letter-sized document Drawers need to be exactly 12 15/16″ wide for wood that is 1/2″ thick and 13 3/16″ wide for wood that is 5/8″ thick. Due to the thinner material, Baltic birch file drawers should be exactly 12 7/8″ for 9-ply and 13 1/8″ for 11-ply. For legal-sized files, the drawers must be 15 15/16″ deep for things that are 1/2″ thick and 16 3/16″ deep for things that are 5/8″ thick.
For example, a legal or letter file drawer should be at least 23 inches wide and 16.5 inches deep for face frames, 23 inches wide and 17.25 inches deep for inset frames, and 21.5 inches wide and 16.5 inches deep for frameless frames.
There are two to five drawers in these filing cabinets. Usually, the height of each vertical file cabinet is 29 inches, 40 inches, 52 inches, or 60 inches. Letter- and legal-sized papers can be kept in drawers that are made just for them.
A basic vertical file cabinet in an office is 28.12 inches deep and can hold files that are up to 27 inches long. There are also shallower cabinets, such as 25-inch-deep cabinets with 23-inch-deep drawers and 26-inch-deep cabinets with 25-inch-deep drawers. When uninformed customers compare prices, they often compare units with shallow and deep drawers by accident.
If you already have a drawer that is the right size, you can use it instead of making a new one. Follow my simple drawer instructions if you want to make a new one, but change the size to fit the files. My drawer is 14″ wide by 10″ deep. When building your cabinet, make sure to leave 1″ of space above the top of the file drawer so that the hanging file tabs can clear the faceframe or drawer above the files.
The wide but shallow drawers of a lateral file make it a good choice for filing a lot of papers. Because lateral files have short drawer extensions, they are great for hallways and other places where a lot of filing needs to be done in a small space. Most lateral files are between 32″ and 36″ wide, which is big enough to hold letter- and legal-sized papers that can be put back to front or side by side. Most units with two drawers are thin enough to fit under a work surface. There can be as few as two drawers or as many as seven drawers in a lateral file.
Before you go shopping for a file cabinet, measure the space where you want to put it. This might help you figure out what size file cabinet will fit in the space you have. Most of the time, a vertical file cabinet takes up less space on the floor than a horizontal one. In some cases, it can hold more files than a row of four-drawer file cabinets. This might be a better choice if you manage files for a medical office or school, which is likely if you keep a lot of records.
How big is a lateral file’s drawer?
Most lateral files are between 32″ and 36″ wide, which is big enough to hold letter- and legal-sized papers that can be put back to front or side by side.
How deep should a file drawer that slides out be?
Although lateral files are available in a variety of sizes and styles today, they normally have two or three drawers, are about 20″ deep, and range in width from 30 to 42″. Overall, using lateral files is a great and useful way to keep an office of any size clean and organized.
A vertical file cabinet or a lateral file cabinet?
Unlike lateral file cabinets, vertical file cabinets are not as big. Even though vertical file cabinets are common because they take up less wall space, most paperwork is kept in lateral file cabinets.
What’s the difference between a vertical file cabinet and a lateral file cabinet?
Folders are stored in systems that run parallel to the front of the drawer and are called “lateral storage.” So, the depth of a lateral file cabinet is almost the same as the length of a standard file folder. In vertical storage systems, folders are stacked vertically on the same plane as the front of the drawer.
How deep is a side-by-side file cabinet?
For letter or legal size folders, these cabinets are usually 12 inches (300 mm) or 18 inches (460 mm) deep. They come in widths of 30 inches (760 mm), 36 inches (910 mm), 42 inches (1,100 mm), and 45 inches (1,100 mm), but they are usually only used in applications with 5 or 6 shelves.
How big is a typical filing cabinet drawer?
A standard office file cabinet is 28.12 inches deep and has a drawer that can hold files up to 27 inches long. Some cabinets, like a 26 1/2-inch-deep cabinet with a 25-inch-deep drawer, are shallower. There is also a file that is 25 inches deep and has 23 12 inch drawers.
What is the smallest depth of a file drawer?
Letter minimum depths are 14 5/16″ for 5/8″ thick and 17 1/4″ for 5/8″ thick in most filing cabinets with the bars facing the front.
How much does a fire-proof filing cabinet weigh?
Gypsum, which weighs 907 pounds, is used to make all fire-proof insulation.
How many different kinds of file cabinets are there?
The most common types of file cabinets are vertical and lateral. The vertical file cabinet has drawers that stick out from the shorter side of the cabinet. On the other hand, the drawers on a lateral file cabinet stick out from the longer side of the cabinet.
What are the problems with the side-by-side filing system?
DISADVANTAGES Lateral files are big and hard to move, especially when they are full of papers, so it might be hard to use them. They can also be very pricey and take up a lot of space on the floor.
How do the side files look?
Labels on the side of a file help you find lateral files, which are set up horizontally instead of vertically. They can be put on open shelving systems and don’t need drawers. Files are put and taken off shelves by dragging their edges.
What is a vertical filing cabinet used for?
Vertical filing cabinets are easy to use and take up little space. They have anywhere from two to ten drawers where you can put files, papers, letters, and other things. The files are easy to get to and face the front of the drawer. Because the width and depth of the drawers have been increased, they can hold a lot of things.