Kitchen cabinet doors endure a significant amount of use over time. If you consider the frequency with which a cabinet door is opened and closed throughout its lifespan, it becomes apparent why their durability is commendable. However, it’s not unusual for cabinet doors to become misaligned, causing homeowners to second-guess their choice of even the most classic cabinet designs. So, why does this misalignment occur, and can it be resolved, or are you left without options?
For those with newer cabinets equipped with cup hinges, commonly known as Euro hinges, the answer is almost always yes—you can fix the misalignment. It’s important to note that my advice pertains specifically to these cup hinges, which are widely used. If your cabinets have a different hinge type, these tips may not be applicable.
Understanding the types of misalignment your cabinet doors might experience can help you address them effectively. Firstly, check if the back of the cabinet door is flush with the cabinet box and equidistant from the box along its perimeter. Secondly, ensure all doors are adjusted to the same height and align across their tops. Lastly, check for an even reveal—the intentional space between door edges. Fortunately, all these alignment issues can be corrected using the adjustments available in cup hinges.
What is a cup or Euro hinge, and do you have one?
After WWII, as Europe rebuilt its industrial sector, the 32mm cabinetry system was developed. This system incorporated rows of pre-drilled 32mm holes along the panels’ front and back edges, standardizing box sizes, hardware styles, and mounting systems for more efficient cabinet making. It also facilitated the creation of frameless cabinets—those without traditional face frames. Traditional barrel or leaf hinges, which attached to the face frame, were unsuitable, leading to the development of cup hinges, also known as Euro hinges.
Cup hinges were a significant departure from previous designs. They consist of a hinge cup, hinge arm, and mounting plate. The hinge cup is installed in the door by drilling a 35mm (or sometimes 26mm) hole and securing it with screws. The mounting plate is attached to the cabinet box, with holes spaced 32mm apart to fit the pre-drilled panel holes.
Though initially designed for the 32mm system, cup hinges soon became popular for frameless cabinets in the US due to their distinctive appearance. If your hinges resemble the ones in the image above, you’re dealing with cup hinges. Their adjustability has greatly contributed to their prevalence in modern cabinetry.
Here’s how you adjust cup hinges on your cabinets
Once you’ve identified your cup hinges, it’s time to explore their adjustment options: up and down, planar adjustment, and side to side. All adjustments require a screwdriver. Begin with the “up and down” adjustment by loosening the screws on the mounting plate attached to the drawer box by about half a turn. Do this for all hinges on the door. When loose, you can raise or lower the door slightly. Adjust the door to the desired position, then tighten the screws.
For planar adjustments, locate the screw at the back of the hinge arm, nearest to the cabinet’s back. Turning this screw moves the door forward or backward relative to the cabinet box. Adjust all hinges on the door, tweaking each screw incrementally if there are more than two hinges.
Finally, to adjust the reveal between doors or the alignment of the door’s outer edge with the cabinet’s edge (for full overlay doors), turn the screw at the front of the hinge arm. And there you have it—the versatility of cup hinges in action!
Before we wrap up, there are a few additional details about cup hinges you should know
You might think there are no screws on the hinge arm, but that’s not the case! Often, existing cabinets have a decorative clip covering the screws on the hinge arm. Remove the clip to access the screws.
While adjusting, if a screw turns without effect, you may need to replace the hinge. Finding a matching hinge can be challenging, but specialty woodworking stores or websites are good resources. Fortunately, hinge failure is rare.
Additionally, modern cup hinges offer features like soft-close or self-closing mechanisms. With some research, you can upgrade your existing hinges to these advanced models, which are particularly useful in homes with teenagers. If you’re considering replacing barrel or leaf hinges with cup hinges, know that the task is substantial and may require replacing some cabinet door styles. However, the upgrade can be worthwhile.
