Doors and Windows - why don't my cabinet doors close?

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View Full Version : why don't my cabinet doors close?


mtrail
09-04-08, 05:01 PM
I'm installing new hinges on old kitchen cabinet doors. They are inset lipped doors, and the hinges are an adjustable 3/8 inset style. Some of the hinges work just fine, but with some of them I simply can't get the door to close fully no matter how much fiddling I do. It feels as though the screws are going to pull out of the wood if I try to close the door all the way. Is there some trick to this that I'm missing, or are these substandard hinges? Thanks for any advice!


Just Bill
09-04-08, 05:08 PM
Hinges come with a number of different offsets, insets, etc. Make sure you have the right one. If you got them at big box, what came out of the drawer may not all be the same hinge. People mix them up all the time.

mtrail
09-04-08, 06:00 PM
Thanks for replying!
I got them from Rockler, and they certainly all look the same. I put the hinges on the doors first, and they fit into the space just fine. But when I screw the hinge to the frame and try to close the door it stops about a half inch short. It's as though there is something blocking the hinge from swinging closed, but I've driven the screws in as tightly as possible. An electrician who was in the house insisted they were "sprung". What exactly does that mean? The hinges seem to look and operate just fine off the doors.


Just Bill
09-05-08, 04:51 AM
Sprung refers to the self closing action, if they have that feature. The spring or device that helps close the hinge gets out of whack, or sprung.

Difficult to say what the problem is without seeing the situation. Rockler has good products. It sounds like you are using the existing holes, maybe that is what is binding up the hinges. Try a slightly different mounting point.

Wirepuller38
09-05-08, 07:20 AM
Check to see if the inset is binding against the inside edge of the face frame. You may need a mirror and flashlight to do this.

chandler
09-05-08, 12:57 PM
It is also possible you have the offset sitting on the wrong part of the door. Just a guess.