What is the standard width of a filing cabinet drawer?
Widths may be 30, 36 (33¼ inches of filing space, measured laterally), 38, 42, or 44 inches (the last with 39¼ inches of filing space).Lateral files. Number of drawers Typical height 2 28″ 3 40″ 4 50″–53″ 5 64″–66″.
How wide is a legal size file cabinet?
Letter-size cabinets are typically 15 inches wide and legal size are 18¼ inches wide. The typical office vertical file cabinet is 28½ inches deep and the drawer holds 27 inches of files.
What are the different types of filing cabinets?
What are the Different Types of Filing Cabinets? There are two main types of filing cabinets, vertical and lateral files. Filing cabinets are used to for storing and organizing paperwork. Vertical files are the more traditional type, with a number of drawers ranging from two to ten, designed for a single file to fit vertically in the width.
How to get drawers out of a filing cabinet?
How to Remove Drawers
- Method 1 Method 1 of 4: Coaxing out Wood-Glide and Free-Rolling Drawers. Pull the drawer out as far as it will go. ...
- Method 2 Method 2 of 4: Freeing Metal-Glide Drawers with Levers. ...
- Method 3 Method 3 of 4: Disassembling Drawers with Stabilizer Screws. ...
- Method 4 Method 4 of 4: Removing Drawers with Anti-Tip Cables. ...
How tall is a file cabinet?
A lateral file cabinet with two drawers will have a standard height of 28 inches. This makes it a good height for keeping it tucked away underneath a desk if you are short on space or don’t want it to visually dominate the room.
How many types of file cabinets are there?
There are three main types of file cabinets, and each has standard dimensions. Here we’ll help you figure out what will fit in your space and the size of the cabinet you’ll need to accommodate your paperwork.
How to organize files in a lateral filing cabinet?
One popular way to organize files in a lateral filing cabinet is to have files hanging in a row from the front to the back of the draw. Another popular way is having two rows of files running side by side. The benefit of lateral file cabinets being so versatile is that you can customize the drawers to suit the type of documents you are storing, and you can also use the space to fit unconventional paper sizes or folders.
How many shelves are in an open shelf file cabinet?
The dimensions of open shelf file cabinets vary, but the height of each shelf tends to be a standard 12 inches to accommodate letter-sized paper. You can find open shelf file cabinets with just two shelves, which can work well under a desk or on top of another unit. The largest standard size of open shelf unit will have seven shelves, and these will take up almost the whole height of a wall. The width of these units can vary enormously, from narrow to very wide pieces of furniture.
What is an open shelf file cabinet?
Open shelf cabinets look just like standard shelving units, but with the addition of vertical supports at intervals across each shelf to keep files and folders in place. The main advantage of these types of file cabinets is that the files are constantly visible. This is useful in a situation where you need to be constantly accessing files throughout the day, as they will be color-coded so that you can see at a glance the file you need.
What is vertical filing cabinet?
Vertical file cabinets are intentionally designed to fit the legal-size paper or letter-sized paper, allowing them to utilize the space effectively.
Why do we need a file cabinet?
Most adults will need to have a file cabinet at some time in their life. This can be for storing business files or at home as a safe and organized place for keeping important documents, such as bank statements, insurance papers, and financial information.
How many types of filing cabinets are there in the United States?
Three types of filing cabinet are in general use in the United States:
How wide is a file?
Lateral files are wider than they are deep. Widths may be 30, 36 ( 33¼ inches of filing space, measured laterally), 38, 42, or 44 inches (the last with 39¼ inches of filing space).
How many drawers are in a cabinet?
Cabinets have 2, 3, 4, or 5 drawers, and are made for either letter-size paper or legal-size paper.
What size paper is in a filing cabinet?
In the United States, file cabinets are usually built to accommodate 8.5 × 11 paper, and in other countries, filing cabinets are often designed to hold other sizes of paper, such as A4 paper .
What is a filing cabinet?
A filing cabinet (or sometimes file cabinet in American English) is a piece of office furniture usually used to store paper documents in file folders. In the most simple context, it is an enclosure for drawers in which items are stored. The two most common forms of filing cabinets are vertical ...
What is the difference between a four drawer file and a two drawer file?
The four-drawer vertical file, letter width, is the version purchased by most businesses. The two-drawer file is sold mostly for use alongside a desk. The five-drawer file is mostly purchased by Federal, State, and Local governments (in a 28-inch-deep or 710 mm version), as it typically provides the lowest cost per filing inch. Three drawer files, the least popular version, have the advantage of being at "countertop" height so end users can easily retrieve files and use the top of the cabinet as a work area to examine file contents.
What is the metal plate on the back of a file cabinet?
Some file cabinets have a metal plate or wire structure at the back of each drawer which is known as a follower block . The follower block can be adjusted forward to reduce the length of the drawer so that the file folders contained within remain upright and at the front of the drawer for easier access.
What is vertical file cabinet?
