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More than 2000 kinds of furniture fitting hardwares are available.
Cabinets are most commonly found in kitchens for storing food items, cooking equipment, and cutlery. However, you can find a cabinet being used beyond the kitchen, especially in bathrooms. A cabinet hinge is a small but important part of a cabinet’s design. These hinges attach the door to the frame of the cabinet and they are designed to be durable and long lasting.
When you are building a home or renovating the existing one you have to pay attention to the tiniest detail. So naturally you have to consider the quality and durability of the cabinet hinge you use in your kitchen or bathroom cabinets. One common question people have about cabinet hinges is how many times can be opened and closed.
Most high quality cabinet hinges are designed to last a long time without breaking. However, the exact answer to how many times you can open and close a cabinet hinge is not straightforward. With that said this article will help you in finding the answer to your question and cover additional information about it so read on.
Cabinet hinges are also known as concealed or European hinges and they are installed on the inside of the cabinet. They are not only easy to operate but add to the aesthetic appeal of the cabinet. A cabinet hinge also contains additional features such as self closing as well as dampening to make sure that they are easily operateable.
Since these hinges are installed in kitchens and bathrooms where moisture content is usually high they are made from durable materials. You can expect cabinet hinges to be made out of stainless steel, brass, aluminium and other corrosion resistant materials.
Unlike the standard hinges you see on doors that have a leaf design with a joint in the middle cabinet hinges have an arm, a cup, and a mounting frame. A cabinet may use multiple hinges depending upon the size and the weight of the door.
Now that you know what a cabinet hinge is and its basic composition you are naturally wondering how is it installed. While it is best installed by a professional it is possible to install them yourself if you have the right tools. With that said here are the steps to install stainless steel cabinet hinges for your kitchen or bathroom cabinet:
Lay down the cabinet door on a clean table with the inner side pointing upwards. Now take a ruler and measure 3.5 inches from the top and bottom edges of the door and mark the measurement with a straight line on the door.
Then put the hinge on the lines you made and mark around the hinge for both top and bottom so you know the correct installation position for the hinge.
Once you have marked the correct spot on the cabinet door take a 35 mm Forstner bit and attach it to the drill machine. Now set the depth of the Forstner bit to ½ inches so that you get the precise bore and start drilling.
Repeat the same process for both top and bottom parts of the door.
When you have drilled the slots for cups you are ready to install then inside the cabinet doors. Align the hinge cups properly to make sure they are straight and then drill pilot holes through the screw holes using the correct drill bit.
Now use a screwdriver to drive the screws through the holes until they are secure. Repeat the same process for the other cup as well.
Once the cup has been secured to door you can start assembling it on the cabinet wall. Take the ruler and draw a vertical line to mark the exact distance of the hinge from the top and bottom of the frame including a 1/16 inch gap to allow for the door’s movement.
Now measure the 31/2 inches from the opening of the cabinet including the 1/16 inch gap for the top and bottom hinge and draw a horizontal line intersecting the vertical one.
Now remove the mounting plates from the cabinet hinge assembly and secure them at the centre of the cross sectional lines. Similar to the previous step drill pilot holes in between the screw holes and drive the screws until the plates are tightened properly.
Carefully life the door and align the hinges with the mounting plates. Now press the bars onto the slots present on the mounting plates until both hinges are secured.
And thats it! You installed and you can start using your cabinets. As long as you follow the steps properly you will get a perfect installation for it. With that said you have to pay extra attention while adding markings because this step can affect the fitment of the cabinet hinge.
A good quality stainless steel cabinet hinges can last anywhere between 10 to 20 years. However, if you talk about how many times a cabinet hinge can be opened the range varies even more.
Cabinet hinges are tested for up to 200,000 cycles that includes both the opening and closing of the cabinet. So in an ideal scenario you can expect a cabinet hinge to be opened and closed up to 200,000 times during its life span. This is quite a long duration especially when it comes to hinges and you won’t have to replace them anytime soon as long as you invest in some high quality one’s.
Not to mention the number of times you can open and close a cabinet hinge also depends on maintenance and care. If you operate the cabinet hinges carefully you can expect them to last longer. In addition to that high humidity conditions can also cause a cabinet hinge to fail prematurely.
