If your next project needs European hinges, you'll find that you have plenty of options. To narrow your choices effectively, you need to know how these hinges work, be sure of how to install them, and decide on the perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality.
Every project has a starting point, whether you're an avid DIYer or a contractor working with a new client. This handy European hinges guide will take you through some basics to choose the right hinge for each job.
What Are European Hinges?
European hinges, also known as concealed or cup hinges, boast a design that allows them to remain hidden from view when you close your cabinet door. The result is a seamless look and clean lines, without the bulk of external hinges.
These hinges rely on an ingenious internal mechanism. A cup-shaped component is mortised to the cabinet door, while the mating piece is attached to the cabinet's interior. The components swing together when you close the door, creating a flush, minimalistic aesthetic. These hinges also allow for precise door alignment and consistent spacing adjustments, as well as the addition of soft-close mechanisms.
Their slick, clean appearance makes European hinges ideal for modern and contemporary cabinets. However, the design works well for many different applications, including frameless kitchen cabinets and furniture.
Types of European Hinges
You have various options to consider when selecting the right components for your project, including the type of European hinge you would like to use. The following are categorized according to how the door overhangs the cabinet and represent the three most common types:
- Full overlay hinges: A full overlay design aligns your cabinet door edge with the edge of the cabinet, meaning it covers the cabinet box stile or face frame stile entirely when you close the door. They are ideal for frameless and face frame cabinets and a popular choice for modern cabinetry because they provide a smooth finish. Full overlay hinges come in soft-close and self-close options.
- Partial overlay hinges: The central elements in these hinges are slightly curved. They are similar to full overlay hinges, but the design allows the cabinet door to partially overlay a frameless box or face frame stile. They typically allow a gap between doors to prevent double or back-to-back doors from binding when opening. They can be used with face frame or frameless cabinets.
- Inset hinges: Inset hinges, also called full-cranked hinges, are designed for installing cabinet doors flush with a face frame or frameless cabinet.
You can also get a wide range of specialty European hinges for unique applications like bifold doors and glass doors with narrow frames.
What Makes European Hinges Different From Other Hinge Types?
Your choice of hinges depends on your aesthetic and functionality goals. Comparing European hinges to other hinge types can help you make the best choice for your project. Some other common cabinet hinges include:
- Semi-concealed hinges: These hinges boast a versatile, two-part design that falls halfway between surface mount and European hinge options by leaving a portion of the hinge mechanism visible when the cabinet doors are closed. Some semi-concealed hinges take advantage of this visibility by including ornamental features.
- Butt hinges: A central barrel joins two plates to create a butt hinge, which attaches to the edge of the cabinet door. When the doors are closed, you can only see the knuckle section of the hinge. These hinges are durable and versatile, so they work well for various applications.
- Pivot hinges: Pivot or knife hinges offer another minimalistic and streamlined alternative. However, they have a visible hinge pin, which could affect the overall aesthetic. They provide smooth and precise door movements, making them an excellent functional option for furniture and cabinets.
- Surface mount hinges: These hinges sit on the surface of the cabinet door and frame, removing the need to drill mortises or recesses. They display the entire hinge on the cabinet's outside for a distinct aesthetic. These hinges are easy to install and come in various styles and finishes to complement the cabinet design.
- Wrap hinges: These hinges allow cabinet doors to wrap around the frame and door, making for easy positioning of the hinge on both. They are ideal for overlay and inset doors, allowing them to sit nearly flush with or completely cover the cabinet frame.
- Youngdale hinges: A Youngdale cabinet hinge keeps the hardware concealed from the font when the cabinets are closed. Many Youngdale designs are self-closing, making them popular for kitchen cabinetry. They also come in multiple finishes and have an aesthetic similar to European hinges.
- Entertainment center hinges: These hinges are purpose-built for media consoles and other types of entertainment cabinetry. Their design enables cabinet doors to open wide, giving you an unobscured view of your TV. They come in various designs and finishes and allow for an opening of up to 270 degrees.
