Installing Soft Close Hinges on Existing Kitchen Cabinets
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- Soft Close Hinges (Blum): amzn.to/39rJbXD
Centering Drill Bit (5/64): amzn.to/38O2ufA
A lot of people think to get soft close features you need to install a whole new kitchen but not so fast. Many cabinets can be upgraded to high quality soft close hinges for as little as $10 - $15 per cabinet. Wave goodbye to slamming cabinet doors with this easy DIY project
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DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.
Great job demonstrating something that should be standard on all new cabinets in my opinion. My cabinets (and counter tops) were one of the biggest expenses in my new kitchen 17 years ago and I didn't even know these existed. Thanks for showing how easy this is to do too🙂
Pro tip: install the hinge on the cabinet first and use the round nub to hold the weight of the door while putting in the screws.
Also, pay the extra dollar and get the upgraded blum hinges that have the mechanical height adjustment.
Honestly, who know it was that bloody simple. Thanks for sharing. I guess I now have another project to do, plus work on a soft drawer close solution, too.
Thank you so much for your instructions. I’m learning by doing by installing soft close hinges upgrades in my home. This has given me confidence that I can do it myself. I appreciate you!
yay i hadn't used power tools a day in my life before today, and this was the easiest beginner's home improvement project ever!
I just replaced half of my cabinet doors with the help of Amazon myself. Only needed one hinge per door unless the door was too large. Thanks Scott!
Keith, thanks for the feedback. Good idea only swapping out 1 of the 2 hinges.
Don't buy hinges from amazon. People get forgeries, broken or damaged hinges and the wrong number of hinges. I ordered from Woodworkers hardware and got all the correct parts and it only took about 4 days from order to delivery. Amazon is a garbage company that needs to go out of business.
Have a link
This was so good as what I needed to see I don't have a lot of days while I experienced and I'm a female and older one and this basic video is what I have been looking for thank you so much.
Thank you! I'm glad I found you. I'm getting my cabinets painted soon and I will speak to my painter to see if he can do this.
Hi Scott, thanks for this video, you made it look quite easy!! We replaced non-soft close hinges and drawer slides with soft close versions for our previous home (kitchen) and absolutely loved it. It was rather costly to have the guy who painted our cabinets to also do the hinge/glide replacements but we had no idea how to do it ourselves. After thirty years of being a military family, we finally transitioned to civilian life and purchased our forever home a couple months ago. The home we purchased was built in 1999 and has solid maple cabinets in the kitchen. What we don’t love is that the cabinet doors have 1/4 inch square notches (visible from the outside - cut all the way through from back to front of doors) where the odd non-soft close hinges are attached. Have you ever seen this? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it and can’t imagine why those particular hinges were used 🧐. We want to refinish the cabinets and add soft-close hinges throughout but I’m not sure how we can hide those notches ??? Do you have any suggestions? Also, do you have a video on replacing drawer slides to soft-close ones? I watched the guy who did our other kitchen and it looked a bit tricky, much trickier than the doors. I hope you see this and are able to reply :-). PS- I just found out what our hinges are called: Snap-Closing Semi-Concealed Hinges - For 1/4" Overlay Doors (found on Rockler)
Thank you, this is so helpful, and thanks for the step-by-step guidance.
Happy to help Robyn.
Thank you for this video and also the one that explains so well how to choose the correct soft close hinge size. Really appreciate it! 💖
Glad it was helpful! 👍
Thanks man, I checked out 3 of your videos to guide me thru this weekend's project. I learned a lot.
perfect, you keep the projects coming and we will keep pumping out the videos. Best of luck!
Cool!
This video inspire me to persuade my husband to DIY cabinet and install by ourselve. Thanks for putting effort in making this video.
Hey Camy, smart move as this upgrade is a winner for sure. Good luck on the project.
Thanks for the clear and patient step by step instruction.
