-hinges- - ☯✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨🚀*THE 2ND NATURE*🚀

-as of [15 DECEMBER 2023]–

*WIKI-HOW*
(installation / replacement)

Door hinges play an important role in our everyday lives;

they provide all of your doors with support.

Hinges on exterior doors provide the first line of safety for the family inside, and offer protection from the elements.

Inside the home, they offer privacy to family members.

Installing door hinges, whether new or replacement ones, is an easy skill to master and can be invaluable for many homeowners, especially ones who enjoy D.I.Y. projects.

Place your hinges in the correct location.

Assuming you’re installing a new door, you’ll need to find the precise location on the door frame for your hinges.

Most doors require a minimum of two hinges: one hinge is located 7-inches from the top of the door frame, and the other hinge is located 11-inches from the bottom of the door frame

Measure this distance and mark the location on the frame, and then do the same on the door that you’re hanging.

If you have a third hinge (typically used for heavy doors), it will be placed directly in the middle of the other two hinges (this will put it slightly off-center).

Trace around the hinge.

Put your hinge in place on the door and the jamb, and use a carpenters pencil to carefully trace around the hinge. The depth of the hinge on the jam should always be as thick as the hinge is. Double check to make sure that your outlines match the same location on the door and jamb, before moving to the next step. Then, use a utility knife to score the outline; this will make it easier to cut the mortise.

Cut the mortise. The term ‘cut the mortise’ is the professional term for cutting out the wood in the jamb in the shape of the hinge, so that the hinge will be inset in the jamb and provide more strength and aesthetic appeal. To cut the mortise, you’ll need a very sharp chisel and a hammer. While carefully angling the chisel, tap gently into the jamb from the side to remove thin strips of wood. Make sure not to cut the mortise too deep, as this will cause the hinge to become loose over time. Cut out only the outlined area and the marked depth.[1]

Using a dull chisel will make it more difficult to cut the mortise, and cause you to use more pressure with the hammer (which could cause a slip).
If you cut the mortise too deep, you can use wood filler or place a thin piece of wood in it before installing the hinge.

Mark the location of the screws. Replace the hinge back in the jamb where you cut the mortise. Use your pencil to mark the location of the screws in the jamb. Do the same with the location of the hinge on the door. Remove the hinges when you’re done marking.

Drill the pilot holes. Use a drill or screwdriver to drill very narrow pilot holes in the location of the screws you marked on the jamb. Tap them lightly in first, to make sure the screws don’t accidentally move out of place. Use a screw guide to keep the screws straight as they go into the wood.

Install the individual hinges. Put the hinges back in their places, and use a drill or screwdriver to secure them individually into the jamb and the door.

Connect the door to the jamb. Hold the door in place, using blocks under the bottom to support it if necessary. Line up the two hinge plates so that the ones on the door match the ones in the jamb. Slide the hinge pins into place, and remove the blocks from the door. Test the door to make sure it works, and you’re finished![2]

Use blocks of wood to steady the door. Move the door so that the entire hinge is exposed, and place blocks under the door to steady it. When replacing a door hinge, you won’t remove the door. Placing blocks underneath will help support the door and prevent it from falling over.

Compare the hinges and measure the door. Make sure that your new hinges match the old hinges in size and edge shape. Additionally, use a measuring tape to verify that the current hinges are in the right locations. The hinges should be placed so that one is 7-inches from the top of the door frame, and the other is located 11-inches from the bottom of the door-frame. If these are incorrect, you’ll need to go about the aforementioned steps on cutting the mortise and preparing the door jamb for the new hinge.

Remove one of the old hinges. Start at the top hinge, and remove the screws holding the hinge leafs in place. Carefully pull them away from the door and the jamb, and check to make sure the wood under the hinges is in good condition. You may want to plug some of the old holes with a small wood wedge, especially if some of the holes have stripped out.