Selecting the Right European Hinges
With the different varieties of European hinges available, you will need to consider a few factors to ensure you select the right ones for your project:
- Cabinet construction: The first step is to ascertain whether you have a face frame or a faceless cabinet. A face frame cabinet has a solid wood frame at the front, almost like a window frame. If the side panel of the cabinet extends to the front in a single plane, you have a frameless cabinet. You can use European hinges on either cabinet, but each has its own installation kit and requirements.
- Door type: The type of door you have determines which mounting plate and hinge to use. Full inset doors lie flush with the cabinet opening. In contrast, overlay doors extend past the cabinet opening, and no part of the door sits inside the cabinet. A partial inset door has a rabbet around the edge, so they sit halfway inside the cabinet.
- Door size: Installing too many hinges wastes time and money, but you need enough to ensure the door is supported and safe. Standard-size cabinet doors often have two hinges, but you may need more to support larger doors.
- Door opening angle: In many cases, you want as much access as possible to the contents of your cabinet. However, suppose the cabinet is against a wall, or it houses large items close to the entire width of the cabinet. In that case, you may need specific European hinges to accommodate those needs.
- Hinge closing options: Consider how you would like your cabinet doors to operate. A soft-close hinge lets the door close silently and smoothly, even if someone shuts it with force. A self-closing hinge often has a spring or similar design feature that pulls the door in and keeps it closed — once the user pushes it to within a few inches, the self-closing hinge takes over and finishes the job. A free-swing hinge allows the door to move freely.
Replacing a European Hinge
Most European hinges are installed at the factory level using specialized equipment. When it comes time to replace your hinges further down the road, the holes are already in the right place. All you need to do is figure out which hinge to buy.
When selecting a replacement hinge, balancing functionality and aesthetics is essential. The following guidelines can help you choose the ideal hinge replacement:
- Check your existing hinges: The first step in replacing European hinges is to evaluate the existing hinges in the cabinet. Take note of their dimensions, key elements, and condition. Bear in mind that when one hinge is damaged, the best practice is to replace all the hinges on that door to ensure they all wear evenly, which will minimize the chance of future alignment issues.
- Evaluate the cup style: Cup style and bore distance are pivotal in installing functional replacement hinges. A hinge's cup style refers to how the hinge attaches to the door and comes in two variations — cup only and cup and dowel. The former is commonly paired with "screw-on" style hinges, while the latter provides greater ease of installation.
- Confirm the bore distance: Bore distance is the distance from the edge of the door to the edge of the hinge hole. Accurate bore distances are essential to aligning your hinges, so measure carefully to determine what you have. The most common distances are 3 millimeters and 5 millimeters.
- Consider maintenance and durability: When replacing hinges on your cabinet door, durability and maintenance are principal considerations. Opting for high-quality hinges minimizes maintenance requirements and reduces the need for repairs and replacements. Hinges constructed from robust materials such as stainless steel or zinc alloy are better suited to frequent use. They can also withstand various environmental factors, saving you time and money on replacements in the long term.
Advantages of European Hinges
European hinges have several advantages, including:
- Adjustability after installation: You can adjust most European hinges in three directions after you install them — vertical, horizontal, and in-and-out. This capability allows you to achieve a consistent reveal on all edges and easily open and close your cabinet doors without binding.
- Easy door removal: European hinges attach to the inside of the cabinet door and snap into the mounting plate on the cabinet interior. Most European hinges have two parts — the hinge and the mounting plate. You can often remove the door hinge from the mounting plate without using tools.
- Complete concealment: As European hinges are completely concealed, they provide a modern, clean aesthetic suitable for many commercial and residential applications. They also eliminate the hassle of matching the hinges to the knob and pulls.
- Reduced noise: Many European hinges come with self-closing and soft-closing capabilities, meaning there's minimal noise when you close the cabinet doors.
- Longevity potential: Along with its noise reduction benefit, the soft-close feature prolongs the life of your cabinet doors by eliminating the possibility of slamming.