No problem! 👍
I always put a drop of glue in the screw holes great video
I see them on amazon for cheap! They all say 1/2inch. Little confused on know what to get. I’ll watch your guide video next. Thank you!!!! This seems pretty easy. Or you make it look easy lol
Awesome video, very informative. I'm repainting my kitchen cabinet so I might as well upgrade to soft close hinges. Thank you!!
For the money I think it is a great upgrade. Get 5 or so extra just so you will have spares for years to come.
Really helpful Scott, but look into the camera!😁
thanks you for this video! You explained it very well! I'm definitely upgrading to soft close hinges.
Hey Carol, best of luck on your project!
Can you make a video from the old school face frame hinge to soft close hinges? These are typicall older cabinets installed in 60s and 70s.
Great video. I’m going to first see if my hinge is capable of allowing a snap-on soft close damper thingy.
Thank you
Very helpful video when I ordered my hinges I also bought the recommended centering drill bits, the nippers for the plastic hole nubs and the speed triangle. As it turns out in my case the new Blum hinges fit perfectly in the old holes...trust me I am not complaining this job just got crazy easy! Now what am I going to do for the rest of my social distancing? Thank you
Hey Rick, that is awesome and makes the project so much easier. You can knock a whole kitchen out in just a couple hours. Doesn't happen very often but have to love when projects go better than expected. 👍
Thank you for video. By any chance do you have a video on installing hinges with measurements from the beginning of cabinets. Meaning you make the Cup hole. And measurements where the hinges will be placed?
Great video so thanks Couldn't you just do one hinge replacement per side and achieve the same results? This would cut expense and time in half.
I just wonder if just one could hold the pressure of the door. But I want to test it out
They will wear out just had to do mine they lasted about 8 years I done 2 per side
I went to H.D. to look for self closing hinges no one was sure as to what the 1/2 3/4 on the package was is that what you said about the depth of the door. I am watching all your soft closing go get all the info I can before I begin.
Thanks
Hey Paul, did you see this video ua-cam.com/video/ekf7mpMNDPU/v-deo.html This will provide more details on the pertinent measurements needed to make sure you are getting the correct hinges.
Thanks for the helpful video. I was wondering if you could show me how to release hinge to remove a door? I have those hinges on my kitchen cabinets and I can't seem to figure it out. Thank you
Some cabinet doors have an inset I think older cabinet styles have this. I would just like to know how these hinges work on those kind of cabinet doors!
Thanks!
Thanks so much for the support Jose!
So you cannot put the new hinges one at a time while it is hanging? I have three hinges per door and I was hoping I could do 1 at a time. Let me know why that might be a bad idea. Great video thank you!
Where did u get hinges from
Great easy to follow video. Quick question...Do I need to replace all three hinges on a kitchen cabinet or just the top and bottom hinges?
Excellent video
Thanks 🔥Noodles!
Can you do upgrade drawers to soft close?
thank you so much for this video.Happy new year
Thanking for this post!
You bet!
Is there an easy way to remove the old screw mounting plugs?
Thanks for all the videos. They are very helpful. Do you happen to have any videos with tips on how to remove fixed shelves from a blind corner cabinet to install a lazy susan? Been thinking of using an oscillating tool but would be nice to see a how-to before I do this one.
Can you please show to measure for the correct brackets.
Really helpful and so informative! Thank you x
Happy to help!
Quick update. The “gyro” is made by Black & Decker.
I have these but the corner doors slam. Is there a way to adjust the tension?
Perfect to fight back the poltergeist
Thanks for doing this video and the partner video on how to identify the replacement hinges one needs to repair or upgrade the hinges.
Happy to help, best of luck on the project!
Just about to tackle this in my kitchen. I’ve got at least 24 doors to do. Nice to know it’s relatively easy (I don’t want to do the 15 min per door math right now). What about ‘wallerd’ out holes? Shoot them full of epoxy and re drill? Thanks for the video
Hey Jon, do the new hinge screw holes match up with the old hinge screw holes? I had to drill new for each of my hinges so didn't really have much issue with holes being stripped out.
