No. Can you tell us which model drawer glides you have? What is the behavior you are experiencing that is no longer happening? It is strange that two drawers would behave the same way in the same time frame. Do you have other Blum drawers that are still working well?

I've only seen them fail that soon from being abused, ie. forcing a drawer closed repeatedly.

Contact your dealer and they should be able to get you a replacement.

It's a wear item, sooner or later they wear out.

Thanks for your responses.

Homepro01, I'm not sure what model they are. My contractor found the right size and they worked beautifully until very recently. The 2 drawers started not closing softly within 12 hours of each other. They are the 2 drawers we use the most. They don't seem to engage the mechanism that causes them to slow down before closing. They're just closing like any other ordinary drawer.

I have 19 drawers total. 17 of which are closing properly. There are also 24 cabinets with the soft close hinges from Blum. So far all of them are working fine.

Taylor's Cabinets & Interiors, It's mostly just my husband and I. Neither of us force the drawers closed. When you say to contact the dealer, do you mean Blum directly or the company where I bought them? I'm worried that the other's will begin to fail too.

Again, thank you so much for your reply.

Have you tried removing the drawers completely from the cabinet and then re-inserting them? Make sure they "lock" into place when re-inserting them.

We've had ours for over 7 years and none of our drawers have had issues.

Can you take one of the affected drawers out and inspect the soft close mechanism? On the Blum Tandembox drawer slides that came with my ikea cabinets, the soft close is a separate part that clips onto the end of the each slide and has a piston that sits in the track and "catches" the drawer. You might be able to figure out if it's broken or just stuck.

Thanks Buehl. We did take them out to see what we could do to fix them. It didn't help. They closed the same once they were back in.
It's not a big deal to replace 2 of them, however, if the whole kitchen begins to give us trouble, it's a lot of $$$$.

Fishcow, that sounds over my pay-grade!!!

A friend was over that also has Blum throughout their kitchen. He tried to fix them but was unable to. Our contractor would not come out for such a small item. I looked on Blum's website about their warranty. It sounds like they want you to send in the failed mechanisms before they'll honor the warranty. It would be very inconvenient to not be able to open the most used drawers in the kitchen.

I would call Blum and ask them about your problem first. They will want to know the exact model of the drawer glides.

If the hardware is similar to mine, the soft close mechanisms are separate parts from the drawer slides. If you remove them from a drawer to send to Blum you will still be able to use the drawer, it just won't be soft close until the part is replaced.

The model name of the hardware will be stamped on the slides. If you google it you should be able to find the installation guide which will show you if the soft close is separate and how to remove it.

This isn't rocket science - at most you need a phillips head screwdriver, a flashlight, and an internet connection to look up the instructions.

Contact Blum and they can walk you through the steps to figure out what the issue is. If your units are Blum tandembox or Blum glides, the soft close is not a separate mechanism. It sounds strange that two would fail. Are the drawers that failed top units by any chance?

That's interesting because with the ikea hardware, which is labeled Blum Tandembox and otherwise looks identical, the soft close is attached during assembly. It must be an older version of the design.

No, it's made on contract for IKEA, to a different standard and pricepoint !

Does this help?
The failed drawers are both on the top. I have much larger, heavier bottom drawers that work perfectly.

That's interesting because with the ikea hardware, which is labeled Blum Tandembox and otherwise looks identical, the soft close is attached during assembly. It must be an older version of the design.

Actually the older ikea hardware had separate soft closers. The integrated soft close was a more recent design, post 2007, IIRC, but I don't remember exactly when.

Maybe it was during the switchover to the new system? Because my Rationell drawers -- purchased in 2013 -- still had the separate dampers.

Ack, thanks, kristensgc. I was thinking of the door hinges, not the drawer glides.

Homepro,

I was with my contractor when the glides were purchased and the boxes all said Blum. It also says it on the receipt.

Do you know how to call Blum? I couldn't find their customer service line on their website.

