Frequently Asked Questions Once you add made-to-fit slide-out shelves and cabinet organizer systems to your existing cabinets you ll wonder how you ever lived without them! If you have questions that are not displayed below please feel free to call our Customer Service Department. Here are some commonly asked questions. Q. What made-to-fit products are available? A. The Slide-A-Shelf line includes our made-to-fit standard slide-out shelf for cabinet openings 6" to 36" wide made in 1/8" increments and available in fullextension models as well as an auto soft-closing full-extension upgrade for our standard shelves only. For most of our products you can choose from three ready to finish solid wood fronts to complement your cabinets...oak, maple and paintgrade poplar or a factory poly-urethaned pre-finished baltic birch front. We also offer three additional full-extension versions of the above with 8" high sides or a sink caddy attachment that can be mounted on the left or right side of the shelf or the premiere Double Dek unit (max. 24" wide). Our specialty cabinet organizer items include 2 and 3 tier adjustable storage systems also available made-to-fit for openings 6" to 24" wide and 18" to 25" tall. We offer a single and dual bin trash/ recycle center. All are constructed from quality cabinet grade birch ply completely finished with durable UV cured poly-urethane. Q. How will I benefit from installing made-to-fit slide-out shelves and organizers? A. Imagine not having to bend down or get on your hands and knees to find things in your kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Stored items become easily accessible with the touch of a finger (or toe!). Made-to-fit slide-outs maximize your useable space and minimize lost space, helping you to get and stay organized. You will find things you forgot you had! Q. Once I place my order how long before my slide-outs are shipped? A. We will manufacture and ship your slide-outs within 7 business days from receiving your order. Q. How easy are your made-to-fit slide-out organizers to install? A. Our slide-outs are designed to easily and quickly be secured to the base of your cabinet or to the existing full shelf you currently store items on. Each unit comes with an installation template, all necessary hardware, complete pictorial and written instructions and is attached with only 4 to 6 screws. Q. What tools will I need to install my slide-outs? A. For a standard installation you will only need a #1 & #2 Phillips screwdriver. (One with the changeable tip works best as we supply the not as popular #1 Phillips tip.) We recommend a battery operated version for convenience.
Q. Because you offer solid wood fronts on some of your products, can I paint or stain them to match my cabinets/decor? A. You bet. We are the only national manufacturer that offers solid wood fronts on slide-out shelves for your kitchen, bath and pantry. Use a stain and/or clear wipeon polyurethane to blend with your cabinets if you choose Oak. Maple is a very hard wood and does not absorb stain well, it looks best with a clear finish. If you prefer painting the fronts, our Poplar wood fronts are the best choice for a smooth finish. Or if you prefer, our natural Baltic Birch option is pre-finished with a clear poly-urethane and does not require any additional finishing. (NOTE: We also offer a few exotic solid wood fronts as an upgrade. These are shaped, sanded and cut to size but not finished or sealed.) Q. How much weight can each slide-out hold? A. The rail systems we use are rated for 100 lbs. (including the weight of the organizer). For the best performance, evenly space the items you store over the entire shelf surface. Q. What is your product warranty? A. All of our products are warranted to the original purchaser for 5 years. Q. How do I accurately measure my cabinets for a custom fit? A. First off don t stress! Thousands of folks have successfully measured for slideouts...it s an easy process. If you have ever measured a window for mini-blinds or curtains...it s basically the same process, just horizontal vs. vertical. First, write down the location of your cabinet (i.e. left of stove, right of dishwasher, etc.). Measure the clear unobstructed width of the cabinet opening at the narrowest point for each slide-out location and write it down. Do not measure the interior wall-towall. Next measure from the back wall (or protruding object) the unobstructed interior depth of the cabinet to the inside front of the cabinet opening and write this measurement down. Be sure to note any obstructions, such as conduit, gas or water pipes, or wood braces. There can be slight differences in cabinets that look the same, so please measure each cabinet for accuracy. For some of our items we will also need to know the clear unobstructed height of the opening...which must be clear from the front of the cabinet all the way to the back. Be sure to click on and review our Measuring Guides under the Getting Started section. You are responsible for the measurements you provide us so we recommend you review these guides. Q. I am concerned about items falling off the shelf. Does your standard slide-out shelf have sides to prevent this? A. Yes definitely! Our standard slide-out shelves are ergonomically designed with the front being a 2 solid wood pull tapering up to 4 sides all the way around...including the back which is the most important as items have a tendency to shift backwards when you slide each shelf forward. Items are easy to see and