- Flexibility and adaptability: European hinges are suited to various applications and cabinet door types. They work with inset, full overlay, and partial overlay applications. If you add special mounting and cover plates, you can even use them on customized door materials like glass or metal.
- Affordability: Due to their modular design, European hinges are easy to adjust and replace without the help of a professional installer, making them a more cost-effective choice over the life of your cabinet.
- Simple cleaning and maintenance: As European hinges are concealed when the cabinet doors are closed, they see less exposure to dirt, moisture, or debris, making them a low-maintenance, easy-to-keep-clean option.
Care and Maintenance Tips for European Hinges
Maintaining your cabinet hinges is important for preserving their functionality and aesthetics. The following steps can help you stay on top of your hinge maintenance needs:
- Clean and dust your hinges regularly: Over time, dust and grime build up in your hinges, affecting their performance and longevity. A soft cloth with some gentle cleaning solution is sufficient to address this issue. Wipe down your hinges, mainly where dirt and grime might build up. You can also use a toothbrush to remove buildup from hard-to-reach areas. Avoid acidic or alkaline detergents, as these chemicals can damage the varnished finish on the cabinet.
- Lubricate the hinges: Your hinge mechanism works every time you open and close the cabinet doors, which creates friction. Keep your hinges operating smoothly by treating them with a suitable dry lubricant.
- Check the screws: Loose hinge screws can cause door misalignment, and may even lead to the door detaching from the cabinet altogether. Check your hinges periodically and tighten any loose screws.
- Replace damaged hinges: Even high-quality hinges experience normal wear and tear over time. If one hinge becomes loose or damaged, it puts extra pressure on those that remain. A loose hinge can often be fixed by tightening the screws, but if it's damaged beyond repair, ensure you replace it as soon as possible. We suggest replacing both hinges on a cabinet door if one has failed.
Installation of European Hinges
Before you can attempt installation of European style hinges, you need to understand the following terms regarding your cabinets and the European style hinges.
Is your cabinet construction type face frame or frameless? The mounting plate for frameless type cabinets mount on the inside wall (side panel) of the cabinet. The mounting plate for face frame type cabinets mount on the edge of the face frame itself.
Are the doors overlay, inset, or back-to-back (also known as twin doors)? The type of door you have determines which mounting plate and what type of hinge you will use.
Door Types for Frameless Cabinets
Door Types for Face Frame Cabinets
How far do you want the doors to open (opening angle)? Blum hinges and European hinges come in different opening angle degrees. Some examples of opening angles are 110 degrees, 120 degrees and 170 degrees.
If the door is an “overlay door” what overlay dimension do you want? The overlay dimension is the distance that the door lays over the cabinet opening. It is measured on an existing cabinet by taking the distance from the edge of the opening to the edge of the door when the door is in the closed position. Once you know what overlay dimension you are going to use you would consult an “overlay table” to pick your mounting plate and your bore distance. The bore distance is the distance from the edge of the cabinet door to the edge of the 35mm hole that is drilled for the hinge. Each hinge will have an “overlay table” that will help you determine which mounting plate and what bore distance to use to give you the overlay that you want.
If the door is an “inset door” or “back-to-back” door, what reveal dimension do you need to use? The reveal (reveal is the gap between the twin doors or the gap between the door and the face frame in the case of an inset door) is important because you need enough reveal to keep the door from binding when it is opened. The thicker the door the more reveal is needed. The reveal dimension is determined by the bore distance. Each hinge will have a “reveal table” which will show the mounting plate height, the bore distance and the resulting reveal dimension.
Each of the Blum European hinges that is on the HardwareSource website has installation information such as overlay tables, reveal tables and mounting plate choices to help you with your purchase.
How Many Hinges to Use on Your Door
Why Trust HardwareSource?
HardwareSource has been the country's most reliable and experienced hinge and hardware supplier since 1892. Generation after generation has learned they can depend on our service, products, and expertise. As the specialized hinge division of San Diego Hardware, our knowledgeable customer service team can help you choose the best products for your unique applications. You can rely on the HardwareSource team for expert help, whatever your needs.