Thanks for your help.

Doesn't look like Blum to me either. Looks like K&V.

Blum customer service

Thanks Homepro.
I will phone them Monday morning.
I'll let you know what they recommend. I'll be shocked if these aren't Blum. I specifically went with my contractor and choose the expensive ones over the much cheaper Chinese versions because I wanted quality.

This is what Blum's Standard drawer glides look like (the only side mount they offer):

If they are any name brand, it should be stamped on the metal somewhere. You might have to remove the drawer to see it though.

I'm so unhappy! On closer inspection I see a KV embedded in the metal.
How can it be that these came in Blum boxes and my receipt clearly says Blum?

Thanks for your sharp eyes and knowledge.

Now I'm very upset since now my entire kitchen is compromised.
Any suggestions?
Who do you think is responsible, the store where I purchased them or an unscrupulous company that tried to pass them off as Blum by putting them in the wrong boxes?

I really don't think your "entire kitchen has been compromised", but someone was misleading and dishonest if packaging K-V in Blum boxes.

Maybe this thread will help ease your frustrations a bit...

Who built the cabinets?

Any custom cabinet guy knows the difference and would never accept one for the other unless it was by deliberate intent.

Cook-carpenter,
I guess it was a bit dramatic, but it does feel like my kitchen is compromised since I used these "fake" glides and hinges throughout my entire kitchen. I have some large cabinet doors with very heavy and expensive antiqued mirror behind custom made wood mullions. If any of those failed and broke it would be quite major. This kitchen was a big deal for me and I tried hard to make it right by doing my research and using this forum's vast experience and knowledge.

All of the cabinets were original solid maple from when the house was built (11 years). I had them sanded, painted, glazed and lacquered. The new glides and hinges were installed when the refinishing was done. My contractor thought it best to keep our originals since they were in great shape, the style I preferred and solid wood. Not to mention, a better price.

I'm quite perplexed as to how k-v materials were boxed and sold as Blum.
Thanks for your help. I'll follow up Monday, although I'm no longer sure who to follow up with.....

I hate to say it, but I doubt they were sold in the wrong boxes. It's far more likely whoever installed the new hardware substituted the K&V ones for whatever reason. I would give your contractor a call to find out why the ones you bought weren't used.

It might just be the drawer glides that are K&V. The cabinet door hinges may be the ones you specced.

All of the cabinets were original solid maple from when the house was
built (11 years). I had them sanded, painted, glazed and lacquered. The
new glides and hinges were installed when the refinishing was done.

So a retrofit situation. Retrofits very much narrow your hardware choices to what will work without rebuilding drawer boxes.

FYI, the KV slides have a limited lifetime warranty...But since these have failed (and if they aren't easily fixable), in your shoes, I would replace them with another brand...such as Fulterer.

How to fix Soft Close Drawer Slides

Sanjuan,

if you paid for Blum hinges, you should have Blum hinges. I would inspect the other drawers in your kitchen and door hinges to see if they are indeed Blum. I would contact the contractor and have a discussion about the failed glides. I would also discuss the inconsistency with the receipt. He may have had a good reason for choosing another brand. There is a cost difference and you should have received the difference. There may have been a practical reason to not use Blum.

Good luck!

Retrofit is different from new construction cabinets. It would have required rebuilding the drawer boxes to work with undermount Blum. The KV sidemounts woud work with the boxes as is.

Sorry girl - but you don't have Blum Tandem undermout slides with softclose (Blumotion). That is what people round here gush over, and the Ikea crowd talks about. Though their version includes metal box sides called Tandembox.

You have a couple of issues.

1. you thought you were getting Blum slides and you didn't. A talk with your contractor is in order.

2. Who ordered/paid/picked up said runners ? You say they came in BLUM boxes - Whomever ordered AND picked up these thongs is responsible for VERIFYING they got what they ordered and paid for - and you requested.

