Purchase File Cabinets For Your Office Based On These Options

Office file cabinets are necessities in the workplace as well as in many home offices. I thought that computers were suppose to cut down on the amount of paper we saved, but it seems like we accumulate even more paper these days. If you haven't shopped for a filing cabinet in recent years, you'll be surprised at the amount of options that are available. Here's an overview of the three kinds of office file cabinets we're going to discuss here: vertical files, lateral files, and fireproof files.

Vertical file cabinets were the original design. If you have limited wall space, they are a good choice as they take up less wall space than lateral files. Vertical office file cabinets do not accommodate both letter and legal size file folders, so you must select either vertical or lateral cabinets. The other necessary decisions are paint color, depth, pulls (if the brand you are considering has more than one pull style), and the number of drawers (2, 3, 4, or 5).

Lateral file cabinets are the most popular these days and also more versatile than verticals. Many workstations use two drawer file cabinets under work surfaces. Laterals will accommodate both letter and legal size file folders, so it's not necessary to make that decision. The folders will be arranged either side-to-side or front-to-back in the drawers. There are many choices for these cabinets. The necessary decisions are paint color, edge detail, choice of pull style, depth of cabinet, width (30, 36, or 42 inches), and the number of drawers (2, 3, 4, or 5).

Custom lateral file cabinets are available from some manufacturers, but they are more expensive. They are custom in the sense that you can "build the file" yourself; in other words, you choose each piece from the base to the top. Since there are so many ready made options, it is rare that you would need to go the custom route.

Lateral File Tips:

A five drawer lateral file is more convenient if the top module is a lift up door rather than a pullout drawer as it's impossible for most people to see inside the top drawer.

For a more finished look you can order laminate or wood tops for lateral files that will match the work surfaces in your cubicle or your desk top.

Fireproof file cabinets are not widely used. However, they do serve a purpose particularly since they double as a safe. The things you need to know about fireproof files is that they are expensive and extremely heavy. If you purchase a large size be prepared to pay a hefty delivery charge.

Purchasing Suggestions For Vertical and Lateral File Cabinets:

Choose high-quality office file cabinets that are made with a thicker grade of steel. This will eliminate warping or bulging cabinets when they are filled to capacity.

Purchase units that allow only one drawer to be open at a time, which will prevent the cabinets from tipping over.

Purchase office file cabinets made by the same manufacturer as the furniture in your office or your workstations/cubicles. There are several reasons why this is important:


The paint color or wood finish will match perfectly.
Choose the same edge details and pulls as your furniture.
All locking drawers can be opened with the same key as long as your furniture dealer orders it that way. It's called "keyed alike" and insist that your private offices as well as your workstations are ordered "keyed alike." If you order additional furniture with locking drawers, request lock cores with the same key numbers.

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HON Lateral Filing Cabinets Make Office Organization A Breeze

Working in an office can be a disorganized mess or a breeze depending upon the type of filing system you are using. There is a wide range of high quality lateral filing systems available online, along with many other office storage options including vertical files, office desks and chairs and storage cabinets. You should make sure furniture pieces are always shipped fully assembled in order to ensure that they are ready for use immediately following arrival.

We have reviewed some of the most popular lateral filing cabinets that are available online. They come in four different finishes: putty, black, light grey and charcoal.

The HON 600 series Lateral Filing Cabinets: The HON 600 series of lateral filing cabinets offers files which are 30", 36" and 42" in width and 19-1/4" in depth. These filing cabinets were created in order to accommodate both letter and legal size filing, and leveling glides are adjustable. There is a three-part slide suspension which telescopes and is operated on a suspension with steel ball bearings. Whether you need a two-drawer lateral filing cabinet system, or a five drawer, HON's 600 series has exactly the filing cabinet to suit your needs.

The HON 700 series Lateral Filing Cabinets: The HON 700 series of lateral filing cabinets offers filing systems in 36" and 42" wide, with files which are 19-1/4" deep. All file drawers in the HON 700 series have drawer pulls which are full-width. The 700 series shares the same three-part, telescoping slide suspension which operates on ball bearings made of steel. The 700 series cabinets also have counterweight in filing systems with two or three drawers. The lateral filing cabinets in the 700 series are available with as few as two drawers, and as many as five.

