Bedroom closet project

[Dan Chouinard]

We currently have a standard 8' x 2' bedroom closet. Going to rip out the framing and build floor to ceiling cabinets. Drawers in lower portion, doors and closet pole in upper portion.
I always use blum undermount drawer slides but want to price side mount to find cost difference. What is your favorite side mount soft close slides?
Thanks
Dan

[Lee Schierer]

My favorite slides are KV 8450FM Full Extension Soft Close Slide, available from many sources so shop around for the best price.

[Hicks Benedict]

Personally I'd go with Knape & Vogt because it is made of long lasting durable steel.

[Dan Chouinard]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen. I just spent some time on the KV site and was interested in the 8450 until I noticed the max 24" drawer width recommendation. My drawers will be 31" wide and will store just clothing. Will that present any concerns?

[Jim Dwight]

My experience is not exactly what you are talking about but may be useful. I built a built-in in my great room that has a bank of drawers almost 36 inches wide (that's the fronts, the drawers are smaller due to the slides). I used an inexpensive soft close drawer slide, I think I got them from Amazon. These slides have worked well for me on smaller drawers. And they work on these large ones but they do not move as smoothly as smaller drawers do. I don't have much weight in the drawers, I think it is just the size.

Yours are smaller and I think KV are better slides but I would expect wide drawers like you plan to not glide right into place like a narrower drawer would. Mine are still smooth and not at all difficult to close but sometimes it takes a couple pushes - they seem to get a little cocked.

I've never used bottom mounts - partially because I think they waste too much space. They look nice, however.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen. I just spent some time on the KV site and was interested in the 8450 until I noticed the max 24" drawer width recommendation. My drawers will be 31" wide and will store just clothing. Will that present any concerns?

I think your concern (and Mr. Dwight's experience) can be addressed by guides that use a 'sync-ing' rod at the back..?? Basically it's a rack and pinion mechanism that ties both sides together. This prevents large/heavy/wide drawers from racking, and so putting the (side-mount) guides in a bind. I used them on a 48"W lateral file drawers - long ago. (I can't search for link at the moment, but IIRC they're available from most common guide suppliers.)

[Dan Chouinard]

I buy cabinet hinges and drawer slides from Atlantic Plywood. Just spoke with my rep and he was told by his KV rep that there is more forgiveness with the GS 4270. If conditions are not perfect the
KV 8450 can get hung up. Anyone with experience with both? He confirmed that 31" drawer width is pushing it for a side mount.

[Tom Bender]

Interesting conversion, it can replace dressers which makes the bedroom bigger bit where will you store luggage and shoes? That's just my case, you probably have different considerations.

My wife treats drawers a but hard. She stuffs too much in and squashes it down. That puts a big load on slides and stuff falls over the back and has to be retrieved.

[Jim Becker]

Interesting conversion, it can replace dressers which makes the bedroom bigger bit where will you store luggage and shoes? That's just my case, you probably have different considerations.

My wife treats drawers a but hard. She stuffs too much in and squashes it down. That puts a big load on slides and stuff falls over the back and has to be retrieved.

I'm a fan of built-in drawers, shoe cubbies, etc, in closets instead of furniture out in the room. I've also moved to rolling clothing and storing in larger 13"x13" cubbies. Stuff like luggage can go into more long term storage areas in the home or in a guest room closet, IMHO.

I do agree that folks need to treat drawers with more respect and not over-stuff them. My older daughter has that issue and wonders why she keeps needing me to "fix" the drawers...

[Rob Sack]

Whatever you use, check with the manufacturer as to their specs regarding maximum drawer width. I believe the KV 8400 series is 24''. I used the 8405 side mounts for years with great success. When they originally came out with the soft close version, I was getting about a 30%+ failure rate. I had a discussion with the folks at KV at this past AWFS and they acknowledged that they initially had some issues, but that these currently have been addressed. Unlike the Blum undermounts that I use now, the side space clearance is crucial with the KV's especially the soft close version. Keep in mind that the KV's are available in 2" increments in length and the Blum undermounts are available in increments of 3" in length. In order to maximized drawer size, one may work better than the other. I just installed a job where I chose the KV's for this reason over the Blum. I was able to build 18" deep (from front to back) pullouts with the KV's. Had I used the Blum undermounts, I would have had to reduce the drawer depth to 15".

[George Yetka]

From what ive seen the blum undermounts aren't really that much more. I usually by cheep side mounts but I usually am just making shop drawers. If I were buying them for furniture inside I would buy better and they seem to be more in line with the undermount price.no more than $10 difference for a set. How many drawers are you planning on.I would think 100 or so for the build I would just use the Blum