How to change hinges on a kitchen cabinet | Make it and Mend it ...

When you’re giving the kitchen a bit of a makeover, you’ll need to remove the cupboard doors to paint them. Most of the time you can then re-hang them with the hinges in the same position, but if the cupboards are old and well-used, the old hinge plates can get loose – especially when the cupboards are made of chipboard or composites.

While the hinges themselves tend not to break – and if they do, you can easily buy replacements – the hinge plate can get loose over time through wear and tear.  Once this happens, the plate can no longer get “purchase” on the cupboard door so you can’t tighten it, and you’ll need to re-fix it above or below its original position. Here’s how

Step 1 – remove the hinge plate from the cabinet

Unscrew the loosened hinge plate from the wall of the cabinet and remove it. Find a suitable part of the door that is undamaged, above or below the old position. Mark the new position either in pencil or fel-tip pen and re-fix the plate to the door.

Step 2 – make a new hinge position on the door

Measure the new position for the hinge on the door, using the new plate position you’ve just attached as a guide.

Step 3 – drill the hinge recess

Use a hinge-cutting drill bit to drill out the recess for the new hinge, making sure you don’t drill too deeply. Using a bradawl, make a small indent for the hinge screws and then screw the hinge into place so it’s flush with the door.

Step 3 – Re-hang the door.

To give a nice finish, use some filler and paint to cover up the old hinge holes and screw marks.

Adjusting cupboard door hinges

You can move the cupboard doors slightly by adjusting the hinge settings. Loosening or tightening the screw to the left of the hinge plate will let the door move to right or left. Loosening the screw in the middle of the hinge allows you to move the door further away from the unit.

Re-tighten to secure once you have the door in position.

Tips on the techniques for cleaning and painting kitchen cabinets