Are Kitchen Cabinet Hinges Universal?

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The kitchens are an essential part of any house because you cook food and define the look of your home. Therefore, the kitchen interior should be done right, especially the kitchen cabinets, because you use them frequently when in the kitchen.

The kitchen cabinet hinges come in different sizes and shapes; therefore, finding the right hinges for your cabinet doors can be challenging. However, you can note down the cabinet style and size to install hinges on new cabinets. But if you want to replace your old hinges, you also need to measure the diameter of the hole in the door, the thickness of the cabinet door and carcass, along with hinge overlay and cabinet outlook.

Are Kitchen Cabinet Hinges Universal

Do you want to upgrade the old cabinet hinges but do not know how to do that? No problem. This article will tell you everything you need to know to change the kitchen cabinet hinges. You will learn to determine the suitable size of cabinet hinges according to your kitchen and cabinet layouts. Further, we will discuss which paint is appropriate to paint your hinges.

Can You Use Any Size Of Hinges For The Kitchen Cabinet? 

You cannot use any size hinges for your kitchen cabinet because the hinges for the kitchen cabinet come in various sizes. Still, the most common dimensions for the cabinet hinges are ¼ inches, ⅜ inches, and ½ inches. So, it would be best if you got the hinges according to your cabinet door size and the cabinet style.

On the other hand, if you want to replace your old hinges with new ones, you need to measure different things, including the diameter of the hole in the cabinet, the thickness of the door and carcass, etc., before getting new hinges. Otherwise, you may end up with hinges that do not fit in the holes of the cabinet.

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Factors to Consider When Changing Kitchen Cabinet Hinges

Following are some factors you should consider when changing your kitchen cabinet hinges.

Opening Angle for the Cabinet Door

The opening angle is when the cabinet door opens, and the commonly used opening angles for doors range from 95 degrees to 110 degrees. However, some people keep 170 degrees or even 40 – 50 degrees depending on the cabinet location.

Hinge Overlay

You need to select if you want the full, half, or inset hinge overlay. Firstly, the cabinet door sits on the cabinet carcass end in a closed position in the entire overlay. But in the half hinge overlay, the cabinet door only fits either side of the cabinet carcass. Lastly, the cabinet door sits completely, with the front edge of the cabinet carcass in the inset overlay.

Diameter of the Hole in the Door

It is essential to measure the diameter of the hole in the door before getting new hinges because the diameter size varies and generally is 26mm, 35mm, or 40mm. Therefore, always make sure to check the diameter of the hole before buying new door hinges and not the diameter of the hinges because it may be smaller than the diameter of the door.

Cabinet Door and Carcass Thickness

The mountain plates come in various sizes, but the usual mountain plate sizes are 15/16mm or 18/19mm. Therefore, to pick the appropriate dishes, you need to measure the thickness of the cabinet door and carcass accurately.

Mounting Plate Connection for Hinges

You also want to select how you want the hinges to connect to the carcass. The commonly found hinges in the kitchen are clip-on that usually clip onto the mounting plate connecting it to the cabinet without the screws or side-on that slide onto the mounting plates and attach them to the cupboard. Still, you need to fix them in the position by using a screw.

How Do You Know The Size Of Kitchen Cabinet Hinges? 

Usually, you need to measure the length and the width of your kitchen cabinet hinges to know their accurate size. Furthermore, you can use the following methods to determine the size of the kitchen cabinet hinges.

Measuring the Length and Width of the Hinge

Follow the following steps to measure the length and width of the cabinet door hinges correctly.

  1. Use a screwdriver to remove the hinge from the cabinet door.
  2. Lay the hinge down on a flat surface by opening it up, take the measuring tape, and measure the length of the door hinges between the outer edges. This open width measurement is the most used value for new hinges, but you can always take other dimensions for greater accuracy.
  3. The door hinges commonly have two leaves, and they may be of different sizes depending on the size of the hinge. Thus, you need to measure both of the leaves, especially if both leaves are of various sizes, for a better match. For this, the measurement of both leaves from the middle part of the hinges to their outer edges.  
  4. Lastly, measure the length of the central pin of the hinge by holding the measuring tape parallel to it. The central pin is generally the longer part in the door hinges, but if your hinges have leaves with different heights, you need to measure their size separately.

Use an Overlay to Measure the Size of the Hinge

The overlay (full, partial, or inset) is the measurement of how much your kitchen cabinet door overlaps the cabinet frame. But remember that all kitchen cabinets do not have an overlay. Nevertheless, follow the following steps to measure the overlay to determine the proper hinge size.