Don’t know yet. I have to get the new hinges first.
Thanks video is very helpful
I've installed RB reliabilt fro Lowes, but the door does not close all the way. It remains slightly agape. What do I do?
Couldn’t find a hinge where the holes matched up?
one that already has the puck hole are super easy, how about a video with cabinets with surface mount hinges
Thanks for the recommendation! I will put it on the list 👍
great video, thnx!!!
You're welcome!
If you cabinet has 3 hinges. Do I have to replace all 3 hinges.
Would it be ok to just replace one hinge per door? Also, I don't see the need to take both hinges out at the same time. Just replace one at a time to avoid having to realign both simultaneously.
The reason he took the door down is because he had to drill new holes for the door and trim the plastic thing off. This is not something you would do while the door is up. He should have filled the old hole and painted over it while he was at it.
I have cabinet over the sink, so it is horizontal. Not vertical as you show in the video. My door has strut supports in addition to soft closing hinge. So I try to replace the hinge which is really difficult task. I am not sure if I have to remove the strut first or not. Can you give a hint how to replace the hinge?
Hey Rasoul, jump over to our Facebook Group “Everyday Home Repairs Community” and post a couple pictures with your question. With a few pictures we should be able to help. Thx!
Awesome !! Tks !!
Our pleasure!
Does anyone know how to remove these types of hinges when you need to take for the cabinet doors? I don’t see a click out function. Can I just unscrew them?
How do yo adjust the speed of closure?? Mine started to close fast on one door
The self-centering drill bit is pretty cool. I've managed well in the past without one. A center punch can do the same thing, depending on the fit. I used to draw a circle in each hinge hole with the hinge in place and use a spring-driven center punch with a pretty long and fine pointed tip, but your self-centering drill bit would certainly save a lot of time. I wonder if it can accept a range of drill bit sizes, or if you need a collection of self-centering drill units for various screw widths and depths. Is the depth adjustable? That's two questions. Thank you, Scott. Great work.
I am currently replacing a hinge that broke off with the exact same hinge. How do I got about getting that plug all the way out. The new hinge holes line perfectly with the old holes.
Great video and explanations. Just a question. Now that you have completed the install, would you recommend going back and putting new plastic inserts in the new screw holes to offer extended strength like the original holes?
Hi, great video. Those grommets that you trimmed with these cutters, where can I buy those things, any clue?
Great video and looks easy enough to give it a try myself. Which I did, but ran into an issue. The holes don't match completely but are close enough that I have to take the plastic out, refill and then screw new one. Do you have any other suggestion to make it easier?
How do you prevent the screws from loosening? On mine, the screws into the stiles loosen after using for a while allowing the doors to sag... over torquing can strip the threads...
Does it feel like the holes are stripped out where you are not able to tighten the screw?
I tried taking my door down with the same hinge but I didn't see it getting installed so I wasn't sure how to remove the door. Strangely enough, I tried taking out that middle screw that holds it to the cabinet but the hinge still seemed like it was attached to the frame somehow. The other two screws that level the door don't actually go into the frame right? I can't figure out why it wouldn't budge.
I have removed and painted my old brown kitchen cabinetry to white. I want to add these type of hinges but I don't have the hole in the cabinet door. Can I make the hole and use this type of hinge?
Do you need to use magnets to keep the doors closed? Currently, my cabinets have magnets and would love to remove them.
I'm trying to replace soft close hinges. They look like yours, however the are 2 screws on the adjust side, a small and larger one, I think one holds the door on, what is the smaller one for? This is tough for me, thanks
Do you have to replace all? Or can you change one on each door ?
Nice.
I have this hardware and they are tarnished. Any tips on how to remove tarnish? Thanks
Just upgraded mine…I’m having a problem with the gap..in my bathroom the gap is huge and there’s nothing behind the gap so you see right into the cabinet…not sure what to do
It takes too long for the door to close. Is there an adjustment for that?
