Furniture hinges are important elements of furniture, because the ease of use of structures, functionality and even aesthetics depend on them. Therefore, you should pay special attention to the choice of cabinet fittings, since there are different types and varieties of furniture hinges, and each variation will be more advantageous in different cases, when assembling different types of furniture. Today we will look at the most common types of hinges, features of their structure and installation.
Furniture hinges
What are furniture hinges?
Furniture hinges are mechanisms that are attached to the front part of the door and the wall, thanks to which they allow you to open and close the door. They all perform different functions - there are the simplest hinges that only hold the door, there are variations with a closer or a “soft closing” effect, without knocking.
Today, four-hinged furniture hinges are mainly used to install doors - such designs are easy to install and can serve for many years without any problems, even with frequent use of the furniture. The mechanism consists of the following elements:
- bar;
- bowl;
- shoulder.
An example of a hinge that ensures the door moves smoothly (the arrow indicates the closer)
The hinge is fixed to the door itself with a cup, and secured to the furniture frame with a strap. For such purposes, screws and screws are most often used. The shoulder in this case performs connecting functions, being between the bar and the cup. All elements are connected using a mechanism on four hinges. There is a special screw in the bar itself, thanks to which you can control the position of the door to the cabinet frame.
Installation of furniture hinges on kitchen cabinets
Types of loops
Depending on the method of fixing the door and the design of the hinge, furniture fittings have several types. In order to choose one model or another, you will need to familiarize yourself with the use of each.
Table 1. Types of furniture hinges
| View, illustration | Description |
| Overhead and semi-invoice | Hinges of this type on four hinges are very popular; most often they can be found on various cabinets with hinged doors. A distinctive feature is good strength, so they can be installed on doors of both large and small structures without any problems. Thanks to such hinges, the doors will easily open at the most right angle. They do not allow them to skew to one side and maintain them in a single position. Upon external examination, a person without relevant experience will not be able to find obvious differences in the design of overhead and semi-overlay hinges, but they still exist. So, if you look closely at them, you will find that the shoulder lever of the semi-overlay loop has a greater bend. This feature allows the door, when open, to obscure only half of the end of the wall. In the case of overhead hinges, the end remains closed. That is why they prefer to use semi-overlay hinges only for ceilings to which doors are fixed on both sides (in cabinets with three doors). |
| Piano | Such hinges have the form of plates made of metal, which are secured to each other with hinges. Usually they are fixed, completely covering one edge of the door structure, therefore, even if upon external inspection they look unreliable, in reality this is not entirely true. Hinges of this type allow you to securely hold even a large door. They were given a characteristic name for the reason that such fittings are traditionally attached to fix the piano lid. They are also called inverse, because they ensure full opening of the door. Hinges of this type can be secured both from the inside and at the end of the wall. In modern cabinets, such hinges are extremely rare. Basically, they were installed in products made in the USSR. It is worth noting that not only piano-type hinges are called inverse, but also other four-hinged hinges. Full opening occurs due to good curvature of the shoulder. |
| Card | They have a similar design to the previous type of hinges, but at the same time they are more reliable, so such hinges are not installed along the entire length of the door, but only in places. Card hinges are mainly used to install doors, entrance or interior. They can rarely be found in cabinets and other pieces of furniture (only in large-sized structures with massive doors). You can see card loops in old-style furniture, various retro chests, and heavy bedside tables. |
| Domestic | The use of internal hinges is advisable if there is a need to “recess” the sash into the cabinet structure. In this case, the open door will not obscure the wall. The total opening angle in this case will be more than 90 degrees. Similar hinges are again used for heavy doors and cabinets. |
