Changing Cabinet Door Hinges

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There are many different kinds of hinges that can be installed on your cabinet doors. If you are changing the existing kitchen cupboard hinges, it is really important to replace them with the same sized overlay. This will make the project go smoother and quicker if you do not change this important factor.

What is an overlay hinge?
The term simply refers to how far from the inside edge of the kitchen cabinet that the door overlays when it is fully closed.

Can I use a Different Size Overlay?
Yes! It is possible in some instances to use a hinge that has a different dimension than the original ones. This is generally acceptable when you have large face-frames on your cupboards. You will find that some hinge suppliers provide several different options for the plates in order to have more adjusting and design options. You certainly want to avoid having your doors rub together when you are opening and closing them. So, proceed with caution if you are thinking about using a different size door margin that the original. A calculator can come in real handy for this type of change to the kitchen cabinet design.

Where to Buy Kitchen Cabinet Door Hinges

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The best place to start when shopping for new cupboard hinges is to find a local cabinet supply company. Take an old one in and have them match it to one that will work as a replacement. The sales representatives will be very helpful, more so than if you go to a large home center like Home Depot.

If you want to achieve a new look and eliminate some of the large margins between doors, this is the time to find different sized overly hinges. Changing door margins generally works best if you are replacing the old doors with new ones. It is possible to make a few minor alterations when you reinstall the existing doors, but the best way to decrease and increase margins is by purchasing new doors.

• Important: When you change your hinges all of your cabinet doors will need to be readjusted. This is something that is going to take a while. So, do not be in a big hurry during this part of the project.

Stripped Out Screw Holes
This is something that you may encounter is screws that are not securing the hinge parts properly because the holes are reamed out. You can generally fix this problem by adding a few wooden tooth picks that have been dipped in a little wood glue, in the screw holes.

What if the Attachment Screws are not Aligned Properly

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If the new hinge securing holes do not line-up properly with the old holes in the kitchen cupboard door or on the cabinet, don’t panic. You may have to angle the fasteners a little to get them to work. There’s not really any way of getting around this.

You could try to fill the holes with wooded tooth picks and re-drill pilot holes for the screws. This is usually very difficult because the distance that the holes are off is so minute that the fasteners have a tendency to want to go into the old holes.

Making the Adjustments
There are many videos on Youtube for adjusting cabinet hinges. Every style hinge that was ever made for cabinet doors has some sort of adjustment tolerance. I always start in the corners or at the end of a cabinet run when I start hanging the cabinet doors back on. Get the firs kitchen cupboard door perfectly adjusted and then work out the details of all the others as you hang them.

Fastening European Hinges
This is a great video tutorial that demonstrates the correct way to fasten European hinges on the cabinet doors so that they are perfectly square to the edges of the doors.

Now you should study this article if you plan on installing new kitchen cabinet doors.

Just so you know, never in my thirty years of switching out kitchen cabinet hinges has it ever been a smooth process. You will encounter some difficulties, but with the right attitude and plenty of time you can do the project yourself. Well actually, changing the hinges and rehanging the doors will be much easier if you have an extra set of hands to help you.

Even though I’ve personally installed many new kitchen cabinet door hinges alone, an extra hand sure makes the whole installation process a lot easier.