labels on products stored in the pantry are easy to read. During installation you will secure the sides with three screws which are provided. We also offer an 8" tall slide-out shelf for extra tall items or for stacking the items you store. Or, since items tend to move backwards versus left or right when sliding a unit out, we offer a high back add-on option for our standard slide-out shelves which is recommended if you stack items. Q. Do the slide-out shelves require maintenance? A. The rail systems we offer are made from the finest quality heavy-duty mechanisms available. The full-extension rails both standard and soft-close are telescoping and use a ball-bearing system. These can be simply maintained with a light silicon spray applied annually. Q. I have a pantry with only 3 or 4 existing shelves and plenty of vertical space for another shelf. Can I add an extra slide-out shelf? A. This is a great question and the answer is YES in most cases. This is an easy way to add useable storage space to your cabinets. In some instances you can simply add a solid stationary shelf then a slide-out between existing shelves. Sometimes for the best utilization, you may need to relocate one or two of the existing shelves to make room for the additional slide-out. Adding a shelf level into a pantry or cabinet that already uses adjustable shelving is relatively easy. All you need are four shelf pegs and some shelving material cut to size. Then you simply anchor all the adjustable shelves and add the slide-outs right on top. (NOTE: We now offer custom cut white melamine shelving you can order directly from us to accommodate the above need.) Q. My cabinet under my stove top (sink) has a gas valve (water valve) in the back. How do I handle this obstacle since I want to add a slide-out there? A. Often times a custom cut-out can be made in the back of our standard slide-out shelves to allow the shelf to bypass the brace, valve or pipe. When this is not practical you may need to measure to the obstacle, losing some depth, but still having the convenience of the slide-out feature. Be aware, in most cases our 'specialty organizers' can not be modified for obstacles inside your cabinets. (i.e. multi-tier units, trash/recycle centers and our DoubleDek system.) Q. My cabinets have the European style hinges that you cannot see when the cabinet door is closed. Will these get in the way of the slide-out organizer I want to install? A. In some cases NO! When you review our detailed Measuring Guides you will see how to measure to accommodate this style hinge and maximize the size of your slide-out. Q. The current shelving in my cabinets are resting on pegs that can be adjusted up or down. Can my slide-outs be attached to these shelves?
A. Yes. Having existing shelves that are adjustable whether on a peg, clip & standard or a pilaster system is an added benefit when installing the Slide-A-Shelf made-to-fit slide-out shelves. Once your slide-outs are in place secured to the existing full shelf, they too become adjustable as the need arises. NOTE: To prevent the adjustable base shelf from tipping when the slide-out shelf is extended, you will need to anchor the base shelf to the walls of the cabinet by securing simple steel L- brackets, mounted to the top of the shelf. Q. My base cabinets have a 2nd shelf that only comes forward half-way. Can my slide-out be attached to it? A. The quickest easiest way to handle the half-shelf is to simply extend the halfshelf surface or replace it with a full shelf prior to securing the slide-out. Most home centers sell shelving material that they will cut to size for free or for a small charge. Secure the shelf in the same manner as the half-shelf being replaced. You can also use 1 x 2 wall cleats or steel L-brackets. (NOTE: We now offer custom cut white melamine shelving you can order directly from us to accommodate the above need.) Q. How wide/deep can my slide-outs be made? A. It depends on the product/model you choose. For our basic slide-out shelves the minimum width we manufacture is for a 6 opening and the maximum is 36 in 1/8 increments. If your opening width is greater than 36 we recommend two slide-outs shelves side-by-side. Typically one behind each door. See our measuring instructions to measure correctly for side-by-side slide-outs. The minimum depth is 16 3/4 and the maximum is 24. We manufacture the depth to the most optimum full inch to maximize rail length and extension. For our other specialty item organizers please review the specifications, minimums and maximums for each item on its dedicated product detail page. Q. What do I do if I measured incorrectly and my units do not fit? A. In the event that you measured incorrectly, please contact the Slide-A-Shelf Customer Service Department and we will help you with a solution. Q. How much space will I lose? A. Your slide-out shelf assembly will be made to fit the width and depth dimensions you provide for the cabinet openings. The left and right rails which are attached to the slide-out are 1/2 wide. Thus you will lose a minimum of 1 of space. Our customers report that gaining convenience and organization more than make up for this. Q. Can I add Slide-A-Shelf products to my new cabinets? A. The Slide-A-Shelf brand slide-out is made from superior wood materials and is perfect for new cabinet construction as well as existing cabinets that are structurally sound. The elegant design will complement most cabinet configurations
in your kitchen, bath, pantry, laundry room, garage and even entertainment center. You will be thrilled with how efficient you can now store your household items with everything accessible in seconds. Your life will be easier and you will be more organized than you ever thought possible. Q. How difficult is the assembly and installation process? A. We are able to save each customer a significant amount on shipping costs by not shipping our products fully assembled so all of our products require minor assembly. In most cases all you need is a screwdriver and each item can typically be assembled in one to three minutes. Standard installation onto an existing flat and secure surface in your cabinet does not usually require any special skills and also typically only requires a screwdriver. Templates are provided with each model you purchase and all hardware is included. NOTE: Although designed to be installed by customers who have little to no technical skill, many of our customers opt to have a family member or friend install their organizers OR hire an independent handyman to complete the installation. Look in a local business directory or complete a search on the internet for reputable providers in your area. If your question was not covered by the above...please feel free to contact our Customer Service Department 714-547-4224. Thank you.