Prepare the jamb and door for the new hinge. If the old door hinge had been attached for some time, you may need to do a little repair work on the jamb and door. Sand down the wood if necessary, and add a new coat of paint or stain to match the pre-existing wood.

If the replacement hinges are sized differently from the old ones, fill in the mortise holes in both the door and the door frame with wood putty. Use a metal scraper to fill in the screw holes or plug them with a small wood wedge.
Allow the putty time to dry, and sand it smooth and flush with the surface.
Paint or stain the repair to match the rest of the door and trim.

Install the new hinge. Place your new hinge over the location of the old one. Use a drill or screwdriver and the package screws to secure the two sides of the hinge to the jamb and the door. Place the hinge pin in the hinge to secure the new hinge.

Repeat the process on the second hinge. Move to the next hinge, and use a drill or screwdriver to remove it. Replace it with the new hinge and new screws, holding it in place to make sure the hinge doesn’t get jostled out of location. Insert the new hinge pin when the new hinges are secured.

If you have a third center hinge, you should replace it at this point as well.

Test the new hinges. Remove the blocks from under the door, and try opening and closing it multiple times. If the door opens without any problems, then your job is finished!

Add New Question

Question

What if you need to move the upper hinge either up or down from the 7″ mark?

Mark Spelman
Mark Spelman is a General Contractor based in Austin, Texas. With over 30 years of construction experience, Mark specializes in constructing interiors, project management, and project estimation. He has been a construction professional since 1987.

Mark Spelman
Construction Professional

Expert Answer

If you need to move the hinge, mortise more material as needed and then add wood filler or caulking to fill the void.

Question

I want to put siding on a shed door. How do I install hinges in a way that will allow the door to open without creasing the siding?

Mark Spelman
Construction Professional

Expert Answer

In order to prevent the siding from creasing, I recommend beveling the siding edges.

Question

Can I put hinges on the outside of a door?

Mark Spelman
Construction Professional

Expert Answer

For security reasons, you probably shouldn’t put hinges on the outside of a door. If you did, then people could break in easier because they could just pop the pins out.

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Video

The hinge flap with the most knuckles is the one that should be attached to the door frame.

Hinges are rated for the weight of the door, the number of openings the door will receive, and other factors such as exposure to elements. Make sure you get the correct hinge for your door and its use. Measure the length of the hinge and check the edge and thickness to help determine this.

If you have a really beat up jam and the jam is cracked, just replace the old 3-hole hinges with 4-hole hinges. This way you only have to cut with a chisel a small 1/8 inch off the door and 1/8 inch off the jam. Since the 4-holes are in different places than the 3 hole hinge, you can avoid moving the hinges and avoid replacing an old jam that is damaged. Use self-drilling screws on old wood jams because they are brittle and pointed screws will break the jam.

Repair the loose holes with wood that you cut off a 2 by 4 and put in the holes with glue. If you use self drilling screws, you will avoid breaking an old jam that is hard and inflexible. Pointed screws are for new wood that is “green” and still wet.

Make sure that the knuckles of the door hinges on exterior doors are located inside the house.

Things You’ll Need
Hinge kit with screws
Drop cloth
Sawhorses
Wood putty
Putty knife
Metal scraper
Paint or stain if needed
Sandpaper
Utility knife
Sharp chisel
Hammer
Screwdriver
Drill and drill bits (optional)
About This Article
Article SummaryX

To install door hinges on a new door, measure and mark where your hinges need to go on the door frame and on the door you’re hanging. Next, place your hinge on the door and trace around the hinge with a pencil. Use a utility knife to score the outline. With a sharp chisel and hammer, cut the wood in the shape of the hinge. Then, mark the location of the screws so you can drill pilot holes. Now you’re ready to install the hinges and connect the door to the jamb. For advice on how to replace a door hinge, keep reading tips from our General Contractor reviewer!

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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 478,815 times.