| Corner | Corner loops come in two varieties: 1. Card loops. Their design allows for maximum door opening, so they are extremely rarely used for furniture. They differ in that they have a negative opening angle. 2. Furniture. Such hinges are already installed on various pieces of furniture, but most often on small kitchen cabinets. |
| Secretaries | They are a combination of overhead and card type hinges. Their main difference from similar species is their miniature size. They are ideal for sashes that open horizontally. Secret hinges are not just attached to screws, but also cut into the structure itself, just like four-hinged models. |
| Mezzanine | These hinges are also used for structures with horizontal opening, but have some differences from the previous type. The mechanism involves the presence of a lever and a closer - this allows you to open the door upward without any problems. |
| Adit | Such hinges are used in cases where there is a need to fix the door from a blind front part. They allow the door to open fully. |
| Card | These hinges are variations of the previous furniture hinges. Their main difference is only that they are installed in a structure according to the chopik principle. |
| Pendulum and heel | Such furniture hinges also suggest the possibility of opening the door 180 degrees. In their structure they resemble card loops. The only difference is that there are two hinged mechanisms that are fixed by a plate, thanks to which the door will open without any obstacles in each direction. Of course, such mechanisms can be found very rarely in ordinary pieces of furniture. Heel joints are also classified as pendulum joints. They are fixed in the corner, above and below the door. You can find them on small kitchen cabinet doors and glassware. |
| Carousel | Carousel furniture hinges are also sometimes called “crocodiles” - the reason for this is their unusual appearance. They are used for any folding doors, but most often such hinges can be found on kitchen sets. The peculiarity of their design is that one door opens without affecting the second. |
According to the method of applying the sash to the body, hinges are divided into:
- Furniture invoice
. When closed, the hinged part (or simply the hinge) of the furniture door is tightly adjacent (or overlapped) to the end of the furniture body. This method of attaching a hinge is the most common, and you can see it on almost any furniture set - kitchen, bedroom, living room, on various bedside tables, cabinets, chests of drawers. The above-mentioned four-hinged overhead hinges allow the sash to completely close the frame of the furniture to which it is attached. The process of installing overhead hinges is described in more detail in the article Marking, adding and adjusting furniture hinges on cabinet doors in examples. - Semi-overhead
. The hinged part of the sash is only partially (half) overlapped with the furniture frame. Semi-overlay furniture hinges are used in cases where two facades (sashes) fit onto one side stand at once. A semi-overlay hinge can be distinguished by a slight bend in the base, which provides a small distance between two doors installed on one stand, for example, on a bedside table with two facades opening in opposite directions; - Inset (internal)
. If you don't look closely, it can be confused with a semi-invoice, but its purpose is completely different. It is used in cases where the facade needs to be placed inside the furniture body, while the hinged part of the sash is in contact with the adjacent wall of the body. The base of this loop has the most pronounced bend; - Corner furniture
- designed to secure the facade of furniture at a certain angle. These are the most suitable hinges for corner cabinets. Furniture hinges for corner cabinets can have a different structure depending on the angle of installation. There are furniture corner hinges for installation at an angle of 30, 45, 90, 135 and 175 degrees, and there may also be other non-standard models depending on the solution src=»https://mebsam.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/ 04/uglovaia-petlia.jpg" class="aligncenter" width="1280″ height="848″[/img] - Inverse
– hinges that open 180 degrees, in which the sash forms a straight line with the side post when open.
Different types of furniture hinges (overhead, without a cup, screw-in, etc.) may also have their own characteristics of the design and opening of furniture facades.