  1. Close the door of the cabinet for accurate measurements.
  2. Measure the space between the closed cabinet door and the cabinet frame. You can use a led pencil (because you can erase the mark of the led pencil) to mark and a ruler to measure it. 
  3. Now, open the door and measure the space between the door and cabinet frame on the hinges’ side. 
  4. In the case of a partial inset door, you need to measure the lip. If the door partially overlaps the cabinet frame, open the door, measure from the inner edge of the cabinet frame to the edge of the door using a ruler.
  5. Use this overlay measurement to get new hinges for the cabinet doors.

Take the Old Hinge Removed From the Cabinet to the Expert

If you do not want to make all that effort, take the old hinges to the hardware store, and let the shopkeeper find you the options for replacing those hinges. You can decide hinges from those options according to your preference and cabinet layouts.

Do Kitchen Cabinet Hinges And Pulls Have To Match? 

It is unnecessary to match the kitchen cabinet hinges, door handles, fixtures, fittings, and pulls. Still, they need to blend and coordinate to make the kitchen space aesthetically pleasing.

Further, as a simple rule of thumb, you can select hinges and fittings similar to the color of your kitchen paint and appliances for aesthetics. For instance, if the primary color of your kitchen and cabinet doors is white, black, brass, or gold can be excellent choices for cabinet hinges and doorknobs.

On the other hand, if the color of your kitchen cabinet doors is black, you can go with chrome, bronze, or brushed nickel color hinges. Overall, you need to select the color that looks good with your kitchen aesthetic and door styles to make the space harmonious and cohesive.

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Can You Paint The Kitchen Door Hinges?

It is not a good idea to paint the kitchen door hinges because it ruins the integrity of the hinge mechanism and reduces the lifetime of the door hinges. Further, the paint does not last long on hinges because the door hinges are the most used part of the door, and they work every time you open the cabinet door leading to chipped paint.

Nonetheless, if you want to have painted hinges, buy hinges with a primer coat of paint. However, if you’re going to paint your door hinges yourself for aesthetics or renew your old hinges, you can use any high-quality special metal paint. It would be best not to use the wall or acrylic paint to paint kitchen cabinet hinges because they do not stick to the metal.

Moreover, you can use spray paint to paint the hinges, but of course, it is also a short-term solution. Therefore, if you want to spray paint your hinges anyway, you need to remove them from the cabinet, clean them, and paint them.

Furthermore, Rustoleum can be a better choice for painting your kitsch cabinet hinges. However, replacing the old hinges with new ones is always the best idea to avoid all that hassle, and that too works for a short time.

How To Clean Kitchen Cabinet Hinges?

If your hinges have rust or chipped-off paint, you need to clean them properly to recover the damage. For that, remove the hinges from the cabinet door using a screwdriver and follow any of the below-mentioned methods to clean the hinges and remove the rust or residual paint. 

Use Baking Soda

  1. Take an old pan that you do not use for cooking and pour some water into it.
  2. Let the water boil, and add some baking soda to the boiling water.
  3. Take the heat down, add the hinges in it, and let them simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. Remove hinges from the water and scrape off the paint using a soft brush or by your hand. It would help if you were gentle while removing the paint, or the hinges may get scratched.
  5. If the paint does not come off, repeat the process.

Use Vinegar

  1. Mix 1 cup of vinegar to 1 cup of water and boil it.
  2. Pour it into a bowl and place the door hinges in it.
  3. Let the hinges sit in the mixture for a while or until the paint softens.
  4. Use a soft brush to scrub off the paint, rinse the hinges with water, and dry them thoroughly.

How To Match All Kitchen Cabinet Hinges?

It is common practice to use the same size hinges for all the cabinets in the kitchen; therefore, if you measure one cabinet hinge, you can assume that all the hinges are the same size. However, it can be different for small sizes and corner cabinets; thus, measure them separately for better accuracy.

Can You Replace Old Cabinet Hinges With Soft Close?

It is a good idea to upgrade old cabinet hinges with soft close hinges; since they have built-in mechanisms that prevent doors from slamming. The soft close hinges (also known as self-closing hinges) slow down the cabinet door and shut it quietly.

Further, it is very cheap to upgrade old cabinet hinges to soft close hinges by just using a device. As we know, we should leave some tasks for the professionals, but the best part about soft-close hinges is that you can easily install them on your own, which makes them an even more budget-friendly option.

Final Thoughts

To wrap it up, one can say that choosing the right hinges for the kitchen cabinets can make a huge difference because they come in many sizes and shapes. However, always make sure to coordinate the cabinet size with hinge size and hinge color with the primary color of the kitchen for the perfect aesthetically cohesive kitchen.