Bottom, Center or Side Drawer Slides & Much More

Without drawer slides, how would your kitchen drawers open and close? If the cavity is large enough, you could pull them out and push them back in, but they may be unstable, or they may fall out if pulled far enough. Drawer slides help your drawers open and shut the way that they are meant to; smoothly and easily with limited pressure and strength from you.

A good drawer slide will allow your drawers to glide out toward you, and stop before they reach the point of tipping over. When it’s time to shut the drawer, a good slide simply retracts, and with a light push allows the drawer to glide solidly back into place without slamming the drawer front against the frame.

If your cabinet drawers are not opening and closing the way they are meant to, it may be time to consider upgrading your drawer slides.

Selecting Drawer Slides

The biggest concern in choosing new drawer slides for your drawers is placement. Not all drawers are designed to hold their slides in the same place. Some will need to be mounted on the bottoms of your drawers, and others on the sides. Even there you can find some differences as well, with some drawers requiring a single slide in the center, while others require one on either side of the bottom.

Once you know where your slides need to be placed, you’ll need to ensure that the size of your drawers match the size of the slides. Very large, heavy drawers for example may require additional or larger slides to help them function properly.

Finally, consider the function of the slides. Some shut on their own with a slight push, slowing down to a void a slam, while others require more assistance from you. Remember that the heavier the drawer, the more assistance you may need your slide to give you to ensure the best function for the space.