How to adjust cabinet hinges? If you feel like your cabinet doors seem unfit with the cabinet spaces, then maybe you should look into its hinges. They may either need replacement or simple adjustments. Before opting for the former, you should first go through the latter. This will help you save more time and money in the long run.
Unlike others, you won’t necessarily need to work with a pro to make hinge adjustments. Instead, you just need to familiarize yourself with basic steps.
To help you with this, we will teach you how to adjust cabinet hinges in the next sections. We will also fill you in with the necessary details along the way.
Before You Begin
Before we go on to how to adjust cabinet hinges, let us first walk you through the basic details that you should know. This involves the preparatory steps that you should do.
Firstly, you should find the specific cabinet doors that need adjustment. This may require you to check each cabinet door and see how they fit with the component itself. You may need to invest a little time if you own a big cabinet.
Next up, determine the kind of adjustment that you need to make. From the previous task, you also have to know how and where you need to move the doors and hinges.
Usually, there are three types of adjustments for regular hinges. These include up or down adjustment, right or left adjustment, and in or out adjustment. The steps that you need to do will vary on what adjustment is needed.
Tools You’ll Need
For the process, you will need a Phillips-Head Screwdriver. This is the only thing that you need to prepare, no matter what kind of adjustment. You will use this to adjust the hinges’ screws.
Steps for Adjusting Hinges Up or Down
If you find your cabinet door too high or too low for the cabinet component, then you most likely need to adjust your hinges up or down. Here are the steps on how to do this:
- Open the cabinet door and find the cabinet hinge.
- If there is a designated screw for up and down adjustment, then simply adjust it to your liking. For regular hinges without special screws, head on to loosen the two mounting screws (counterclockwise) on the hinges.
- Adjust the hinge depending on the desired height.
- Tighten the screws (clockwise) once you reach the right height.
Ensure that the hinges are not too tight nor too loose in their position.
Source: Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets
Steps for Adjusting Hinges Right or Left
Moving your hinges left or right requires a side-to-side adjustment. Here, your doors may not align well with the cabinet’s edges. They may also be tilting more onto one side. To fix this, below are the steps that you should follow:
- Open the cabinet door, and locate the cabinet hinge.
- If the door tilts more to the right, find the side-to-side screw placed on the top part of the hinge. If it tilts more to the left, navigate to the side-to-side screw on the bottom part of the hinge.
- Adjust either one or two of the side-to-side screws depending on the door’s current position.
This adjustment may need several trial-and-errors to get to the best door position. This is most especially if your cabinet doors have heavy tilts.
Steps for Adjusting Hinges In Or Out
For cabinet doors that have gaps on the top or bottom part, then consider adjusting the hinges in or out. This is also applicable for doors that automatically pull themselves away or closer to the component. For the steps:
- Open your cabinet door to find the designated cabinet hinge.
- For doors that require inside adjustment, adjust the depth adjustment screws on the top hinge closer to the top. Do the opposite for outside adjustments.
If you’re using wooden doors, and this adjustment did not solve the issue, then you may need to replace the door itself. This is because it may already be too humid to function.
Before Wrapping Up
Before you wrap up the whole process, consider testing out your cabinet doors after every adjustment. This will help you know if you did the process right. At the same, it will serve as a way to tell if your hinges need to be adjusted more.
Summary
Before you learn how to adjust cabinet hinges, you should first know the type of adjustment you need to make. This will determine the whole process that you will base on.
To summarize, the three types of adjustment include:
- Moving hinges up or down
- Moving hinges right or left
- Moving hinges in or out
Anyhow, the only tool that you need is a Phillips-Head screwdriver. This will be enough no matter what direction you want your hinges to move.
Once you’re done, make sure to test your cabinet doors first. In this way, you’ll be able to know if you made the right adjustment or if it needs further modifications.
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