The HON 400 Series Lateral Filing Cabinets: The HON 400 series of lateral filing cabinet solutions offers filing systems that are 30" wide, with files which are 19-1/4" deep in both two and four drawer styles. These lateral filing cabinets offer "one key" interchangeable core removable locks, and have a mechanical interlock in order to prevent tipping by allowing only one drawer open at a time.

The HON 500 Series Lateral Filing Cabinets: The HON 500 series of lateral filing cabinets offers cabinets which are 30" and 36" in width with file drawers which are 19-1/4" deep. These filing cabinets feature a flush case and monochromatic drawer pulls in addition to drawer-front stiffeners in order to provide an extra level of sturdiness to the cabinets. These cabinets are available with as few as two cabinet drawers and as many as five cabinet drawers.

The HON 800 Series Lateral Filing Cabinets: The HON 800 series of lateral filing cabinets offers cabinets which are 36" and 42" in width with 19-1/4" deep cabinet drawers. These cabinets are available in four and five-drawer styles with a shelf that rolls out and a receding door. Units with five drawers are also available with a posting shelf which is full-width and rolls out as well. These filing cabinets are available with as few as two drawers and as many as five, along with the option for up to two roll-out shelves.

The Hon 10700 Waterfall Edge Series Lateral Filing Cabinets: The HON 10700 series of lateral filing cabinets are high pressure laminate accented to be both stain and abrasion resistant. Rounded corners and a waterfall edge allow for a contemporary look, and the cabinet systems are available in three different finishes: Henna cherry, medium oak and Mahogany. HON's Waterfall Edge lateral filing cabinets feature HON's "One key" core removable lock, and come with a HON limited lifetime warranty. These cabinets are available in two or four drawer versions only.

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Filing Cabinets in the Modern Office Environment

The humble office filer scarcely attracts very much thought in our busy offices but a quality filing cabinet should give years of problem free service. Even with the current trend towards the paperless office, filing cabinets are still extensively used as the inescapable fact is that most offices still produce large quantities of written documentation and paperwork that needs to be filed away.
Filing cabinets are usually manufactured from either steel or wood. Of the two common materials used, metal filing cabinets are lighter, stronger, more durable and usually are supplied with a manufacturers guarantee of between 5 and 15 years depending on the quality of the filing cabinet supplied. Wooden filing cabinets are often very durable but usually are supplied with a guarantee of between 1 and 5 years.
Filing cabinets are designed to store tab files that hang on runners inside each filing drawer. One key design option to look out for when deciding upon a filing cabinet is full drawer extension. Basically this is where the filing drawers can be pulled out 100% so that the files located at the very back of the drawer are able to be easily accessed without the need to reach back into the cabinet to find the required files. Another important requirement is the anti tilt device which operates by stopping more than one drawer being opened simultaneously as the weight of drawers full of files could easily cause a cabinet to fall over. Files should be loaded into the bottom drawers of the filing cabinet first to assist with stability of the cabinet.
There are two common sizes of suspension file in Europe, foolscap and A4. Foolscap is by far the most commonly used size used in Britain and Ireland, whereas A4 is the most popular size in continental Europe. The runners that support the suspension files are usually built into the top of the drawer sides in a standard filing cabinet so the suspension files are usually designed to run from front to back. Some filing cabinets include conversion fittings to allow either foolscap or A4 sizes to be stored. Users must note that the drawer bases in filing cabinets (and particularly in wooden filing cabinets) are not generally designed to support great weight and so the filing cabinets should not be used as normal drawers.
Another popular type of filing cabinet is the lateral filer which is just an extra wide filing cabinet where the suspension files are most commonly designed to run from side to side instead of front to back. The alternative unit for storing suspension files is tambour system storage units with either a wooden or steel carcass that have been supplied with pull out suspension file frames. Eurpean office furniture manufacturers offer an extensive range of tambour storage cupboards with an excellent range of internal filing fitments. This design is far more popular in continental Europe. Pull out suspension filing units mainly accept A4 suspension files as standard, though often can be adapted to store foolscap suspension files.
Bisley filing cabinets are without doubt the leading brand for metal filing cabinets and their flagship BS range of cabinets are designed with durability in mind and are usually supplied with a 10 or 15 year manufacturers warranty. The BS series features fully welded construction with twin skin drawer fronts. Drawers are fitted onto roller ball bearing slides which deliver extra-smooth action and 100% extension. The Bisley BS range includes five, four, three and two drawer versions all of which accept either foolscap or A4 suspension files. The BS4E four drawer filing cabinet gives 2.2 metres of filing storage.