What do you do if some of the screw holes in wood are stripped?
Are the holes using the plastic inserts or just the wood? If plastic inserts I would pull out the old and add new. If the wood is stripped you could try toothpicks, golf tees, or dowel rods to fill the holes with a little wood glue.
Is there an option to cover the old mounting screw holes?
You could pull the plastic plugs out and use wood filler but then you would probably want to sand and paint. This will add significant time to the project. Best of luck!
Thanks for the video. Is there a way to adjust how fast or slow the caninet closes?
Yeah, these hinges you can turn off the soft close feature. So, that means you could leave 1 off and the other on (assuming you have 2 hinges) which will give you some adjustment.
@@EverydayHomeRepairs thanks for the reply!
If you leave the cabinet all the way open will it close on its own?
For new mdf doors, would you bother drilling for plastic dowel inserts, or is the mdf face strong enough to have screws bite straight into the mdf?
Out of curiosity, what would happen if you replace only one hinge?
It would give you soft-ish close feature. Might lead to early failure of the soft close hinge because the load would be a bit off during each close.
what if you want the door to close softer or if it's closing too soft, is there any way to fix that?
Thank you for your video you did a great job. I have the same type of soft close system however i have a few doors which no longer soft close. yes it has that same type of rubber/gray insert. how do i fix that or do i just get new hinges?
Hey Derek, check the little white slider/switch on the dark gray plaster part of the hinge. Make sure the slider is in the position which activated the “soft” feature. If that is set correctly and it still doesn’t work I would pickup probably 10 spare hinges link in the video description. Always good to have plenty of spares thinking years down the road. Best of luck and let me know if you have any other questions.
How come you did not put plugs for stability and durability like the original hinge?
Hey Mark, good question and that would be best practice. I try to position myself in the shoes of those who would tackle these type of projects and it is my best guess that most would not take the time to drill out and insert the plugs. I think the centering bit used might have been a bit of a stretch as well. Thanks for the comment 👍.
If you strip the adjusting screw, how do you remove it?
The better question is how did you manage to strip the adjusting screw?
So what if your soft close hinges stop working? We have one cabinet door that does not seem to soft close anymore...just slams rather than soft closes. Is there a way to adjust or fix that, or do I need to replace with new ones?
You can check to see if there is a small switch on the hinge. The hinges featured in this video you can turn the soft close feature on and off. If you don't see a switch that is in the Off position you might want to consider changing those hinges out.
What brand of side cutters did you use?
I am a big fan of micro side cutters amzn.to/2PwNJn7. I have tried a few different brands but they all have done the job. The smaller cutters are super handy for a number of projects.
Are the hinges closing speed adjustable? I see the little lever you can rotate to turn OFF the slow close feature, but I can't figure out how to adjust the speed of activation point by a small amount.
I have a cupboard door off (blum hinge) but I'm having trouble putting it back on. HELP!
can you make a video on how to do soft close drawers? please!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How do you adjust the speed and point of closure? Thanks
Hey Yara, for the model 39C Blum Compact Blumotion Hinges amzn.to/39rJbXD have 110 degrees range at full open. Additionally you can activate or deactivate the soft close feature to fit your needs. The last option is to keep 1 hinge as soft close and the other deactivated which will give you a little faster soft close feature. Let me know if you have any other questions.
does screwing hinges back into the same old holes affect how well it holds?
For the larger mounting screw which goes in the face frame you should still have a secure hold. The threads are pretty aggressive and assuming the face frame is not damaged.
In soft close auto Hinges, do we need to install magnetic catch also??
Thank you for posting!! I will be trying this project this weekend
I notice that one medicine cabinet closes faster than the other. Is there any adjustment for this? Thank you.
Hey Ray, if you purchased the same hinges you will see a small light grey switch you can turn on and off the soft close piston. This should do the trick.
