Cabinet Door Hinges: A Placement Guide

Cabinet door hinges come in a wide variety of different shapes, sizes, and types. Some cabinet door hinges are spring loaded, while others are inset into the door. They can be plastic, wood, metal and even ceramic. No matter what type you have, you will have to find out where to actually attach them on your cabinet door. Here is a quick placement guide for cabinet door hinges.

Always Use Two
No matter what type of cabinet door you are looking to hang onto your cabinets, you will always need two cabinet door hinges. Unless the door is very heavy, two hinges are typically required. Cabinet door hinges are placed on the top and bottom of the side of the door.

Opposite Cabinet Door Pull
Cabinet door hinges are located on the opposite side of the cabinet door pull. Because of this you can easily open the door in a swinging motion without putting too much in the exertion. In double cabinet doors, placing the cabinet door hinges on the opposite side of the doors - even when there is a middle frame - will allow the doors to open wide without interfering with the other.

Hinge Measurement
The cabinet door hinges should be placed at least 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches from the top of the edge of the cabinet. Alignment with the edge of the cabinet will greatly depend on the type of hinge. They could be set flush with the edge of the cabinet face or in 1/4 inch from the edge.

Inlay Cabinet Door Hinges
One type of cabinet door hinges that require precise placement is the inlay type of cabinet door hinge. This hinge is placed within a cut out in the cabinet door that is made with a router or chisel. Placement is flush with the outside edge of the cabinet door with both hinges 2 inches from the top and bottom edge.

Consistent Placement
Placing cabinet door hinges in an entire kitchen requires consistency. Placing hinges randomly - without any type of constant measurement - will make the entire room look confusing and chaotic.

Use Straight Edge
The easiest way to place hinges in a consistent manner, and keep your cabinet doors straight, is to use a straight edge. Line the straight edge 1/4 inch from the edge of the cabinet door opening and mark the placement for the hinges 2 inches from the top and bottom. Using the straight edge will keep all your cabinet door hinges straight and consistent.