Proper Construction Techniques Ensure Durable Kitchen Drawers

Have you ever noticed how people take things for granted? For example, if you:

• Open a closet, you expect hangers
• Open a door, wait for a room on the other side
• Open a drawer, you hope it contains whatever is inside

However, when it comes to drawers, like the ones in your kitchen, you typically expect not only the usual assortment of items (knives, forks, scissors, tape, batteries, shoe horns, and whatever else you tend to throw in them), but also that those drawers will last.

Many times, however, kitchen drawers are really just an afterthought from the builder. The builder is in a hurry to finish one project and move on to the next, so instead of taking the time to ensure that the small item we take for granted will last the life of the kitchen, we find that drawers:

• buckling
• start to fall apart
• Get your funds rolling out

Neither of those is a great fit for your kitchen drawers, so if you’re looking for quality drawers, you want to make sure they meet certain standards. For example, the drawer has:

• Properly rounded corners
• Correctly slotted side pieces
• A suitable glued base
• Simple screws that hold it together or is it nailed down
• Is the wood the right thickness?

Sliding kitchen drawersSome of the most used drawers in any home need to be built to more stringent standards than others. Some manufacturers, whether for economic reasons or not, still use the butt joint where the drawing is simply nailed or screwed on and then inserted.

To ensure that your kitchen drawers or shelves, or any other drawer that gets a lot of use, will last, the drawer should have the following attributes:

Proper Dovetail Cuts

proper alignment

Own fittings

Adequate wood stock

When checking kitchen drawers to make sure they’re built correctly, be sure to:

Look along the sides and corners to make sure the wood is straight.

Note the grain of the wood, which should run in one direction and be free of weakening knots.

Check the corners to make sure the kitchen drawers fit properly and the cutouts are tight and well fitted.

Look at the bottom piece to make sure it is slotted; a small amount of wood was removed from the base to accommodate a base piece of wood that is glued into the final build.

Look at the slider hardware to make sure it’s made of premium metal and has a full ball race with ball bearings on the sides.

Make sure the wood stock is at least 9-ply birch or other hardwood for longevity.

If your drawers (kitchen, dresser, or linen chest) are built correctly to these exacting standards, you will have a piece of furniture or kitchen fixture that will last for years and only needs occasional dusting.