Choosing The Right Cabinet Hinges And Glides For Your Kitchen

Choosing The Right Cabinet Hinges And Glides For Your Kitchen. Cabinets have lots of hinges and glides. The style and functionality of hinges and glide significantly impact the cabinets’ performance and appearance.

There are multiple hinge options, and choosing might take some effort. Below are the hinge options in the market and a guide on choosing the best hinge for your cabinet. So that you know, you must figure out the type of cabinets you have before selecting the type of hinge.

Choosing The Right Cabinet Hinges And Glides For Your Kitchen

You have to be keen and do some research before choosing cabinet hinges. You have to consider how the inches will appear on the cabinets and their functionality. Below are the tips for selecting cabinet hinges and glides.

Select hinges before getting started

You can choose the hinges you like if you are building the cabinets from scratch. You should be able to know the hinges you will use in the initial design stage and accommodate them in your project.

Don’t make the mistake of starting the project before buying the hardware because you may not find what you are looking for. You will need to rework the entire project to fit the new hardware that you didn’t plan for.

You should only make minor changes to your project, not major ones such as hinges and glides.

Know the manufacturer

You need to identify the manufacturer of the hinges, especially if you are replacing existing cabinet hinges. You can find the name stamped on the hinge. You can also check to buy guides to find out the best manufacturers. They can direct you to the best hinge replacements.

You can also upgrade the current hinges with ones that are more functional with new features. For instance, a hinge with a soft closing mechanism works best than regular ones.

Cabinet size matters

You need to find hinges that will support your cabinet doors for a long time. Please don’t install too many small hinges because they won’t look good.

Two hinges per door are enough, but you can install three if the door is too large. You can check the hinge count graphic and door size to know if you need more than two hinges.

Types of hinges

Butt hinges

Butt hinges are made of two plates held together by a pin. One plate is attached to the cabinet, and the other to the door. Butt hinges may have a big gap between them and usually require a mortise.

No mortise hinges

These hinges are similar to butt hinges but minimize the gap between the door and the cabinet. These hinges fold within themselves when the door closes. It significantly reduces adequate thickness to that of one leaf.

European hinges

The hinges are joined in frameless European cabinets but can also be used on face frames. They have a cup on the back of the door and a mounting plate that secures the cabinet. These hinges allow adjustments in different directions, making it easy to align the door.

The side adjustment reduces the gaps between cabinets, doors, and walls, while height adjustments align the door at the top and bottom.

Semi-concealed hinges

This hinge is partially visible outside the cabinet when you close the door.

Cabinet glides

There are three types of glides: side mount, center mount, and under support.

Side mount

Side mount glides are mounted to the side of the drawer and inside of the cabinet case. You need to plan for clearance when you install these glides.

Center mount

Center-mount glides are mounted to the underside of the drawer. They are not visible when you open the drawer because they are installed at the center of the bottom.

Under-mount

These glides are installed on the drawer’s underside and the cabinet case’s side.

What to consider when buying cabinet glides

1)Extension

Please consider the access you need for your drawer because some glides allow the drawers to open completely while others restrict.

2)Weight capacity

The capacity of drawers usually ranges from 75 to 100 lbs. Please take into account the drawer’s purpose before buying your glides. Kitchen cabinets require light glides because their power is small.

3)Motion features

Choose glides that facilitate soft and self-closing because they make it easy to open and close the drawer. You can also choose a locking glide to keep the drawer in place when closed.