Advantages and Disadvantages of Sliding Shelves
As you are on a spree to redecorate your kitchen right now, you might have been hit by this question at some point: should you, or should you not go for sliding shelves? Are sliding shelves a better option in comparison to the standard built-in ones? And since no type of product is ever perfect, what are the disadvantages of sliding shelves? Before you start your project, you need to learn everything you can about it – just so that you know precisely what to expect.
What Are Sliding Shelves?
Sliding shelves, also known as drawer glides or cabinet glides, are the type of shelves that you can simply pull out of the cabinet. This gives you immediate access to whatever is on the shelf, without having to make your way around a fixed shelf.
Sliding shelves feature slides on which the shelf can be pulled or pushed, allowing you to pull the entire shelf out from a single movement. This is all thanks to the wheels that have been installed on the side of the shelf, allowing them to glide right over the rail that was installed for them.
These sliding shelves can take the shape of a low drawer – or a simple shelf within the cabinet. However, most people prefer the drawer style, as it also has a high margin on it. This will prevent any item from sliding off the shelf as you are pulling it or pushing it back.
What Makes Sliding Shelves Such a Good Choice?
Sliding shelves have long since been a popular choice for many people, as they are not only stylish, but also very easy to use. Unlike regular shelves that you cannot really do anything about, a sliding shelf can be pulled out so that you may see even better what there is on the shelf.
So, for one, you get visibility – as you will not have to blindly poke around, not knowing where the item you are looking for is placed. Since you are practically pulling out the shelf, you won’t get blocked by any upper shelves, and you should be able to easily find what it is you are looking for.
That being said, diy sliding shelves are also swift to close – and a well-designed one will only take a small push from you to go back into its position. The same thing applies to when you are pulling them – which makes your job even easier in the kitchen. Without those slides, you’d have a more difficult time getting access to your items on the shelves.
Disadvantages of Sliding Shelves
Nothing is ever perfect, and this applies to sliding shelves as well. Considering that they have a different system in comparison to the fixed, standard shelving, there will be a lot more work here until you get it “up and running.” The process might be quite easy if they have already been cut to size – but if you have to put everything together from scratch, then it might be rather time-consuming.
At the same time, these types of shelves may need a lot of maintenance after some time – particularly if you use them a lot. Granted, you’ll have to provide good maintenance from the moment you purchase them – but once some time has already passed, the slides will start making strange noises and will be all the more difficult to pull.
Last but not least, due to the added system, these shelves tend to be quite expensive – especially if you don’t want a set that gets stuck every five seconds. Plus, if you do not know how to install them, you might have to hire a professional – which once more, can get rather costly. There are some good chances that you can find some quality sliding shelves on a budget – but you’d have to do quite a lot of research.
Sliding shelves may involve a bit of extra work, but they are certainly a good thing if you are looking for visibility and ease of use. Compared to fixed shelves where you won’t be able to see behind some products, a sliding shelf will allow you to see everything from above.