- Piano hinges
are an outdated type of furniture hinge, which is rarely found today due to its low reliability. Such hinges can be seen on the hinged facades of antique and retro-style furniture, and in book-shaped tables. The cover over the keys of pianos is usually attached using such hinges, which is why they have the corresponding name. You can read more details on installing piano hinges in the article Piano hinges: where to use and how to install. - Card
. This type of hinge is in many ways similar to piano hinges. They can be collapsible (two tubular) or non-collapsible (multiple tubular). Card furniture hinges consist of two plates, which are placed parallel to each other on one hinge using curves on the inner ends of the plates. They are used for retro style furniture design. You can find card loops in a figured design (with wavy outer edges, giving the structure the appearance of a butterfly). - Mezzanine
— used for hanging horizontal facades that open upwards. They are used as hinges for various types of cabinets or as hinges for kitchen cabinets. Their structure is in many ways reminiscent of ordinary overhead hinges. The operation of the design mechanism is based on a spring. - Secretary room
. In structure, they resemble card or piano cards, consisting of two plates with an axial hinge. Secretory fasteners (hinged) are used to fasten horizontal facades that open downwards. These loops got their name from the secretary, a small cabinet for storing papers. They can be mounted either with or without a cut-in. - Adit
– hinges used for hanging facades on side posts adjacent to the wall. Adit hinges are also called blind hinges, since the doors of the “blind” walls of cabinets and bedside tables are hung on them. Used to attach the facade to the false panel. - Card
– hinges used for fastening folding facades. The card loop is attached to both parts of the furniture structure at the ends and makes it possible to open the door 180 degrees. It is very often used on folding kitchen tables. - Bar (pendulum)—
Their structure also resembles piano hinges. They have several popular names: spring, double-sided, swing, reversible or “metro” - furniture hinges 180 degrees. The bar hinge allows the doors to open 180 degrees, similar to the doors in American bars (this is where their name comes from). - Heel or heel
. They can be installed as hidden if you make an insert first. They are attached to the upper and lower inner corners of the door. Such hinges are suitable only for light facades, so they are rarely used.
Many modern types of furniture hinges are a real engineering design, complex in their design. This was just a brief overview of the types of furniture hinges found in the manufacture of cabinet furniture.
Various types of furniture hinges according to installation method
Furniture hinges are distinguished not only by their appearance and functionality, but also by the characteristics of their installation.
Table 2. Differences between hinges according to the method of installation to the bar
| View, illustration | Description |
| Slide-on | This design is a collapsible mechanism. The bar is installed on the door itself separately from the main part of the hinge and the lever is already bolted to it. If necessary, it will be possible to control its location relative to the bar. |
| Key-hol | The design of the furniture hinge is similar to the previous view. The only difference is that the place where the lever is fixed to the bar looks like a keyhole. Thanks to this feature, it becomes possible to put the lever on a screwed-in bolt. |
| Clip-on | In this case, the latch acts as a mechanism for connecting the lever to the bar. |
Important point! All of the above furniture hinges with four hinges can be either with or without a closer. At the same time, its presence greatly simplifies operation.
Operating principle of door closers
Which furniture hinges are best for kitchen cabinets?
It is worth considering that when choosing this product for a canopy on the doors of a kitchen unit, you should adhere to the following criteria:
- When buying a furniture hinge, you need to take into account the design of the cabinet for which it is selected. The standard type of kitchen set is equipped with overhead and semi-overhead products. For built-in wardrobes you need to purchase inverse ones. If the type of opening of the moving parts occurs horizontally, for example, the top, then you should opt for mezzanine hinges, which have automatic latching.
- Diameter of the landing cup. This is a specific notch in the loop. It should cut into the façade according to the previously planned markings. When choosing this item, you need to take into account the weight of the door and its dimensions. For regular opening parts, you can take a universal hinge with a 35 mm cup. For lightweight ones – 26 mm, for heavy ones – 40 mm.
- Installation angle. These types of hinges can be divided into standard 90 degree hinges, which are installed on a larger number of cabinets. For corner facades made according to individual drawings, it is worth buying furniture hinges with a changed angle or adjusting pads under them to reduce the possibility of the door swinging open.
- The material from which the fittings are made. Various alloys are used for this type of product: aluminum, copper, zinc, brass. Experts advise familiarizing yourself with the durability characteristics of these materials. Brass and steel hinges are considered the most reliable. They are resistant to corrosion and do not rust in environments with high humidity.
- Determine for yourself the required number of hinges per sash. Usually these are two products. A distance of 0.50 m should be maintained between them, and 15 cm from the edge. If the kitchen should contain furniture made of heavy solid wood, then it is worth distributing the load over 3-4 hinges.
When facade hinges are purchased, then the installation can be entrusted to specialists and done independently, taking into account the basic installation rules.
To select the optimal model, you need to familiarize yourself with the main technical and operational parameters of each type.
Other types of loops
We looked at the most common options for furniture hinges, but it is worth considering that there are other types of fittings that are less common. However, such hinges may come with furniture, and it would be nice to have an idea of their features.
