# Garbage cabinet will not stay shut!



## cwb124 (Oct 30, 2012)

Hey folks,

Have a very small but very irritating problem. My garbage and recycling are in a 'drawer' that pulls out of my kitchen cabinets. Similar to the pic.

http://ironbarcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/kitchen-trash-can-storage-garbage-cabinet-indoor-bin-stor.jpg

My problem is though the drawer will NOT stay shut under any circumstances. Not when the cans are empty and especially when they are full. I push it closed and they just fall back open almost immediately. Infuriating. I've taken the whole thing apart and reset the rails a couple times. I've replaced the rails as well. Do I need to put the rails in on a downward angle sloping back? What's the fix here? Any help is very appreciated.

-CB


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## rrmccabe (Sep 3, 2018)

Are the rails level?


Maybe the auto closing type slides would help. All our drawers in our kitchen finish closing when you get within a couple inches.


But seems if your rails are level it should not open again. Angling your rails back is going to tip your face out on the bottom and not fit properly.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

cwb124 said:


> Do I need to put the rails in on a downward angle sloping back?



Should be a detent on the rails that holds the load closed. On some drawer slides, on the very back, there is a little lever to adjust the height, but even if your rails have this, not sure it will compensate for downward sloping bearings. You should be able to put a small level on the fixed side of the rail to check if it is sloped. If all else failed, glue some wooden toothpicks in the rear holes (of the fixed side of the rails), and slope the mounting appropriately. You can leave the front screw hole where it is.


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## cwb124 (Oct 30, 2012)

rrmccabe said:


> Are the rails level?
> 
> 
> Maybe the auto closing type slides would help. All our drawers in our kitchen finish closing when you get within a couple inches.
> ...


Yeah the rails are level, although I should double check them when the cans are full. Maybe there's some play when weight is put on the rails.

Is there a specific type of rail I should be buying? I think I was just buying the standard drawer rails from Lowes/HD.


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## rrmccabe (Sep 3, 2018)

Also make sure the rails are not mounted to far back. You want them in the closed position at about the same time the drawer face hits the cabinet.



I would not think you need any special type of rail but quality rails for sure for this kind of duty.


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## cwb124 (Oct 30, 2012)

rrmccabe said:


> Also make sure the rails are not mounted to far back. You want them in the closed position at about the same time the drawer face hits the cabinet.


That's a good tip. I will check that this evening. 



rrmccabe said:


> I would not think you need any special type of rail but quality rails for sure for this kind of duty.


I will try and find some more heavy duty rails but I am not sure that is the issue here. Has to be gravity working against me which has to mean there is some amount of slope.


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## rrmccabe (Sep 3, 2018)

cwb124 said:


> I will try and find some more heavy duty rails but I am not sure that is the issue here. Has to be gravity working against me which has to mean there is some amount of slope.



I would agree. Just cant imagine them opening without slope. 


But if there is a detent as mentioned above and the rails are set too far back it might not be hitting the detent.


Let us know how you come out.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

Well now, hope this is a fix for you...Get a pair of magnetic latches 
from Home Depot or Lowe's.
We had one cabinet door that was slightly warped and didn't close flush.

We used one of these magnetic latches and it grips great -- closing the
door tightly. 
The latch part gets installed into the cabinet and the flat magnetic thing
gets installed on the cabinet. If you get a pair of these, I'm sure your
drawer would stay shut.

This is the part that gets installed 'inside' the cabinet on the rail or style.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

This is the little flat magnet that works like a charm.

Your drawer will stay shut and the magnets will not be visable.

We also used this magnet for a wood bird cage door, cause we
discovered our lovebird could push open the door to escape.

We also have an outdoor server that we made a louver door for.
After adjusting and re-adjusting the hinges the door would not stay 
closed flush. We used one of these magnets and problem solved.


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## BrownEyedGuy (Oct 2, 2018)

Sorry, I know this is an old thread, but the question caught my eye, because I suffered this problem for years. Yes, I always knew what the problem was, but was just too darned lazy to fix it until a few months ago.

I built the cabinets (and house) so I knew all the cabinets were true, plumb, square, and various other gobbledygook names when built. What I didn't have control over was the sag of the floor over the years. This caused the floor to slope downward from the outside walls toward the center, but only along the same direction as the floor joists (not perpendicular to them). 

My recycling center had high-quality Rev-a-shelf ball bearing slides. Over the years, they rolled super easy. Coupled with the slope of the floor, it caused the recycling center to drift outward.

The fix was dirt simple, but I was just too lazy to do it for ages. I simply added shims below the front of the pullout slides to raise them up to be at or above level. Yes, as was pointed out, it was just gravity.


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