Martin Lloyd is CEO of UK based firm Deskshop Office Furniture. Martin has expert knowledge of the UK office furniture market including Bisley filing cabinets and wooden filing cabinets.

Wood File Cabinets - How To Select The Right One

File cabinets come in many sizes, styles and levels of quality. In addition to offering a way to organize and access your documents, file cabinets can also become flexible and useful pieces of furniture that can be used in almost any room of your home or office.
You can buy either metal or wood cabinets file. Wood, specifically solid oak, is the most attractive and durable material to look for. It will last a very long time and be an attractive addition to your home or office.
The many styles of solid wood file cabinets include Mission, Contemporary, and Traditional and come in several standard sizes, which include:



Letter sized file cabinets, which generally hold only 8.5" x 11" paper, but can also be used for 8.5" x 11" legal size files.

Legal size file cabinets, which generally hold both 8.5" x 14" and 8.5" x 11" paper.

Lateral file cabinets, which come with 2 or 3 drawers and generally hold 8.5 x 11" and 8.5" x 14" paper.

Personal file cabinets that are generally smaller and hold only 8.5 x 11" letter files

The letter or legal size file cabinet can be used the alternate way by moving the metal brackets.
Wood file cabinets are available with 2, 3, 4 or even 5 drawers. When deciding which one would work best for you, consider not only the amount of file storage needed, but also the other uses you have for the file cabinet as a piece of furniture. It could be used as an end table, a storage chest, a credenza, a DVD or video tape cabinet, a nightstand, or a place to keep your printer, fax machine, copier, or coffee machine.
If you want to place some of the above items desk height, a 2-drawer cabinet allows you a 30" high platform. If you line several up in a row you can have quite a large surface. A lateral file also offers you this advantage without a seam in the middle. For this purpose, look for file cabinets with flush sides so there won't be any gaps between the cabinets.
A 3-drawer file cabinet, which stands about 43" high, offers more storage per square foot of floor space and you can still put plants or other light items on top. A 4-drawer file cabinet, which is about 55" tall, offers a tremendous amount of storage, as does an even taller, but rare, 5-drawer file cabinet. We don't recommend putting anything other than a very light item on top.
SAFETY FIRST!
Any piece of furniture that is holding a lot of weight can be dangerous. An important safety issue with file cabinets is the danger of tipping and crushing. Large and heavy file drawers can cause the file to tip forward. Therefore, several things can be done to minimize this danger.


Do not fill the file on the top drawer while leaving lower drawers empty.
As mentioned above, do not open more than one drawer at a time.
Attach file cabinets to the wall to prevent tipping.
Where possible, put your heaviest items in bottom drawer (to act as an anchor).
Do not put attractive nuisances like TV's and games on top of tip prone furniture unless it is properly tethered. Children may climb up to retrieve the remote or turn on the TV with horrible consequences.



CHOOSE A HIGH-QUALITY WOOD FILE CABINET
The lowest quality wood file cabinets are generally made for self-assembly by the customer. This is usually more difficult than you expect and utilizes "cam" assembly hardware. You'll also want to stay away from file cabinets that are made of particleboard. Even though the tag might say it's made of wood, don't be fooled because that description might still be referring to particleboard, so beware. According to the Furniture Manufacturers Association, solid wood includes particleboard. What you really want to look for is SOLID wood-either solid oak, pine, or cherry.
Another thing to keep in mind is that in order to hold a lot of weight a file cabinet should have glue screws and clamps--not cam locks in particleboard.
Next, know the difference between printed grain, genuine wood veneer, and solid wood without particleboard. The easiest way to tell if a piece of furniture is made of solid wood is to look at how the grain is running. If the end grain runs the wrong direction (perpendicular to the other grain), it is most likely veneer. I'm not saying veneer doesn't have its place if properly done, however, you should not be misled and be able to purchase what you are looking for/know what you're looking at.
Wood drawers are best made with English Dovetailed joints. If a drawer is assembled with cams, it won't hold together. A drawer glued and stapled can be an acceptable assembly method if the staples are only holding the assembly together until the glue dries.
Another important element of a file cabinet is the hardware used to open the drawers. Check the runner system. Make sure it pulls out smoothly and evenly? How does the tracking system work? If the drawer pulls out less than 90%, you will loose storage space and it will be difficult to retrieve your documents from the back of the file. Euro type roller glides are unacceptable for any file cabinets. This type of roller system works with two interlocking wheels on a spindle and it can't take the heavy weight of a file drawer and will likely not last very long at all. The better glide system for file cabinets is a full ball bearing--full extension slide system with at least a 100 lb weight rating.
Also, consider whether or not you want to lock up your drawers. You can put a lock on each individual drawer. This is the easiest way to lock up any particular drawer from which you want to keep prying eyes. You can also lock up all the doors by using a key just on the top drawer and the mechanism will lock all the doors below. Interlocking systems on quality wood files can be a costly and sometimes can hang-up creating access problems.
The wise consumer will take all these pointers into consideration when selecting a wood file cabinet. If you stick to solid wood and good glides and stay away from self-assembly, you'll have good access to your files and your cabinet will last a very long time.







