Drawer Glides: A Critical Decision in Cabinet Construction

Undermount guides provide added strength, extension length and a clean lines.  Check out the article below for what that all means.

We abuse our drawers. We fill them to capacity. We pile and jam in as much as we can and shove it closed. Most drawers are only held by two guides that are either placed under the drawer or to the side of the drawer. The right guide and drawer construction can take almost anything you can ram into it. But the wrong guide can’t take much before it fails or breaks and leaves you with a collapsing mess. 

The undermount guide.  Note orange disconnect mechanism that makes it easy to take the draw out.

Here’s what you need to look for in a good drawer guide: 

A complex undermount drawer guide.

• Look for unibody construction. The member is a long piece of metal. At ARHTX, we use a more robust configuration with a self enclosed guide.

• Look for undermount guides. Guides come in two options, side mount and undermount. Side mounts are the easiest and cheapest to install. At ARHTX, we use undermount guides where the inner drawer member is attached under the drawer. This positioning allows the drawer to sit on top of the guide suspension. The outer cabinet member is placed on a supporting brace. When the drawer is pulled out, none of the drawer members are visible providing a clean, unbroken line.   

• Look for ball bearings. Lubricated bearings allow the members to move smoothly and easily. The bearings also help to distribute weight as the drawer is opened and closed. 

• Look for maximum extension. How far a guide moves is called it’s extension. How far it can travel. With a simple two-member guide, the extension is usually 75% or partial. Part of the drawer is always within the cabinet. With the undermount guide, the extra intermediate member allows for a full or 100% extension. This means that all of the drawer can be utilized.

• Look for the right load capacity. Guides generally come in light, medium or heavy duty. Light-duty guides can handle about 75 lbs. A medium-duty guide is a better choice for standard use which can handle loads up to 100 lbs. Heavy-duty guides, handling 600-1300 lbs. are frequently used in service and utility applications like ATM machines, recreational vehicles or service trucks. 

• Look for a disconnect feature. You are going to want to take your drawer out of the cabinet at some point. The disconnect feature allows this to happen in a straightforward way by aligning the drawer, hearing the click of engagement and pushing it closed. 

• Look for soft-close. Soft-close or easy-close guides have an added dampening cylinder and springs built into the inner or drawer member that engages in the final inches of the drawer closing to provide a smooth, quiet finish.

Guides ready for installation.  

The right guide will protect the drawer, the drawer finish, and the members to keep them working even in the most stressful environments. Look carefully when purchasing cabinets to make sure the guides are up to job of taking care of your treasures.