How to measure a seamless drawer slide?

When your drawer sticks, gets stuck, doesn't move at all, or makes unpleasant noises, you will most likely need to replace the drawer rails. Whether you are installing replacement drawers or replacing slide hardware on existing drawers, understanding how to measure drawer slides is essential to the use and life of the drawer.

What it takes to measure drawer rails:

A tape measure

Could be a screwdriver

Measure drawer slide, step by step

Remove the drawer from the cabinet

Measure the box, not the front of the drawer

Measure drawer width and cabinet opening width

Check the inside of cabinets and the outside of drawers

After measuring, if you are still unsure of the slide size to purchase, please carry the drawer with you

1. Remove drawers from cabinets

This is when you don't want to estimate - accuracy is key. Removing drawers may require some manipulation. Most drawers will require you to fully unfold the drawer, lift it, and it will come out immediately. If that doesn't work, guide the drawer to most of its length, then lift the back of the drawer and pop the wheel out of the guide rail. If these options do not work, a screwdriver may be required to remove the wheel from the guide rail.

Measure the box, not the front of the drawer

As the front of the drawer prevents the drawer from entering the cabinet, it should not be measured. Measure from the back of the box to the front of the box, excluding the surface of the drawer. Once you get the length, round the numbers. For example, if the drawer is 20 ½ inches long, you need to purchase a 20-inch drawer slide.

3. Measure drawer width and cabinet opening width

Full pull-out rails can be used if the drawer width is within 1/8 inch of the opening width. If they are less than or greater than 1/8 inch in size, you'll need to use bottom mounting rails or do some carpentry work to get the drawers to work with the new rails.

4. Check inside of cabinets and outside of drawers

Premature wear on drawer rails can be caused by improper installation or design. Smaller rails may have been used to avoid rubbing the interior of the cabinet. If this is the case, you also need to use smaller slides to avoid the same problem.

5. After measurement, if you are still unsure of the slide size to purchase, please carry the drawer with you

You may be confused, but you can be sure that the person selling slides will know how to measure your drawer and can provide you with slides that fit perfectly.

Bonus tip: Always replace drawer slides as a group. Replacing only one side of the drawer slide will cause the drawer to become unstable. This may damage the drawer or the drawer may fall out of its shell and cause injury.