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*a ‘hinge’ is a ‘mechanical bearing’ that connects 2 ‘solid objects’, typically allowing only a limited ‘angle of rotation’ between them*

Two objects connected by an ideal hinge rotate relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation:

all other translations or rotations being prevented,

and thus a hinge has one degree of freedom

Hinges may be made of flexible material or of moving components. In biology, many joints function as hinges, like the elbow joint.

Door hinges[edit]

Self Close Hinge

Barrel hinge
A barrel hinge consists of a sectional barrel (the knuckle) secured by a pivot. A barrel is simply a hollow cylinder. The vast majority of hinges operate on the barrel principle.
Butt hinge / Mortise hinge
Any hinge which is designed to be set into a door frame and/ or door is considered to be a butt hinge or a mortise hinge. A hinge can also be made as a half-mortise, in which case only one half of the hinge is mortised and the other is not. Most mortise hinges are also barrel hinges by virtue of how they pivot (i.e., a pair of leaves secured to each other by knuckles through which runs a pin).
Butterfly/ Parliament (UK) hinge
These are a decorative variety of barrel hinge with leaves somewhat resembling the wings of a butterfly
Case hinges
Case hinges are similar to a butt hinge however usually more of a decorative nature most commonly used in suitcases, briefcases, and the like.
Concealed hinge
These are used for furniture doors (with or without self-closing feature, and with or without damping systems). They are made of two parts: One part is the hinge cup and the arm, the other part is the mounting plate. Also called “cup hinge”, or “Euro hinge”, as they were developed in Europe and use metric installation standards. Most such concealed hinges offer the advantage of full in situ adjustability for standoff distance from the cabinet face as well as pitch and roll by means of two screws on each hinge.
Continuous/ Piano hinge
This variety of barrel hinge runs the entire length of a door, panel, box., etc. Continuous hinges are manufactured with or without holes.
Flag hinge
these consist of a single leaf attached (in the male variety) to a pin. When used, the pin is inserted into the other (female) portion of the hinge. This allows the objects to be easily removed (for example, a removable door). They are manufactured in right-hand and left-hand configurations.
H hinge
These barrel hinges are shaped like an H and used on flush-mounted doors. Small H hinges (3–4 in or 76–102 mm) tend to be used for cabinets hinges, while larger hinges (6–7 in or 150–180 mm) are for passage doors or closet doors.
HL hinge
These were common for passage doors, room doors, and closet doors in the 17th, 18th, and even 19th centuries. On taller doors, H hinges were occasionally used in the middle along with the HL hinges.
Pivot hinge
This hinge pivots in openings in the floor and the top of the door frame. Also referred to as a double-acting floor hinge. This type is found in ancient dry stone buildings and rarely in old wooden buildings. These are also called haar-hung doors. They are a low-cost alternative for use with lightweight doors.[1]
Self-closing hinge
This is a spring-loaded hinge with a speed control function. The same as spring hinge, usually use spring to provide force to close the door and provide a mechanical or hydraulic damper to control door close speed. That can prevent door slamming problem while auto closes a door.[2]
Spring hinge
This is a spring-loaded hinge made to provide assistance in the closing or the opening of the hinge leaves. A spring is a component of a hinge, that applies force to secure a hinge closed or keep a hinge opened.[3]
Swing Clear hinge
Swing Clear Door Hinges (aka Offset Door Hinges) are perfect for residential and commercial doors, as they allow doors to swing completely clear of openings. Swing Clear Hinges can easily comply with Fair Housing Act (FHA) code by providing a minimum ADA 32” clearance clearance when using a 34” door slab.
Living hinge
This hinge takes advantage of the flexibility of plastic to create a join between two objects without any knuckles or pins. They are molded as a single piece, never become rusted, do not squeak, and have several other advantages over other hinges, but the plastic makes them more susceptible to breakage.
Other types include:

Coach hinge
Counterflap hinge
Cranked hinge or storm-proof hinge
Double action non-spring
Double action spring hinge
Flush hinge
Friction hinge
Lift-off hinge
Pinge: A hinge with a quick release pin.
Rising butt hinge
Security hinge
Tee hinge
Building access[edit]
Since at least medieval times there have been hinges to draw bridges for defensive purposes for fortified buildings. Hinges are used in contemporary architecture where building settlement can be expected over the life of the building. For example, the Dakin Building in Brisbane, California, was designed with its entrance ramp on a large hinge to allow settlement of the building built on piles over bay mud. This device was effective until October 2006, when it was replaced due to damage and excessive ramp slope.