Once you open my cabinet door there is a 2 inch lift that goes all the way around the door can I work around that and still use these hinges
Hey Paul, jump over to our Facebook Group “Everyday Home Repairs Community” and post a few pictures with you question then we can confidently help you with you cabinets. Thanks!
Nice guide! I have a problem with 1 of my soft close hinges where it doesn't soft close anymore, do I need new hinges?
Some hinges also have a small switch that turns the soft close on and off. You might want to check that first and confirm if there is a switch that it is in the On position.
@@EverydayHomeRepairs wow I had no idea. I was so excited to go check the hinge switch but nope that wasn't it🙁
@@tmywu bummer, so in that case the small cylinder in the hinge which slows the close and provides the "soft" feature might be malfunctioning. If you can find a match for the hinges I would probably buy 5-10 for future use to replace any other hinges that go out. I have a bunch of extras for that same purpose.
@@EverydayHomeRepairs gotcha thanks!
Just to double check, would neither of the 3 adjustment screws fix this issue?
@@tmywu nope not if the issue is the door now doesn't close "soft." The 3 screws will help align the door, close gaps, and ensure you don't have interference.
You did not show the door closing softly..... Why is that ?
Is there a cross reference for hidden hinges to soft-close? What about the angle spec one sees listed? I have some cabinets where the sides aren't 90 degrees to the front. They are at 45 degrees
to the front. The old Salice hinges are B7H. Thank you!
Is there any way to make these hinges stop squeaking?
Buy quality hinges like Blum instead of cheap chinese knockoffs? Also, make sure they are firmly screws in. If the hinges are loose, the squeak you hear may be because of the hinge moving against the cabinet when you open them.
The cabinet on which you're working is the same as mine. I need to replace a couple doors. Do you happen to know the manufacturer or brand? Thanks!
Is it necessary to replace both hinges per door or can one replaced hinge to the trick?
Seeing that it depends on the size/weight of the door.
Hey David, you probably could get away with only putting one of the soft close hinges on cabinet doors which have 2 hinges. Saying this I would be a bit concerned the actual hinge pivot points line up to ensure no binding when the door is closing. Might be worth buying a few and testing it out prior to changing all your cabinets.
It appears to me that you used the existing holes on the cabinet frame. In my case, I will not be able to reuse the old holes. How do you determine where to drill "new" holes on the cabinet frame? Thanks for you help.
I think my scenario was the same as yours. Take a look around the 3:10 mark and you will see how I handled getting the new holes drilled. Best of luck on the project.
@@EverydayHomeRepairs 3:10 mentions the door holes. What about repositioning the holes on the frame itself (Not the door)?
@@Ihealyouk got ya, since I was using the cups already cut in the door the new hinges lined up with the old hinge screw hole on the face frame. Do you need to adjust yours? Trying to think of a scenario when you would need to make new holes on the face frame if you are using the same cups cut in the door.
@@EverydayHomeRepairs thanks for responding! I don't know the technical terms, so I appreciate the patience. I am renting and the unit is 'newly renovated'. It looks like the L bracket of the hinge thats attached to the faceplate was not installed properly and is about 1/4in off. So the door doesn't close no matter how much i adjust the hinges. I wanted to avoided replacing the plates but I might have too.
Great video! I have completed one cabinet door as a test. The hinge seems to fit nicely in the existing cup. However, there is about a 1/4 inch gap on the hinge side of the door when it is closed. The old hinges were truly concealed. I measured the cup depth and overlay and those seem to be correct. What am I doing wrong?
Hey Lisa, I just measured mine and I have 3/16 of a gap so almost a 1/4 inch like you. I measured 1 of the cabinets which still have my old hinges and that also had 3/16 of an inch. There is a screw on the hinge which might have a bit of adjustment left to close your gap a bit more. The screw is located the furthest away from the hinge pivot. See if that helps.
Everyday Home Repairs thank you. I have adjusted the screw. I just wanted to make sure that the soft close hinges have a slightly larger gap than the original. I figured that it was the nature of the beast.