Whether you’re hanging a cupboard door, creating a box lid, or upgrading your house door, you’ll be introduced to many different top types of hinges. Isn’t it absurd that we don’t use just one single hinge type for everything?
Believe it or not, there’s a reason why so many hinges exist, and that’s because they all meet different standards classified by the Door and Hardware Federation (DHF). What’s suitable for your kitchen cupboard most certainly won’t be ideal for a fire door. So, what type of hinge do you need? Read on to find out what’s available and for what use.
Tee Hinge
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If you have a particularly heavy door, such as an entrance trap or shed door, then you may be on the hunt for a tee hinge. This type of hinge is ideal for preventing hinge drop, as it covers a broader area.
The extended hinge area secures onto a broad part of your door and holds it firmly in place. People prefer these hinges on doors and entrance traps that don’t necessarily require a lot of security.
Wrap-Around Hinge
A wrap-around hinge is not one you may have seen all that often, and there’s a reason for that. This type of hinge is chosen explicitly for cupboard or cabinet doors that tend to be too thin for a traditional hinge.
It secures around the thin edge of the door, but then also attaches onto the frame with three fixing points. This type of hinge ensures there is enough surface area to create a sturdy fixture.
Butt Hinge
One of the most common types of hinges, and definitely one of the top types of hinges, is the butt hinge. It’s a firm favorite for everything from doors and frames, to small, intricate jewelry boxes.
This type of hinge has two parts that join in the middle and hold together two objects. For example, on a door, it would be secured onto both the door and the frame.
They are easy to pick up from your local hardware store, and they come in a variety of materials. Both steel and brass butt hinges are popular options, depending on what you are using them for.
A butt hinge also varies in its styling to suit various applications. For example, a rising butt hinge has two leaves that join with one half sliding into the other. It’s ideal for doors that lift while opening. You can also purchase fire butt hinges for fire doors that have a Certifier label and comply with BS EN 16341.
Butterfly Hinge
The top types of hinges are, of course, functional, but did you know they can also be aesthetic? Whether you’re working on an intricate jewelry box, or you’re crafting a beautiful display cupboard, a butterfly hinge might be your first choice.
As the name suggests, they are stunningly shaped like a butterfly. However, they are best suited to light doors that don’t require hefty hinges to keep them in place.
Piano Hinge
If you need to open up something quite wide, like the lid of a piano, then piano hinges are an excellent option. They are available in steel or brass and allow you to fix a door in place once you open it. Many desks and cupboards are also available with this hinge type.
Flush Hinge
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Most hinges require a recess to be cut out of a door surface and frame for them to work. That’s not the case with a flush hinge.
This type of hinge is ideal for small boxes and lightweight doors. They screw onto a surface, without the need to cut into it, and close snugly without issue.
Concealed Hinge
Kitchen cupboards are not the easiest to secure in place with a traditional hinge, which is why the concealed variety ends up being one of the top types of hinges. They feature commonly in kitchen wall units and cupboards and are fully adjustable once they’re inside the door.
Barrel Hinge
In fine cabinet making, you may come across a unique type of hinge that doesn’t typically feature in everyday cabinetry and furniture. A barrel hinge has a threaded component screwed into a hole or mortise.
The whole idea behind a barrel hinge is being able to remain discrete while still allowing full movement of doors.
Knife Hinge
A knife hinge is a hinge that’s shaped by a pair of scissors. Half of the hinge mounts at the bottom or top edge of a door. The other half attaches to the edge above or below the door.
Special Hinge Features
As you can see, there is an abundance of hinge types available to suit every kind of door, box, and cabinet. However, each of these hinges can also come with special features to improve your crafting experience.
For example, more and more people are opting for self-closing hinges, soft-close hinges, and self-opening systems. A self-closing hinge, also known as a snap-closing hinge, pulls the door or cabinet shut when it’s almost closed.
A soft-close hinge, on the other hand, brings a cupboard door gently closed to prevent it from being slammed. If you purchase self-closing systems, then you benefit from a mechanism that, with a push, propels the door open.
Hinge Quantity to Door Weight Ratio
It’s not always that straightforward to work out how many hinges you would need for, say, an average-sized door. Generally, the taller and heavier the door, the more hinges you require. It’s also essential to buy weight-rated hinges to handle the weight of any given entry point.
For a door weighing up to 11 pounds and up to 40 inches, two Euro hinges would suffice. But if you had a much larger, 90-inch door at up to 48 pounds, then you would need at least five Euro hinges per door.
If you’re not sure how many hinges you require, and the top types of hinges for your next project, speak to a professional. It’s better to err on the side of caution for safety and peace of mind.
If you have other interesting hinge ideas that you’d like to add to this list, feel free to message us in real time on our Facebook fan page.
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