Large structures[edit]
Hinges appear in large structures such as elevated freeway and railroad viaducts. These are included to reduce or eliminate the transfer of bending stresses between structural components, typically in an effort to reduce sensitivity to earthquakes. The primary reason for using a hinge, rather than a simpler device such as a slide, is to prevent the separation of adjacent components. When no bending stresses are transmitted across the hinge it is called a zero moment hinge.

Spacecraft[edit]
People have developed a variety of self-actuating, self-locking hinge designs for spacecraft deployable structures such as solar array panels, synthetic aperture radar antennas, booms, radiators, etc.[4]

Hinge terminology[edit]
Components[edit]
Pin
The rod that holds the leaves together, inside the knuckle. Also known as a pintle.
Knuckle
The hollow—typically circular—portion creating the joint of the hinge through which the pin is set. The knuckles of either leaf typically alternate and interlock with the pin passing through all of them. (aka. loop, joint, node or curl)
Leaf
The portions (typically two) that extend laterally from the knuckle and typically revolve around the pin.
Characteristics[edit]
End play
Axial movement between the leaves along the axis of the pin. This motion allows the leaves to rotate without binding and is determined by the typical distance between knuckles (knuckle gap) when both edges of the leaves are aligned.
Gauge
Thickness of the leaves.
Hinge width
Length from the outer edge of one leaf to the outer edge of the other leaf, perpendicularly across the pin (aka open width).
Hinge length
The length of the leaves parallel to the pin.
Knuckle length
The typical length of an individual knuckle parallel to the pin.
Leaf width
Length from the center of the pin to the outer edge of the leaf.
Pitch
Distance from the end of a knuckle to the same edge of its adjacent knuckle on the same leaf
Door Stop
A colloquialism referring to loose angular movement of the leaves relative to the pin.[5]
Other types[edit]
Butler tray hinge
Folds to 90 degrees and also snaps flat. They are for tables that have a tray top for serving.
Carpentier joint
A hinge consisting of several thin metal strips of curved cross section.
Card table hinge
Mortised into edge of antique or reproduction card tables and allow the top to fold onto itself.
Drop-leaf table hinge
Mounted under the surface of a table with leaves that drop down. They are most commonly used with rule joints.
Hinged handcuffs
a restraint device designed to secure an individual’s wrists in proximity to each other consisting of two cuffs linked with a double or triple hinge. Hinged handcuffs cuffs tend to restrict movement more than chain-linked handcuffs, and they can be used to generate more leverage to force a suspect’s hands behind the back, or to apply pain against the wrist, forcing the subject to comply and stop resisting.[6]
Piano hinge
(or coffin hinge) a long hinge, originally used for piano lids, but now used in many other applications where a long hinge is needed.
Living hinge
a hinge consisting of material that flexes
Gallery[edit]

Old construction of hinges in the dry stone wall near Bignasco.

Ancient pivot hinges, found in the dry stone buildings.

A flushed door hinge.

A barrel hinge made of wrought iron.

A barrel hinge made of bronze strap.

Increasing the number of loops to 3 allows the butt hinge axis to be fixed from both ends.

Door in furniture with spring to lock door both fully shut and fully open positions. It hides completely behind the door and has adjustment for fine alignment. Allows the door to open even when against a wall.

Rusty hinges on a building exterior.

This door hinges on the stile and is called a haar-hung door.

A living hinge on the lid of a Tic Tac box.

A piano hinge.

A continuous hinge.

Swing Clear Hinge