If you're interested in viewing sturdy well built wood file cabinets or other wood and oak office furniture then visit Barn Furniture Mart. We've specialized in wood and oak furniture for over 60 years!

A Beginner's Guide to Finding Quality and Secure Filing Cabinets

Just as the name suggests, filing cabinets are special furniture units designed for filing important papers, storing files and documents in a methodical manner and keeping them secure under lock and key. A neatly organised filing system creates a positive feeling about any organisation.
Unlike other office furniture, filing cabinets come in very few styles. The two main types of filing cabinets offered by most office supplies companies in the UK are:
1. Vertical Filing Cabinets:
This is the traditional filing cabinet designed with two to ten drawers for storing letter or legal sized files. Here, the files are stored facing the front of the drawers. The drawers have depths ranging from 12 to 30 inches, while the width is usually 18 inches. For offices with little space, vertical filing cabinets are a better choice as they take less floor and wall space.
2. Lateral Filing Cabinets:
These filing cabinets come with much wider drawers as compared to the vertical ones, up to 42 inches. Here, files can be stored from front to back or side-to-side depending upon the filing structure. In a lateral filing cabinet, one can store files of both legal and letter size in the same drawer.
One more advantage of lateral cabinets is that one can easily access and view the stored files. Moreover, the storage capacity is about one third more as compared to the vertical filing cabinets. This filing cabinet is a better option for offices where limited wall space is not an issue.
Apart from the two types of filing cabinet mentioned above, there are two more popular furniture units that are used in offices for storing files and important documents. These are rolling cabinets and open shelving units.
A rolling cabinet has sturdy castors providing you with the option to move your files to wherever they are required. This is very useful if yours files are required in more than one location, or you wish to easily change your workspace.
On the other hand, open shelving systems have open shelves placed side by side and on top of one another. These open front shelves are simple in design and less expensive.
Things to consider before buying a filing cabinet
Before buying an appropriate filing cabinet for your office, it is essential to know a few essential things like:
-The number of drawers of the cabinet, and their width and depth.

-The floor space where you want to place the filing cabinet.

-The overall size of the cabinet, you don't want to buy something that might look lot out of place.

-Enquire about the maximum weight capacity per drawer before selecting the cabinet.

-Check the internal drawer width to ensure that it meets your storage requirements.

-If buying for security reasons, look for a fire or impact-resistant filing cabinet.

-Buy a filing system with a quality suspension mechanism so that you can open and close the drawers without any hassle.

-Look for filing cabinets with counter weighted drawers to ensure that the cabinet never tips over while accessing the top drawers.

-While buying a filing cabinet, it is essential to give importance to the material used in manufacturing it, as that will give a good indication as to its durability.

-Last but not the least, buy a cabinet that blends well with the rest of your office furniture.
Keep this checklist in mind while placing your order for a high quality filing cabinet from an Office Supplies Company in the UK, the USA or any other country in the world. For top quality filing cabinets you can rely on, choose Bisley Filing Cabinets or Triumph Filing Cabinets, they are amongst the best on the market.







Tony Chalmers has worked for a reputable Office Supplies Company in the UK in various capacities. He is also an amateur writer and has written various articles related to office supplies and furniture.