The neatest drawer runner type for residential houses is the bottom mount runner. The advantages are:

  • fits under the drawer box so visually it is unobtrusive and in many cases invisible
  • the weight of the drawer contents is supported underneath by the drawer runner so the possibility of the drawer bottom falling out is dramatically reduced
  • the weight of the drawer/contents is borne by the drawer runner rather than relying on screws driven in the side of the drawer box
Bottom mount versus side mount drawer runners

When are side-mounted drawer runners appropriate?

There are applications where side-mounted drawer runners work better. Typically this is where there is insufficient space for undermount or the dimensions of the drawer box means the physics of opening/closing work better with the runner in the middle or towards the top of the drawer.

An example is the ’landing zone’ in this kitchen project we did. The landing zone is a pull out between fridge and oven, useful for when shopping deliveries arrive or when you take something out of the oven. It needs to extend out all the way (500mm) and needs to be strong.

We selected the Accuride push to open ball-bearing drawer runner which is rated at 40Kg loading. The structure was made from Birch Ply and then Mistral solid surface was bonded to it using builder’s adhesive. Solid surface doesn’t like being moved (it has little elasticity) so the Birch Ply support is substantial and takes all the stress of opening and closing.

Push to open means it can be opened with an elbow or knee - useful for when your hands are occupied with taking the roasting tray out of the oven.

Landing zone pullout aka drawer cladded with solid surface worktop material
Birch ply pullout structure with Accuride push to open mechanism
Pullout in closed position. The drawer projection has been set so that the pullout is flush with the shelf above in the closed position