Choosing suitable cabinet hinges for your kitchen is a necessity these days. Why are they so important? This is because hinges are the lifeblood of kitchen cabinets. And as we all know, they are not only pivotal components of storage in the space, but also contribute immensely towards the area’s overall visual appeal and look.
Hence, an organized and neat kitchen will be one that comes with suitable cabinet and door hinges. But how do you choose the right cabinet hinges for your kitchen? Do not worry; it is not rocket science at all. All you need to do is follow the tips mentioned below.
Choosing the best cabinet hinges for the kitchen- Vital tips
When it comes to narrowing down suitable hinges from the available options out there, you should take a few key aspects into account. These include the type of cabinet door and the construction pattern of the cabinet in question. They are not interrelated attributes and hence you should invest a little time and energy into ascertaining each of them carefully while browsing through cabinet hinges. This will make the entire process that much more convenient.
Here’s the lowdown:
- Frameless or Face Frame Construction- When it comes to selecting cabinet hinges, first zero in on the type of construction that you wish to go for. This parameter only covers the box and not the doors. Face frame cabinets come with frames linked to the front. This enables additional strength and higher dimension for the door fronts. Frameless counterparts are those without this type of construction and they come with thicker panels on the sides instead. It enables higher strength and ease of use.
- Door Type- Cabinet doors have four varieties. Overlay doors are bigger than their openings, positioned wholly on the top (no door portion is nestled within the opening). Full inset doors are those completely positioned within the opening while being flush with the cabinet surface. Partial inset doors have a door portion inset in the opening and a portion overlays the door opening. Offset doors are similar ones although the hinge is mounted on the surface and is fully visible.
- Suitable Hinge Types for Every Door- There are several varieties of hinges that you can choose for every door type. Overlay doors require 1/4″, 3/8″ and 1/2″ overlay hinges in most cases. Full insert cabinet doors need surface-mounted cabinet hinges or butt hinges. At the same time, partial inset cabinet doors require 3/8″ inset hinges. Offset cabinet doors may also need 3/8″ hinges.
These are a few basic factors that you should remember while selecting cabinet hinges. Here are a few other aspects that you would also do well to keep in mind.
Some additional things worth noting
While choosing hinges for kitchen cabinets, there are a few other aspects that you should not neglect. They include the following:
- The size of the cabinet door should influence your purchase. You do not want a scenario where an excessive number of hinges is installed on the door. Three or more are often necessary for bigger sizes while standard sizes require two hinges in most cases.
- Consider the door swing choices available. The degree of opening is the extent till which the hinge will enable the opening of any door. Some hinges will enable opening till 90° or slightly more while some may have wider opening angles. 270° hinges for instance, will enable the swinging back of the door against the side of the cabinet.
- Closing options also matter while selecting cabinet hinges. You can choose soft-close hinges that enable noise-less and smooth closing. There are also free-swing and snap-closing varieties that you can pick from.
- Some of the available hinges in this regard include no-mortise hinges, butt hinges, semi-concealed hinges, and European hinges. There are many other advanced varieties that are available from reputed brands today as well.
As you can see, there are numerous factors worth considering while selecting cabinet hinges. From the cabinet door type and its swing options to the construction type, you should make a note of these aspects in order to zero in on the best hinge that suits your needs to the hilt.
