Rules for installing hinges for the cabinet door, the nuances of the process
Furniture assembly work is considered completed as soon as the hinges are installed on the cabinet door, because the front side is very important. She is always paid attention to when entering the room, so a self-respecting owner will not allow flaws in the installation. Millimeter inaccuracies in the calculations - and the whole effect of new furniture is in vain. No matter how insignificant and simple the work may seem, it is an illusion. To carry it out qualitatively, you need to be a master. The aesthetic perception of finished cabinet doors is only 50 percent success. It is important that they are installed correctly: the period of operation of the cabinet without repair depends on the balance of the doors.
Content
Materials and Tools
You need to start assembling furniture with a selection of materials and tools that you will need for work. It is necessary to take into account the structure of materials, because there are different types of wooden surfaces. They will require various mounting devices and mounting methods. The main methods of fixation are the lower and upper positions. For massive sashes longer than a meter in length with heavy weight, add another loop in the middle. For mounting doors over nine kilograms. The maximum number of loops with a product weight of 20 kg will be 5 pieces.
Assembling furniture does not require complex mechanisms. The necessary set of tools consists of simple, familiar things. The following tools are required to mount the door mounts:
- self-tapping screws (4x16mm);
- roulette;
- hammer;
- drill;
- screwdriver;
- screwdriver;
- pencil;
- level;
- shallow.
Before you install the loop, you need to select the material for the job. The main material is a mounting device. There are many types of hinges in the market of accessories, they may differ:
- construction;
- material;
- design
- functions;
- style.
They are selected based on the types of material, dimensions, type of furniture. Separate fasteners are used for furniture that meets certain design styles. For doors of ordinary cabinets, standard semi-invoice and overhead fasteners are used.
When choosing fasteners, it is better to give preference to certified industrial products. This will extend the life of the furniture. The selection of loops should be comprehensive in view of all the materials necessary for fastening:
- fastening devices for large cabinets perform the functions of opening the wings. According to technical characteristics, these are mechanical parts;
- materials of which the doors are made are of no small importance, one of the significant indicators is their thickness;
- hinge material is also taken into account: they are made of alloys that are resistant to deformation and corrosion.
Overhead fasteners with four hinges have one mounting principle:
- cups lying at the base of the mounting device are connected to the panel;
- the liners are placed in the base, mounted on the side of the housing.
The operational life of these mechanisms exceeds permissible norms due to the reliability of the connections. To better understand the process of attaching the hinge to the cabinet, you need to understand the types of fasteners well. Universal loops on four hinges have a good margin of safety:
- the interval of their opening angle when mounted on the cabinet doors ranges from 90 to 165 °;
- they can be adjusted in three different planes;
- The mounting device consists of two elements:
- strips will be installed on the side wall of the furniture;
- hinges will be screwed to the cabinet doors.
Varieties of mounting loops
In the assembly of cabinets, various hinges are used. More often than others there are mounting devices having four hinges. In everyday life they are called frogs. These mounts fit all cabinets with doors:
- clothes;
- children’s;
- kitchen;
- for equipment;
- book
They are divided into subspecies, depending on how they will be installed. Products have a wide scope, are used for all types of cabinets.
Before you put the mounting device, you need to consider the features of the doors:
- for corner cabinets or cabinets of any configuration, hinges are chosen, which during installation will be fixed at an angle of 45 °;
- for the cabinet in which the doors are installed on the inner walls of the furniture without closing it, you need to select the inner hinge;
- for cabinets in which both doors overlap a common side wall, a half-hinge hinge must be inserted;
- a door designed to close the sidewalls of a niche is fixed with patch loops;
- in addition to loops consisting of 4 hinges, in the practice of assembling furniture, fasteners consisting of 2 parts that connect the axis are used;
- so that you can open the door at an angle of 180 °, you need to fix the device with inverse hinges;
- piano hinges with a simple mechanism used for kitchen cabinets. They consist of steel or brass tapes connected by wire. This type of fasteners can only be installed in kitchen cabinets, as for other furniture this fastener will be fragile.
When choosing furniture fittings, it is important to remember that when installing hinges with four hinges, they are mounted to the side walls of the cabinet with self-tapping screws, 4x16 mm in size. At the same time, the cup should have a diameter of 26 mm, the holes will have the same diameter.
How to markup
Before you install furniture hinges, markup is carried out and blanks are made for the subsequent stages of work: drilling and mounting the mounting device. For marking, it is important to know the number of hinges per door. The answer to this question stems from the weight and size of the cabinets. To withstand heavy, dimensional cabinets, you need 3 or more hinges. Lightweight hanging cabinets withstand two mounts. Taking into account the recommendations given in the table will allow you not to worry about the strength of the fasteners.
