained by the slides which are mounted outside the drawer structure so that they can slide in and out easily of the cavity in the said furniture.
These drawer slides are very important for the proper operation of the cabinet component. This is why you cannot afford to make any mistake while choosing the slide. To help you out, we have mentioned certain pointers in this article which will help you to make your selection further for the slides to be used with the drawers.
Length Of The Drawer
The slide’s length should be such that it can easily fit outside the drawer. It shouldn’t exceed in length as compared to the drawer and hence, you have to choose drawer slides whose length is at par with the drawer. Usually, a length shorter than the drawer’s length is chosen for the slides to ensure that the drawer can open comfortably without any stiffness in the motion.
Type Of The Drawer Slide
The next thing that you need to work on is the type of the slide you want. There are different types of drawer slides based on the mount. Here we have provided you with a brief description for better understanding.
- Side mount slides: these slides are attached to either side of the drawer and hence, there should be a minimum of half-inch gap between the drawer and the furniture’s body. The slides come with either the ball bearings or the roller mechanism. The side slides are more suitable since two slides balance the motion of the drawer perfectly.
- Under mount slides: as the name suggests, these are mounted at the edges of underneath the drawer. The drawer slides are available only in ball bearing type, and hence you will need a handle or any other hardware equipment for closing and opening the drawer. Since these are mounted underneath the drawer, it increases the beauty of the furniture.
- Center mount slides: center slides are found in both the wood and the ball bearing version. This makes the drawer more vulnerable of lapsing and hence, it’s suitable for smaller drawers.
Material Of The Drawer Slide
The next factor on which your choice of the drawer slides will depend is the material. You will have find slides in stainless steel, copper, and brass. Hence, you will have to learn about the pros and cons of all these materials and then decide which one will be perfect for the slides you want for your drawer.
Extension Of The Slide
When you will open the drawer, the extent to which the drawer will come out depends on the extension length of the drawer slides. This is why you need to be sure that the slides open to a generous amount so that you can at least open the drawer to three-fourth of its original length. So, if you are not concentrating on this particular feature, you will have to deal with a half-closed drawer which would never open fully till you are changing the slide.
Drawer Slide Weight
You need to consider the drawer slide’s weight since this weight will add to the overall weight of the drawer. Since every cabinet part heeds to have a certain weight limit, the slide’s weight should cross that limit for the drawers. If that’s the case, your drawer will become more vulnerable.
Conclusion
You also need to allow leeway to the fact that things like paper or carry bags and smaller items like pins can find their way behind the drawer and retrieving them can be a task. Look for drawer slides that can be easily dismantled to let the drawer slide out completely.