A vertical file cabinet has drawers that extend from the short side (typically 15 inches or 380 mm) of the cabinet. A lateral file cabinet has drawers that extend from the long side (various lengths) of the cabinet. These are also called side filers in Great Britain.
Where are home o nize cabinets made?
After World War II, the Home-O-Nize Company was established in Muscatine, Iowa to provide returning veterans with jobs. Founded to produce steel kitchen cabinets, the company soon encountered the reality of the limited availability of steel. So the company began to make products for others. Finally a small amount of steel was secured and the company started manufacturing steel index card boxes. Soon after, larger cabinets began to be produced including filing cabinets. By designing to minimize the amount of steel, the product was an extremely cost-effective design and had huge commercial success. Home-O-Nize never did make kitchen cabinets and in 1961, the company name was changed to HON. Today, The HON Company, a division of HNI Corporation is the predominant North American manufacturer and marketer of filing cabinets.
When was vertical filing invented?
Finding and opening envelopes and unfolding papers was troublesome and inefficient. However, the concept of vertical filing was clearly practiced as early as 1895 when a U.S. patent (533053) was issued to W.A. Cooke, Jr. for A Receptacle for Letters or Other Papers.
Why are filing cabinets wider than deep?
Lateral filing cabinets are wider than they are deep. It is because they are designed to hold more files in a single drawer.
How many sheets can you store in a filing cabinet?
Did you know that you can store about 6,000-10,000 sheets in a single drawer of a lateral filing cabinet?
What is Lateral Filing Cabinet?
A lateral filing cabinet refers to a lateral-shaped file storage unit.
How deep are lateral cabinets?
If the overall depth of lateral cabinets is 20.24 inches (514.16mm ), the cabinet drawer would be 19.75 inches (501.66mm), on average.
Why do file cabinets have lateral drawers?
A lateral file cabinet saves storage space because lateral drawers have a lesser depth and less floor space.
Which has more depth, vertical or lateral cabinets?
Lateral cabinets boast more width than depth, where vertical cabinets tend to have 24% more depth than lateral ones.
How much does a wood cabinet cost?
A quality wood cabinet in small or medium sizes appropriate for home office may come for $150- $300.
What is a metal file cabinet?
Metal file cabinets are typically made of galvanized steel and are the most durable option. This type of file is commonly used for high capacity filing in accounting areas and other places in the office where records are kept for extended periods of time. Although not considered the most traditionally attractive, ...
What is the letter size of a file?
Letter size documents can be accommodated by nearly all types of filing cabinets. A letter size document is the size of a standard 8-1/2” x 11” piece of computer paper.
What is side tab folder?
Side tab folders are folders used with side tab and rotary filing cabinets. These basic folders include side tabs that can be outfitted with labels for easy access to documents at a glance.
Why do filing cabinets have anti-tips?
Anti-tip mechanisms are built into many lateral files and tall vertical files for the safety of the user. If multiple drawers full of paperwork on a tall filing cabinet are open at the same time, the unit is likely to fall over, which can lead to very serious injuries. An anti-tip mechanism allows only one drawer to be opened at a time, thus drastically reducing the chance of an accident.
What is lateral file?
Lateral files feature wide but shallow drawers that are ideal for high capacity filing . Due to their shallow drawer extension, lateral files are great for walkways and areas that require a lot of filing in a tight space.
Why do you need a fireproof filing cabinet?
Fireproof cabinets are designed for the safety of your documents and valuables. Sensitive and highly important paperwork should always be kept in a fireproof filing cabinet, and valuable materials should be kept in a fireproof safe.
What is front to back filing?
Front-to-back filing is the opposite of side-by-side and refers to filing folders that are organized in a column from front to back . This is the most common way to file letter-size hanging folders in a vertical file and legal-size hanging folders in a lateral file.
Standard Weight of Lateral File Cabinets
Lateral file cabinets are mostly longer and hold more paperwork compared to their vertical counterpart. As it is longer and even sustains more paperwork, it is designed to be heavy.
Standard Weight of Vertical File Cabinets
In comparison to lateral file cabinets, vertical file cabinets have more depth. In addition, because the cabinets hold less paperwork, they are intended to be lighter.
The Standard Weight of the Fireproof File Cabinet
Fireproof file cabinets are heaviest than the lateral and vertical file cabinets. This is because fireproof file cabinets contain exterior clay material to be safe from fire.
Why are Filing Cabinets so Heavy?
One of the heaviest pieces of equipment in your home office seems likely to be file cabinets. There are a variety of reasons why your file cabinets are so heavy.
Disadvantages of Heavy File Cabinets
Despite the benefits of hefty file cabinets, there are several drawbacks to using them. The following are some of the primary disadvantages of bulky file cabinets:
Things to Consider Before Buying a Heavy File Cabinet for your Home Office
A bulky file cabinet might create a different problem. So, one should always choose the right file cabinets that fit perfectly well in your home office.
Some Top Brand File Cabinets and Their Weight
Manufacturers are one of the primary contributors to the file cabinet’s weight. The weight of file cabinets hugely depends on how the manufacturer designs the cabinets.