3. Blum Tandems won't work with your drawers as they are. End of story. This has no bearing on whether you requested and paid for them though, but is still pertinent to the overall context.

4. Those KV slides you do have weren't installed very well. I can see from the picture that they were mis aligned, and I'll bet they're worse in person.

I remember why I love this forum so much!
Thanks for the video Ci lantro. I'll see if my husband will watch the video and work on the failed ones today.

Fishcow, I went with the contractor that day and put them in the cart, paid for them and put them in the kitchen for them to install. I watched the sales person show us the difference between the various glides that would work in the retrofit. I chose Blum since I knew the name from this forum, but really couldn't tell much difference.

I'm going to talk to my contractor and the store where purchased to see if I can figure this out.
Thanks again.

Sanjuan girl,

Just curious, where did you purchase the Blum hardware from?

Home pro,
Austin Hardwoods and Hardware in Santa Ana, Ca

sanjuangirl, is it possible that the Blum glides you purchased and put in your kitchen awaiting install were later swapped out while you weren't present? IOW, someone goes to install the Blums, realizes they won't work for your retrofit and is sent back out to exchange for the ones that were actually installed? Not underhanded or meant to cheat you, just an "oops, we got the wrong parts" and it never occurred to them to let you know. You still think you have Blum, you saw the original boxes and your paperwork calls them Blum, but they were swapped out.

I think most GCs or subs don't think homeowners know that much about unseen door hardware.

Hi Linelle,

i guess that's possible, although my GC knew how into this I was especially since I took the time to go all the way out to Santa Ana with him to see them myself. I have a call into him to ask. I'll report back if I ever get to the bottom of this!

On a happier note;. I just took a flashlight and reading glasses to see that all of my cabinet hardware is Blum! I was even more worried about those since I had heavy glass and mirrors inserted on a number of cabinets!

Still working on a fix and explanation for the drawers.

BTW - this conversation got me thinking about my own situation. I'd brought up Blum to my KD early on, and I believe that she confirmed that my glides/hardware would be Blum. When I signed my contract and put down my deposit, it simply said "soft close." I did not question it at the time. Now, a week away from construction, I saw this post & emailed my KD to confirm Blum. I'm a little worried that she'll come back & say "no, we specified soft-close, Blum will be an extra xxxxx $." Or even "no, we've already completed assembling your cabinets & we use a comparable (yeah, right) brand."

Carrie, it is possible to get a comparable undermount slide ! BLUM is well known but is not the be all , end all in drawer runners.

Hettich, Grass , and Salice all make quality hardware in Europe .

Repeat---This was a retrofit situation. IF you want Blum undermount soft close sides, it is 99.999999% certain that you will have to have new drawer boxes made.

I'm linking a discussion in another forum that should give you an idea why...Blum undermount slide discussion

I'm guessing that place in Santa Ana was Austin Hardwood? If so, I seriously doubt they were mis-packaged intentionally by Austin, but still hard to understand how K-Vs came out of Blum packaging? I buy all my glides and hinges there, one of the best selections in Orange County, and a reputable old time family business.

As others have mentioned, to accommodate Blum bottom mount glides, drawer boxes must be ordered and made specifically with the proper recessed bottom. Your drawers have the 1/2" side clearance to accept side glides, and very unlikely have the bottom recess to enable the use of bottom mount glides no matter what mfg.

FWIW, I've liked and used Accuride side mount glides for dozens of years with great results. Especially for extra heavy large drawers, pantry pull outs and file cabinets...

Yes it was Austin Hardwood and I used them for almost everything I needed for this renovation. I found them helpful, knowledgable, with great selection and prices. They took back several items when I changed my mind. I don't blame them. Hopefully my GC will return my call and help shed light on this.
Thanks.

Let us know how it went. I used Austin as well based on their reputation.

I think it's fairly safe to assume Austin Hardwood is not to blame in this saga.

Sanjuangirl,

Any update from your contractor?