Table 3. Rare types of furniture hinges
| View, illustration | Description |
| Framework | These hinges are only used for glass doors with a frame. They allow you to attach the frame to the base. |
| With overhead type fasteners | In the case of all the listed cup hinges on four hinges, it becomes necessary to make an opening using milling equipment directly in the facade. If this is not possible, then use hinges with an overhead type of fasteners. Their main disadvantage is the impossibility of adjusting the door relative to the base without dismantling the fasteners. |
| For glass | This includes the entire group of hinges that are used to fix doors with a glass or mirror surface. They can be internal or overhead. |
| Pin | In appearance they resemble standard type card hinges. In this case, instead of plates, special pins are used as fastenings. |
Video - Types of furniture hinges
Materials for manufacturing accessories
In the manufacture of furniture hinges, various metals are used, but the main condition for manufacturers is their ability to hold their shape and not deform, reliability and resistance to long-term use. When choosing hinges, it is necessary to take into account not only functional features, but also the quality of the material.
The most popular are hinges made of steel or brass. They have a long service life, they are almost impossible to break or disable when used for their intended purpose. In addition, such products are not subject to corrosion and deformation.
Steel furniture hinges
Rules for choosing furniture hinges
Some unscrupulous manufacturers produce low-quality products because they are trying to save money. They use low-quality materials and violate hinge manufacturing technology. It is important to know which furniture hinge is better, better quality and more durable.
First you need to pay attention to the thickness of the metal. A loop that is too thin is a clear criterion for a low-quality product. It is also recommended not to purchase cheap products. In this area there is a relationship between price and quality. It is necessary to choose strong hinges. Their service life depends on this. The number of fasteners depends on the dimensions and weight of the doors.
It is recommended to select hinges according to the installation method. Many buyers pay attention to the country of the hinge manufacturer. Chinese versions of fasteners are often only fakes of well-known brands. To protect yourself, it is important to check documents on products and read quality certificates. It is better to choose trusted companies that have proven themselves in the market.
When choosing, it is important to consider the purpose of the hinges and the required functionality. It is important to study in advance how furniture hinges differ, and which option is more suitable for a particular situation.
What are the stages involved in installing furniture hinges?
Many novice craftsmen are puzzled by the question of how to properly install hinges. Therefore, in order to avoid making any mistakes, you need to know the sequence of installation work:
- Marking installation locations for furniture hinges. As you know, a furniture hinge includes a bowl and a strip, which are mounted on the facade and on the frame itself. That is why the markings should be left on both of these parts. It is important to measure the distance required for the hinges and calculate the exact position of the planks.
- The next step will be to create a hole for installing the cup. This can be done using a drill of the required size.
- Door installation.
- Hinge adjustment in all directions.
Do not screw the hinges by eye, without markings
Video - Marking furniture hinges
Installation of furniture hinges
It is worth noting that installing furniture hinges is a simple process that even a beginner can do. In this matter, it is necessary to follow a certain algorithm, then the occurrence of any problems is practically eliminated.
During the work you will need the following:
- a screwdriver or electric drill (it is advisable to take a drill with a large number of interchangeable attachments);
- drill-mill (usually its diameter is 25-35 millimeters, it depends directly on the size of the cup);
- a simple pencil;
- measuring tape;
- screwdriver;
- awl;
- self-tapping screws
Step-by-step instruction
Step one: mark the furniture hinges. First of all, it is important to identify the centers of future recesses. It should be borne in mind that all doors have different heights, so these indicators will differ (from 70 to 120 millimeters). An equally important point is the weight of the door leaf. In some cases, three or more loops are fixed.
Marking the location of furniture hinges
Important point! If more than three hinges are installed, care must be taken that they do not come into contact with the transverse elements inside the cabinet (shelves). The mark for preparing the hole should be made at a distance of 2 millimeters from the end of the door.
