A kitchen cabinet door that hangs crooked, rubs on its neighbour or won't stay shut usually needs a hinge adjustment, not a new door. Most modern kitchens use concealed hinges that adjust in three directions with a Phillips screwdriver, and the job takes about ten minutes per door. The door only needs replacing when it has swollen, delaminated or split.
Why does a cabinet door hang crooked?
Doors move because the hinge screws loosen with use, because the door has swollen in humid weather, or because the screw holes in the cabinet have worn out. A kitchen door gets opened and closed many times a day, and the cabinet sides are usually particleboard or MDF, which does not hold a screw as well as solid timber does.
Near the coast, humidity makes it worse. Particleboard and MDF doors take up moisture and swell slightly, and a door that was fine in winter can rub in February. A door next to the sink or dishwasher gets more steam and splashing than the rest, so it is usually the first to go.
How do you adjust concealed cabinet hinges?
Most concealed (cup) hinges have two adjustment screws on the hinge arm and a mounting plate on the cabinet side that allows a third adjustment. The usual layout is:
- Side to side. One screw on the arm moves the door left or right, which sets the gap between neighbouring doors.
- In and out. The other screw moves the door towards or away from the cabinet, which decides whether it sits flush or stands proud.
- Up and down. The screws holding the mounting plate to the cabinet are slotted, so loosening them lets the door slide up or down before they are tightened again.
Brands differ on which screw does what, so turn each one a quarter turn and see which way the door moves. Adjust the top and bottom hinges by the same amount, or one hinge ends up carrying the door and loosens again. A good result is an even gap of two or three millimetres around the door and a catch that closes without a push.
A door that is higher at one corner than the other usually means the bottom hinge has dropped, and the mounting plate screws are the first thing to check. The sticking door guide covers the same dropped-hinge problem on a timber door.
What if the screws spin or the hinge pulls out?
If a screw turns without tightening, the hole in the cabinet has stripped. Take the hinge off, fill the hole with a timber plug or glued matchsticks, or use a two-part filler, let it set fully, and drive the screw into the repaired hole. A longer screw rarely helps in particleboard, because the thickness of the cabinet side is the limit.
A side panel that has crumbled around the hinge, or swollen from a leak under the sink, needs the panel repaired or replaced rather than a better screw. Find the leak first, because the swelling will return if the water does.
What about drawer fronts and soft-close?
A drawer front that sits crooked is usually adjusted at the bracket that joins the front to the drawer box. Most modern drawers have small adjustment screws or cams there that move the front up, down and sideways. If the whole drawer runs roughly, check that the runners are screwed back square to the cabinet side and that nothing is jamming the track.
Soft-close hinges and drawer runners have a damper built in. A door that slams despite a soft-close hinge has a damper that has failed, and the hinge is replaced as a pair. A hinge of the same size and type from a hardware store fits in the existing cup hole, and the job takes about as long as an adjustment.
When is the door the problem?
A door that has swollen, bubbled at the edges or split along the face will not hold an adjustment. Laminate lifting at the edge near the sink or dishwasher is the usual sign that water got into the core. These doors are replaced, and matching the size, colour and edge profile means ordering from the kitchen supplier or having a replacement made.
Fixing hinges, drawers and individual doors is small handyman work. Under NSW rules, cupboards and built-in furniture count as joinery work, which needs a contractor licence once the job is valued at more than $5,000 in labour and materials including GST. A whole new kitchen can pass that figure, and a hinge adjustment or a door replacement does not. The licensing guide explains where the line sits for each trade.
Cabinet doors are one of the jobs on most landlords' lists, and a door that will not close is a common repair at the end of a tenancy. The rental turnover list covers the others. For a visit that clears the whole list in one go, see our handyman service or send the details through.
Cabinet door questions
Why does my kitchen cabinet door keep swinging open?
Usually the door has shifted on its hinges, so the catch or the soft-close mechanism no longer lines up, or the door has swelled slightly and is pushing against its neighbour. Adjusting the hinge screws so the door sits square and the gap is even all round fixes most of these. A door that still springs open after that has a worn or failed catch or hinge and needs the part replaced.
Can I adjust cabinet hinges without removing the door?
Yes. Concealed hinges are adjusted with the door on, using a Phillips screwdriver and quarter-turn changes to the adjustment screws. Check the result after each turn, and adjust the top and bottom hinges together so one does not end up carrying the door.
Do I need a licensed tradie to fix or replace a cabinet door in NSW?
No, not for this size of job. Cupboards and built-in furniture count as joinery work in NSW, which needs a contractor licence only when a job is valued at more than $5,000 in labour and materials including GST. Adjusting hinges or replacing a door is far under that.
Want a hand with this at your place? Get a free quote or call 0450 959 936.