How to Adjust Cabinet Doors

If you need to make some adjustments to your cabinet doors due to misalignment or improper installation, the good news is that it’s an easier job than you might expect if you don’t have experience in DIY cabinet work. It’s a simple, low-cost fix that you should be able to accomplish in relatively little time.

Here’s a quick overview of tips for adjusting cabinet door hinges in Midland, MI:

• Check your hinges: Before you begin the actual work, make sure you’ve checked to see what kind of hinges you’re working with. The majority of cabinets will have adjustable hinges that have several directional adjustments. Hinges might be mounted inside or outside the cabinet. If you’re going to be replacing the hinges, it’s a good idea to get as close of a match as you can, unless you want to change the aesthetic or the way the doors open.
• Tighten loose screws: Your first step to try to solve the problem should be to see if there are any loose screws in the hinges. Sometimes loose mounting screws can result in the door hanging improperly, which can make it difficult to close or open, or cause scraping on surfaces. Turn the screws all the way in to see if this resolves the problem.
• Adjust door position: If tightening the screws wasn’t sufficient to fix the problem, check and see if there are screws that will adjust the door up and down, or side to side. If you do not have separate screws for either of these adjustments, you’ll need to loosen the mounting screws on the hinges and adjust to the desired position before re-tightening. Changing the position should hopefully make it easier for you to close and open the door properly.
• Adjust where the door sits in or out: You can use the depth adjustment screw on the cabinet hinges to move the door in or out with relation to where it sits on the cabinet box. Over time, wood doors might begin to warp as they are exposed to humidity changes with the seasons. This means the door might start to pull away at the top or bottom, instead of hitting flush with the cabinet box when it closes. This is often characterized by a bouncing sensation when you close the cabinet door. If the door does not sit flush with the box at the top, you can adjust the top hinge to be closer to the cabinet, or adjust the bottom hinge away from the cabinet. If the door has a gap at the bottom, then you’d perform the reverse actions.

Once you’ve made the adjustments, make sure you test all of the doors to ensure they’re working properly or determine you need to make any further changes.

For more information about how to adjust cabinet doors in Midland, MI, we encourage you to contact the team of professional cabinet makers at Nowak Cabinets of Midland. We’d be glad to answer any questions you have about the work we do for our clients!

Categorised in: Cabinetry

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