a center mount where it’s only in the middle)

An undermount slide installs on both edges (vs.

So now that you understand the types of drawer slides, an undermount slide is different in that: But finally, there are under mount that are fully concealed (Blum) and are installed on both sides of the drawer and are fully “under” the drawer. And then there are center mount slides where the drawer runs on a single slide in the, you guessed it, center of the drawer slide. A bottom mount drawer slide will be screwed to the drawer bottom but be visible on the side (I refer to these as roller or Epoxy slides).

Bottom for, hold on, there are a bunch of mount types here.

Top mount for slides like keyboard trays.

Looking at a cabinet opening there are three possible surfaces to mount the drawer slide to:

Easy to open and smooth opening and closing with roller bearing designĪnd, Blum slides are manufactured in the USA.

BHMA certification provides for high initial and long term closing quality.

The durability you need for a long-term drawer slide.

HOWEVER, Blum sets itself apart from other slides with: Instead, you’ll have a slightly wider drawer and require an extra 1/4″ or so clearance under the drawer to fit the slide. So what’s the catch? You’ll need to make a few custom measurements as these slides don’t use a standard 1/2″ side clearance.

And, since they aren’t metal-on-metal, you’ll find they are quieter as well.

There’s a reason most cabinets offer undermounts as upgrades: they simply perform better.īecause an undermount drawer slide places the weight of the drawer on horizontal rollers (versus steel ball bearings) the drawer action is SMOOTHER.įor example, the Blum 563H won’t require the hard pull to open like you’d find in a low quality side mount soft close slide.

Drawer slides