Installing whole overlay hinges is easier than you think. If you have the right tools, you can do the job much faster rather than calling and waiting for a carpenter to fix it for you. Before you start assembling your whole overlay hinges and cabinet doors, you need to have the proper equipment: Self-close: Available in some concealed hinges. Similar to soft close hinges and draws the door in with even less effort from the user. Inset. The Inset hinge creates a blended look by making your door blend in the wall it’s placed in, resting on the same plane of the cabinet frame as well as the door space of the cabinet. If you don’t have these items in your garage, then it’s okay. Call your carpenter and let him do the dirty work for you. But if you do have these items, then it’s time to assemble your whole overlay hinges. Step 1: Place a mark on the door where you will place the hinge base for the cabinet Soft closing hinges are becoming more popular on kitchen cabinets, especially as a feature in high end or modern kitchens. This type of hinge requires the door to be manually pushed close by the user, but just before the cabinet reaches the fully closed position, the hinge itself will take over and slow down the closing process. This results in a ‘soft close,’ preventing the cabinet door from being slammed close, and inhibiting any sound you might usually hear when closing a cabinet door. F. Self-Closing

In addition to the most common hinge types, there are many hinges made specifically for restoration projects, more ornate decorative styles, and even hinges just for piano lids. 1. European hinges Learn how to choose the best type of hinge for any cabinet project fromcabinet maker Ken DeCost in MT Copeland’s Introduction to Cabinetry online course . 2. Decide if you want hinges concealed or exposed These hinges are also known as surface mount hinges because they are fixed onto the surface of the cabinetry and don’t require a mortice to be created, making them very easy to fit. They are adjustable, allowing you to alter them to allow a door to open and close at exactly the right angle. They are mounted to the inside of both the cabinet door and frame, making for an invisible hinge once the door is closed. Cabinet Hinge Features A. Decorative Hidden hinges, as you may have predicted, are those that cannot be seen from the outside of the cabinet. There are various types of hinges that can fit into this category, and the one you need will be decided by your cabinet type. Some hidden hinges will be completely invisible when the door of the cabinet is closed, while some will be low profile and discreet, though not entirely removed from view. C. Heavy DutyA half overlay cabinet is where two doors sit over the top of a frame and meet in the middle. Behind the closing edge of the two doors, at the point where they meet, will be a central post or partitioning wall. These types of cabinet doors require a half overlay hinge, which is attached to the partitioning wall, and allow both doors to open and close snugly against each other without hitting each other. These hinges need to be small to allow them to both fit on the central partition. The look of these hinges is not considered to be important because they won’t be seen when the doors are closed. 7. Full Overlay Hinge Self-open: Simply press the drawer front to pop open the door. Good for modern styles that do not have external cabinet hardware. Full overlay cabinet hinges are an excellent choice if you have a furniture cabinet whose front largely covers the front edge of the cabinet's side. This type of furniture hinge will also work when you want to freely open the cabinet door so that it gently slides over the line of the frame. Moreover, the vast majority of full overlay cabinet hinges are known for their durability and reliability.

If you’ve ever gone to a hardware store to look for a set of cabinet hinges, you will probably have discovered there are an overwhelming number of choices. To ensure you get the correct hinge for your cabinets, learn about the main types here. Cabinet Hinge Types 1. Butt Hinge Face frame cabinets have a frame installed on the face of the cabinets, while a frameless cabinet box is essentially just the bare box. Inset cabinet doors work well with frameless cabinet boxes because they are installed flush with and on the same plane as the cabinet frame.

It’s essential that the hinge type you use matches the cabinet door style that you are building so that the door is mounted with the proper amount of clearance. There are two main styles of door overlay—inset doors and overlay doors. Overlay doors come in partial overlay and full overlay. Take a look at your cabinet design to determine which you are working with.

Blind Corner - 95° hinge used where doors open inline with the panel it attaches to, used in corner cupboards. The hinges are pretty self-explanatory and what you choose among them entirely depends on the style you’re going for your cabinets and doors. How Do You Install Full Overlay Hinges? Full Overlay. A full overlay hinge makes the cabinet door cover the entire cabinet opening when closed, and the wood edge inside the cabinet is wholly exposed once the door is open. Wedge the door with even gaps at all sides. The hole should be at least 1/16 inches in measurement.Exposed hinges, like butt hinges, are visible and often intentionally so. They are extremely common in traditional American styles of cabinets and vintage styles. On the other hand, concealed hinges offer a clean exterior look and more contemporary style. Exposed hinge cabinet front Concealed hinge cabinet front 3. Choose either surface mount or mortised Invisible hinges are sometimes also known as concealed hinges. They tend to be very small and fit on the inside of a cabinet. They are popular for instances where you don’t want a hinge to be visible, and even when the cabinet door is open, this type of hinge is very discreet and will not be easily noticeable. 11. Strap Hinge Create marks going over the line 3 inches away from both the edges at the bottom and top part. This will act as the center for your hinge cup.