How to Choose Drawer Slides

Drawers are some of the most accessible and space-efficient means of storage, and there are many different types of drawer slides for different applications. Selecting the right drawer slide will ensure easy operation, plus there are a wide range of slide options available to design the look of a drawer.

Instructions

1

Knowing the weight of the contents of a drawer is key in correctly selecting the right type of drawer slide to use. Pot drawers in a kitchen require heavy duty metal drawer slides, and the weight capacity should be between 50 to 100 lbs. per pair of slides.

2

Frequently used drawers, such as kitchen utensil drawers, should have heavy duty drawer slides that incorporate a soft closing mechanism to prevent drawers from slamming shut.

3

Full-extension drawer runners allow you to access the very back of your drawers to increase access to the entire drawer space. This is especially important when maximum storage capacity is required. Extra wide drawers, between 24 and 48 inches wide, also help maximum storage capacity better than several smaller drawers.

4

When you want the sides and bottoms of an open drawer to attractively integrate into a cabinet, under-mount, center-mount or concealed drawer slides are available. These options, in particular concealed drawer slides, are typically more expensive to purchase and install than exposed drawer slides.

5

Drawer handle selection is important to consider along with your drawer slides. Select easily operable handles for frequently used drawers in kitchens. Intermittent use drawers can utilize smaller decorative handles. Recessed or flush handles give a clean modern look to a drawer front, but are also more expensive to install.