Step two: drill a hole for the hinge. Using a drill and a special end mill, you can begin the process of drilling a hole in the blade. Most often, the standard bowl depth is about 12-13 millimeters. It is not recommended to try to make the recess larger, especially in the case of a chipboard door leaf. After all, the outer polymer layer may crack as a result of such actions. It is almost impossible to fix such a problem.
We work with a special end mill, which can be used to make round holes
To ensure that there are no chips left on the surface, it is recommended to use only a sharp, sharpened cutter. In addition, during the drilling process, the drill is kept in a vertical position, without leaning to the side.
Step three: after the work is completed, you need to place the loop in the prepared hole and align it along the end of the facade. Next, using an awl, you need to leave markings in the hinge holes for the purpose of further installation of self-tapping screws. Then they will need to be screwed in there.
Installation process
Step four: hang the facade on furniture hinges. Another part of the furniture hinge should be secured to the side of the inside of the frame, after which you can connect these canopies to each other. Next, you should adjust the door in relation to the base using a screwdriver. It is recommended to do this in a horizontal position and only on a leveled surface - the side on which part of the loop is fixed should be located in this way. This will allow you to first try on the location of the door, and only then install it.
Hanging the door
Step five: adjust the location of the hinges. Adjustment of furniture hinges is carried out in the following directions: vertically, fixation depth and horizontally.
Adjusting the hinges according to the depth of the canopy attachment is necessary in order to ensure that the door is close to the base. You can weaken it in the same way if there is a need. Use a screwdriver to adjust the oval-shaped hole (this method is often used to adjust hinges in rooms with uneven floors).
Adjustment
Vertical adjustment allows you to set the door slightly higher or lower.
This method will be especially relevant after some time, because under the influence of gravity, any structure begins to sag to one degree or another. The adjustment is made by carefully twisting the oval hole. Horizontal adjustment eliminates the gaps that often remain between the facade and the body. This method is also used in rooms with uneven floors.
If the doors become warped over time, you just need to adjust the hinges
Installing furniture hinges with your own hands is a fairly simple task, but one that requires attention and accuracy, because how well the doors of cabinets and cabinets close will largely depend on correct installation.
Installing hinges
The method of installing cabinet hinges depends on the material from which the door is made.
Before starting work, it is important to find out:
- how many hinges are needed to securely hold the door;
- what tools are needed.
Preparatory stage
The number of loops depends on a number of factors:
- overall dimensions of the hinged door (the most important thing is to find out the height of the facade);
- door mass.
Determining the required number of hinges to securely install the door
The following tools will be required for installation:
- a milling machine with an attachment equal to the diameter of the loop cup;
- a drill with a drill that matches the diameter of the mounting screw;
- pencil, tape measure for marking;
- building level;
- a screwdriver or a regular screwdriver according to the size of the fasteners.
Installing a hinge on a wooden door
To install hinges for kitchen cabinets or other furniture made of wood, follow the instructions below.
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For drilling, it is recommended to use the sharpest possible tool. It is important to monitor the exact location of the cutter and the depth of the niche. For standard furniture hinges, the recess depth is 12-13 mm.
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To make it easier to install the loop, you can use a special template that allows you to quickly and accurately apply markings.
Using a marking template
Installing a hinge on a glass door
Installation of hinges for glass cabinets is carried out according to the following scheme:
- All work begins with marking and selecting an area to install the loop. The marking rules are identical to the previous situation;
- Using a drill, the hinge is attached to the wooden frame of the cabinet. To do this, holes are drilled for fasteners, and the hinge is fixed using a screwdriver or screwdriver;
- The loop is attached to the glass using clamps. The glass surface is inserted into the loop. Rubber gaskets are installed on each side between the glass and the hinge to protect the glass from damage. The hinge is fixed with bolts.
You can learn more about the method of installing hinges for glass doors by watching the video.
The instructions show the installation of hinges, which does not involve drilling glass. This method is most preferable, since it eliminates the possibility of the door splitting. How to install a hinge if you need to drill glass is shown in the figure below.
Installation of a hinge if it is necessary to drill glass
Installation of hinges for metal cabinets can be carried out using one of the presented technologies. The installation method depends on the type of hinge used.
