The "self" element means that the hinge or slide has a built-in element that pulls the drawer or door closed, sometimes with a tap or bang. "Soft"-closing means just that it glides.
Generally speaking, the terms "soft close" and "self close" drawer glides are interchangeable. The feature stops drawers from slamming, and gently pulls drawers closed the last few inches. This pulling motion is where the "self close" term comes from. Soft close or self close drawers are a kitchen feature many request.
Soft-close -- just as the name says -- closes softly when the drawer is pushed back on the slide. The self-closing drawer, on the other hand, shuts with more conviction. It glides back on the slide, then shuts quickly and firmly.
Soft close hinges are a must for all drawers in environments where children our present. And it's not just safer for the kids. The soft close feature extends the life of your cabinet or drawers by protecting them from blunt force trauma. It puts minimal stress on the hinges, drawer rails and drawer stops.
They lessen the stress on the hinges and hinge plates over the years. In turn, you will extend the life of your beautiful new kitchen cabinets. If you're going to spend a little extra money on a new kitchen, adding soft close hinges is definitely something you should consider.
It is absolutely possible to convert existing kitchen drawers into a soft close upgrade. Rather than purchasing an entirely new set of drawers, you can simply buy and install the hardware alone. This way, you can keep the paint and style of your current set of kitchen drawers.
Soft close is a premium feature that is available on certain types of drawer slides. It allows drawers to close silently and smoothly. When you close a drawer or cabinet with this feature, just before it's completely shut, the soft close mechanism takes over and closes the drawer or cabinet the rest of the way.
A soft close is defined as closing the books using an abbreviated closing procedure. By using a soft close, the accounting department can issue financial statements very quickly and then return to its normal day-to-day activities.
Soft close drawers can often be difficult to open, and this comes with the technology. However, there are sometimes other issues that can make it even more difficult. If you are having trouble with your soft close drawers, these steps should make things quite a bit easier on you.
Soft-close cabinets use a special type of hinge system that slows the cabinet door as it's closed. Doors with soft-close hinges will never slam shut. If you've never tried soft-close cabinets, it can be a strange feeling, at first. You don't have to be careful about slamming cabinet doors.
How Do Soft Close Hinges Work? Soft close hinges have a mechanical device built into the hinge that prevents a cabinet door from slamming. It slows down the door and shuts it 'soft'. These devices are also sometimes called self closing hinges.
With Accuride slides, you'll notice the embossing on the inside of the slides. These embossing are for production date only and do not provide any information the type of slide but is there for traceability.
These particular drawer slides have been the industry standard in cabinet shops for many years, due to their good quality , reliability and ease of adjustment. There are other less expensive brands on the market that are of good quality such as Beeco and Fulterer.
Soft-Close Drawer Slide
The soft-close feature usually costs about $15 to $23 per drawer, plus the cost of the drawer itself.
A hard close is more accurate. Flexible accounting and soft closing are more ambiguous during the period the books are left open and more prone to errors when entries are added at a later date. Under hard closing, the books are closed so there is no possibility of future financial data changing the numbers.
In general one soft hinge is sufficient on majority of the door and closing habits. Two would provide more dampening and thus you can slam the doors harder with more satisfying effect.
Soft-Close Undermount Drawer Slide (Pair) Up to 5/8'' or 3/4'' Material Thickness in Zinc Finish.
It is possible to convert a cabinet with a soft close to stop the loud noises associated with opening and shutting your cabinets. You can often purchase a small adapter and install it within minutes to fix the problem, but you must know which model to purchase and how to install it.
Attach spacer, by clipping to adapter. Start wood screw through the adapter before placing. Place soft close hinge damper adapter butted up in the top corner of the cabinet against the side wall and top of cabinet. Close the door to see if it closes completely and in the time you desire.
Installing soft-close drawer slides is a simple DIY project that only requires a few tools. You will need to clear out the drawer and remove any existing hardware first. New slides are made up of 2 pieces. Screw 1 piece onto the drawer and the other piece onto the cabinet to set up the slide.
When a soft-close hinge has stopped working, it's most likely due to one of the screws becoming loose. This will cause the hinge to come out of place or allow the door to sag down. To repair this, all you need to do is find the loose screw and tighten it with a screwdriver.
When drawers and doors are closed in a gently way, it helps minimize stress placed on the cabinet. In addition to this, soft close hinges prevent marks, cracks, and dents from forming on cabinet frames due to slammed doors.