No. p \ p | Door size | Door weight | Number of loops |
1. | 200-250 cm | 20 kg | 5 |
2. | 200 cm | 20 kg | 4 |
3. | 100-150 cm | 15 kg | 3 |
4. | 100 cm | 9 kg | 2 |
You need to mark with the help of a level, pencil and tape measure. Compliance with the following order of work will help to make accurate calculations:
- mounting devices will be mounted 20-22 mm from the edge;
- the distance of the hinges from the ends of the door should be 70-120 mm;
- if you need to put more than two fasteners, first put a mark at the extreme points, and then evenly mark the remaining ones.
To make the markup more accurate, use special templates. When arranging several fasteners, make sure that they are not at the level of the internal elements of the cabinet (ends, shelves).
Drilling
Having completed the marking, drilling is performed.When assembling furniture with your own hands, rely on the following recommendations:
- along the lines of the markings on the doors, the holes of the hinge bowl are drilled;
- the mounting device is placed in a niche, aligned to 180 °;
- mark the points of installation of the loops;
- drill holes that are needed to attach the mounting device to the door;
- the door is aligned where it will be mounted. On the cabinet make notes;
- holes are prepared;
- holes are drilled for the strike plate.
Attaching Hinges
When mounting the mounting device, it is important to know how to position it correctly, this determines the life of the cabinet. We recommend placing the fasteners in one line so that the load on the hinges is uniform. If this requirement is not observed, the hinges will not withstand the service life. All joints marked with an awl or sharp nail should be clearly visible. For these purposes, work surfaces are wiped. All work needs to be done in detail: excessive fuss can cause a marriage.
Before mounting, a thorough check of all the parameters of the arrangement of shelves, cabinet doors is carried out. The ideal option is to sketch the installation. If all the elements are ready, you can start the installation:
- sashes need to be tried on the sides of the cabinet at the marking points;
- lock the door out of the blue. Insert into the drilled holes in the cups, connect to the door. Errors must not be allowed: all elements must be connected exactly in size so that the door opens without effort;
- the reciprocal level can be attached vertically;
- using fastening devices, it is necessary to mount “deaf”, they should not have errors. It is better to do the fastening with an assistant;
- After installing the hinges on the door, try them on the cabinet. They must match exactly. Points are marked on both sides. Correct connections will make the door work seamless;
- terminate by checking connections.
No need to worry if the doors do not move easily the first time they are opened. The door leaves will develop over time, and the hinges after completion of work are lubricated with machine oil and wiped with a soft absorbent cloth.
Types of adjustment of mounting devices
What is adjustment and why is it needed. This eliminates the problem that occurred during the installation of fasteners. Before conducting it, it is necessary to make a diagnosis in order to detect a problem. Having established the cause, slightly loosen the fastener bolt or tighten it stronger. Adjustment should be made whenever the doors begin to sag. This procedure has three varieties:
- depth adjustment is needed in rooms with uneven floors, it is necessary to loosen the fasteners or tighten the self-tapping screw. An ordinary screwdriver will do just fine for this job;
- horizontal adjustment is required, especially if the floor is uneven, to eliminate the gap formed between the cabinet and the door;
- vertical adjustment is needed to hang the doors at the right level. The procedure is systematic: you need to adjust the position of the cabinet doors so that they do not sag.
Glass mounting case details
The type of mounting device specially made for glass sashes differs from previous devices. On the glass doors, you will need to hang special hinges with a great design, adjustable in three different planes. The device includes:
- O-ring, which must be screwed to the glass;
- decorative overlay (it needs to be screwed to the side walls);
- fixing loop;
- a cap that closes the loop on the front side.
The hinge hinges, which include 2 parts: a plastic sealant and a hinge, can become a simple option for glass doors.It is mounted in the hole under the loop and on the glass.
Installation on glass doors must be carried out taking into account the characteristics of the material. It differs from other types of fastening, has its own characteristics:
- mark up for installation of fasteners;
- Drill holes in the cabinet frame with a drill;
- using screws, insert a loop into a niche;
- by means of clips fasteners connect with glass or a mirror;
- to protect the surface from damage between the glass and the mount, install rubber gaskets;
- finally tighten the mount.
It is better not to drill glass to prevent accidental chips and damage. This is fraught with loss of doors.
The installation of wide hinges is advisable on the doors of cabinets made of chipboard, as this is a loose material that will begin to crumble over time. To preserve the mechanisms in working condition, they need to be lubricated with machine oil from time to time to protect them from dryness and corrosion. In cases of door sagging due to the cabinet being in a damp room with uneven floors, it is necessary to adjust the fastening mechanisms.
Mounting the mounting device on the cabinet door is a responsible job, but it is feasible to do it yourself. All its stages are feasible. Particular attention should be paid to the markup so that the product pleases the eye and serves for a long time without failures and breakdowns.
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