Use time-tested tricks to hang cabinet doors. Cabinet doors are standardized with common measurements for hinge placement. And even though there are many different type of hinges, they all use similar methods when it comes to door hanging. Most cabinet doors are installed when cabinets are lying flat. But you can hang almost any door after the cabinet is installed using only simple tools. Door Hinge Placement Always consider hinge placement before installing hinges on any cabinet door. This comes before the door is hung, and standard hinge placement measurements should be used. When installing the hinges on the door, it's common to measure down 2 inches from the top corner of the door and 2 inches up from the bottom corner. To give the door adequate support, this measurement should remain consistent on all of the cabinet doors you will be installing. Position and Clamp Most cabinet doors overlap the opening by 3/4 inch. If yours differ, just make sure that the overlap is equal on all sides or that the overlap is consistent.
If you get confused, use previously installed doors for reference. If you have no reference, hold the door in place on the opening. Split the difference between the bottom and top and then measure from the bottom of the door to the bottom edge of the cabinet. Cut a piece of 3/4-inch scrap wood to that measurement. It should be at least as long as the bottom of the door. Clamp it to the edge on the bottom of the cabinet for a brace to hold the door in place. Place the Door After the hinges are screwed onto the door, stand the door on the 3/4-inch block. Slide the door sideways as needed to balance the overlap on both sides. Check the horizontal position of the door. Depending on what type of hinge you have, it may fit over the edge on the opening. If this is the case, then the horizontal door position won't be an issue. The door can only fit one way. Typical overlay hinges can float, though, and you must move the door into horizontal position over the opening by sliding it back and forth on the support block.
Screw It On Before placing the cabinet door on the support block, you should place a screw in the magnetic tip of the drill/driver. This is a trick that all cabinetmakers use so that when you pick up the gun, it already has a screw in place ready to go. You will be holding the door in place on the cabinet with one hand and reaching for the gun with the other hand, so make sure the gun is also within arm's reach when you put the door on the block. Pick up the gun and guide the screw into one of the hinge holes on the top hinge. Screw it into the hinge. The door will now stay in place, but be careful as you put another screw in the magnetic tip. Put the next screw in the bottom hinge and finish by installing the next two screws. Remove the clamp and support block to finish. Photo Credits David Sacks/Lifesize/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionHow to Install Concealed Euro-Style Cabinet Hinges Easily upgrade cabinets with these adjustable, disguised hinges Q: We'd like to install cabinet doors with concealed hinges.
How do we do that? —Jeffrey Odenwald, Chesapeake, Va. Cabinetmaker Steve Roca replies: Whether you're hanging new doors, as I'm doing here for a hallway cabinet, or swapping out old hinges, concealed or Euro-style hinges are a dream to install. Unlike the butt or knife hinges often used in kitchen cabinets, they can be adjusted along three axes with the turn of a screwdriver, so you can easily fine-tune the door's fit. Concealed hinges can go in face-frame or frameless cabinets and on any door type—including full overlay, partial overlay, or inset—as long as the doors are at least ½ inch thick. The hinges I'm using are for frameless cabinets with inset doors. To find the hinge that will work with your door type, consult the hinge company's online brochures and customer service line. Then, with the right hinges in hand, follow the steps on the next page to install them. Shown: Steve Roca adjusts a soft-close inset hinge to even up the gap around the door. Use a combination square to mark a line on the back of the door parallel with the hinge-side edge and inset ⅞ inch.
Then make marks across this line 3½ inches from the top and bottom edges, as shown. The point where the lines intersect marks the center of the hole for the hinge cup, the part that recesses into the door. Drill The Cup Holes To drill the flat-bottomed hole for the cup, you'll need a 35-millimeter Forstner bit. Mark a depth line ½ inch up the side of the bit, position it on the center point, and bore into the door until you hit the line. Blow out the shavings and test-fit the cup to make sure the hinge flanges touch the door surface. Drill the remaining cup holes. Install The Hinge Cups Press the hinge cups into the holes. Position a rafter square, as shown, to keep the hinge aligned. Using a 7/64-inch self-centering drill bit, drill pilot holes through the screw holes in the flanges on both sides of the cup, as shown. Drive ⅝-inch #6 wood screws into these holes to anchor each cup. Shim the door in place with an even gap all around, and measure the gap; 1/16 inch is standard.
Remove the door, and use a combination square to mark a vertical line on the cabinet's side panel 2¼ inches from the front edge. Then make a horizontal line, as shown, 3½ inches—plus the gap—from the top and bottom of the opening. Install The Mounting Plate Remove the mounting plate from the hinge. Align its three screw holes with the intersecting layout lines on the side panel. Using the self-centering bit, drill pilot holes through the plate's holes, then attach the plate with the ⅝-inch #6 screws, as shown. Do the same for each hinge. Hold the door in the open position and hook the hinges onto their mounting plates, as shown. Press on the bars to snap them in place against the plates. Now close the door and check the reveal. Adjust Side to Side With a Clip-top Blumotion hinge, all you need to fine-tune the position of a cabinet door is a #2 Pozidriv screwdriver. (A #2 Phillips-head can strip the hinge's screws.) Problems: Uneven or insufficient gap between adjacent doors, or door doesn't align with cabinet frame.