How to Select Drawer Glides

Drawer glides are the metal or plastic parts that fasten to the sides or bottom of a drawer, interlocking with glides inside the furniture, such as a desk or dresser. The glides enable the drawer to move smoothly in and out of the furniture. To select drawer glides, measure the drawer to determine the correct dimensions and decide whether to mount the glides on the sides or bottom. If you are replacing worn or broken glides, simply remove the old glides to match them with new parts.

Tape measure
Screwdrivers

Instructions

- 1
  Pull the drawer completely out of the furniture and turn the drawer on its side.
- 2
  Measure the depth of the drawer from the back edge to the rear of the front drawer panel to determine the glide length you will need.
- 3
  Remove the screws holding an old glide to a drawer if you need to replace a damaged part. Save the screws. Take the glide with you to a hardware store to match with a replacement.
- 4
  Match new glides for your furniture drawers by holding an old glide up against a new one to ensure the shape is the same. For example, some glides are built with rollers at the top, while others have rollers on the sides. Matching the glide exactly will enable you to replace the drawer glides without having to remove and replace the glides inside the furniture as well.

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