Share How to fix cupboard hinges
There aren't many things as annoying as a cabinet door in your home that sags and doesn't work properly as a result. As such, there are number of reasons why you might encounter the problem, however, don't worry, as they're often easily fixable.
Whether because of defective cabinet hinges or a stripped screw hole, the causes of sagging cabinet doors can be quickly identified when you know what it is you're looking for.
So, come with us now, as we look at the most common reasons why your cabinet doors may sag or become loose, along as some of the easy ways in which they can be rectified.
Why Might Your Cabinet Doors Become Saggy or Loose?
Ok, so your cabinet doors get put through a lot, multiple times, each and every day. Most of the time, they operate unnoticed, only to stick out like a sore thumb when they malfunction or don't fit as they once did.
Let's take a look at some of the most common and how they can be addressed by anyone with a modicum of DIY aptitude.
A Broken Cabinet Hinge
One of the most common reasons for a sagging cabinet door is defective cabinet door hinges. Cabinet hinges often experience wear and tear, particularly in the kitchen. As such, even cabinet door knobs and the handles on your drawer front panels need replacing from time to time.
Broken cabinet door hinges represent an easy fix
The Solution: Broken hinges for cabinets represent a simple fix, as it simply requires you to head to the Hiatt online store and buy some replacements. If no damage has occurred to the cabinet and the screw holes, it should be a simple matter of undoing all the screws and fitting the new hinges. Easy.
Loose Cabinet Hinge Screws
Even if your cabinet door hinges aren't broken, they might still end up causing you a problem. It could be that they just worked loose, meaning that nothing has become damaged enough to need replacing. As such, a tiny bit of adjusting with a screwdriver is usually needed to restore a smooth open/close motion.
QUickly tighten the cabinet hinge screws & the problem's solved!
The Solution: This is the easiest fix of all in this blog, as you'll need only to tighten the mounting screws. So long as the screw threads are intact and you're not dealing with stripped holes, the job should take you under a minute. If not, you should perhaps read on to the next paragraph.
Stripped Screw Holes
If you find that when you try and tighten each hinge screw into place, it never quite seems to tighten enough, the screws holes you're dealing with have been stripped. This means the hole is now too big to accommodate the corresponding cabinet hinge screw. Your cabinet door seems loose because the hinge will no longer fit flush.
You'll need some wood glue and matchsticks
The Solution: Fixing screw holes that have become stripped is simpler than you may think. All you need to do is get some spent matchsticks and feed a few into the hole with a splodge or two of wood glue. Simply wait for this to dry and harden, and you'll have something for the cabinet hinge screws to bite into.
A Cabinet Door That's Too Heavy
One reason why a cabinet door hinge might break or work loose is when the cabinet door that's installed weighs too much for the cabinet hinges to cope with. As such, this extra weight will be too much for the screws, and while it might be supported by the other door when closed, sooner or later, they'll break or loosen.
An Extra Hinge Is Needed
The Solution: The good news is that when the cabinet door is too heavy, you don't have to remove everything and start again. Instead, what you should do is install an extra cabinet hinge in order to spread out the load on the screws. It's just a 10-minute job and will ensure that your cabinet doors don't ask too much of the fixings.
A Hinge That's Coming Away From the Door
Sometimes, the reason why your cabinet doors aren't functioning properly is that the cabinet hinge has come away from the door, leaving a big hole behind. Thankfully, this doesn't mean that you have to throw your cabinet door away, rather just repair the hole and reattach the hinge as if it were a new door with no drilled holes.
Some wood filler is all that's needed
The Solution: The job of repairing a hole in your cabinet door is another easy one and just needs the application of some good-quality filler. Simply spread the filler over the area and work it into all the crevices with a putty knife. Keep doing so until you have a new surface you can work with.
Then leave it for 2-8 hours or until cured. Then you can just sand the area down until flush and drill new holes and reattach - as if it were a new door. Simple!
Cabinet Doors That Overlap?
Another issue that sometimes occurs with cabinet doors is when they seem to work fine, right up until you try and close them fully. The only stopping you from doing so is that the cabinet door overlaps the one adjacent. This calls you to adjust the cabinet hinges via the central screws.
Adjust the Cabinet Hinge Screws
If you're suffering from a misaligned cabinet door, you just need to adjust the two screws you'll find along the horizontal part of their construction. Turn the leftmost screw in a clockwise direction and with just a little tweaking, you should find it's once again flush with the other door.
Cabinet Doors With a Gap Between Them
A similar issue can arise when your cabinet doors are hung in such a way that there's a big gap between them when they're closed. This is kind of the opposite of the previous cabinet hinge problem, and the way to fix it is rather similar too. As such, it's another issue that can be rectified in minutes.
Again, just tweak the hinge screws
On this occasion, you'll be going to the same screws you'd adjust when the doors overlap. However, this time, you'll be turning the outermost screw in an anti-clockwise direction. Keep playing with it until it goes completely flush with the other door, eliminating the gap at the same time.
Keeping Your Cabinet Hinges Functioning Well
While issues with cabinet doors, wherever they exist in the home can seem quite minor, however, that doesn't make them any less annoying. As we've seen here though, restoring smooth movement to your cabinet hinges just takes a little know-how and a bit of spare time.
We hope you've found our blog helpful and that it allows you to take care of these jobs in the home yourself. Just remember that we stock a dazzling array of cabinet accessories in the Hiatt Online store that you can use to enhance the look of your home or office.
That's it from us on this occasion, but you should be sure to check in with us again soon for more tips and advice from the home of high-quality door hardware. Take care and we wish you happy DIY-ing!
