What Size Drawer Slides Do I Need?

 Drawer slides are an integral part of your home hardware, providing utility to every room. When your slides break, your drawers and pull outs simply don't work properly and quickly become a source of frustration. Once you know how to choose the right drawer slides, replacing them is an easy and inexpensive DIY project!

Slide Measurements  

The most important quality to remember when selecting a drawer slide is its physical dimensions. As is our practice, we measure drawer slides by length, depth and height.

The depth of the drawer slide is the most important measurement for finding the right slide. Drawer slides that are too thick or too thin will prevent your drawer slides from working properly (if at all).

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It's best to measure your cabinets, not your old slides, to find the depth you need. If your drawers measure 15 inches wide and your drawer slots are 16-1/2 inches, then the total space for two slides is 1-1/2 inches, which means you need 2 drawer slides, each with a depth of 3/4 inches.

Keep in mind that it is best to purchase slides that are slightly too thin, as thin material, i.e. spacers, can be placed between the slides and the cabinet wall to make up the difference.

The length of the drawer slides is also an important measurement. Drawer slides that are too long or too short will not only prevent your drawers from opening and closing properly, they will also put additional stress on your slides. For your application, you should always use the longest slides, but not more than the depth of the drawer into the cabinet.

The height of the drawer slides is usually just a limiting factor, as you cannot install slides taller than the drawer or pull-out. This is just something to consider for very thin mounts. Your regular silverware drawers may not be tall enough to accommodate heavy duty filing cabinet drawer slides. If you plan to install thin drawers or pull-out drawers with a shorter installation space height, make sure you choose drawer slides with the right height.

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The recommended drawer width is an important specification to ensure that your drawer slides do not twist and bend excessively, which could easily cause damage and shorten the life of the slides. While the recommended drawer width is not a hard limit, wider drawers should carry significantly less weight than their specified weight capacity. Many slides do not have specific dimensions, but do not apply to lateral file drawers, which means that the width of the drawer should not exceed its depth into the cabinet.

Weight Capacity Considerations  

Drawer Slides are designed to be used with a load close to their weight rating. Over loading a drawer slide will cause damage by putting extra stress onto the slide and its moving parts. However, under-loading a heavy duty slide can also cause damage as these slides are designed to flex into their ideal alignment under heavy weight. Extension without that weight can cause damage similar to overloading.

Weight ratings also change with drawer slides' length and your drawer's width. Wider drawers put extra stress onto a drawer slide, and most slides come with a recommended maximum drawer width. Installing a slide onto a drawer that's longer than recommended will seriously diminish your slide's safe maximum load, and is not suggested.