Dublin Kitchens
Kitchen Cabinet Hinges Explained: Soft-Close, Corner and Lift-Up Hinges
Hinges are the part of a kitchen cabinet nobody looks at until a door starts to sag or slam. They also decide how far a door opens, whether it closes quietly and whether a corner or wall unit is easy to use. This guide explains the hinges we use on our cabinets, the special hinges for corners and lift-up wall units, and how to adjust a door that has dropped.
Quick answer: Most kitchen cabinet doors in Ireland use a concealed hinge with a 35mm cup drilled into the back of the door. Our cabinets come with soft-close concealed hinges that adjust in six directions. A standard replacement 110° soft-close hinge with its mounting plate costs €3.96 at Kitchens4U. Corner units and lift-up wall doors need their own hinges or stays.
How a concealed hinge works
A concealed hinge has two parts. The cup sits in a 35mm round hole drilled into the back of the door. The mounting plate screws to the inside of the cabinet side. The arm of the hinge clips onto the plate, which is why most doors can be taken off and put back without unscrewing anything.
A soft-close hinge has a small damper built in. In the last few centimetres it slows the door so it closes quietly instead of banging. Our 110° soft-close hinge has the piston built into the hinge, is nickel-plated steel and fixes to an 18mm carcass, which is the carcass thickness we use.
Which hinge goes where
| Where | Hinge or fitting | Price at Kitchens4U |
|---|---|---|
| Standard base and wall doors | 110° soft-close hinge with plate | €3.96 |
| Corner press doors | Corner press hinge with plate, soft-close | €51.04 |
| Bifold corner doors | Corner press bar hinge, 715mm, brushed steel | €115.13 |
| Lift-up wall doors (light) | Hydraulic gas strut stay, 60N or 90N | €6.40–€7.04 |
| Lift-up wall doors | Lift-up flap stay hinges, pair, 90° opening | €10.11 |
| Top-hung wall doors | Soft-closing top stay, pair with two clip-on hinges | €51.04 |
| Wall doors that fold up | Bi-fold stay, for doors up to 5kg | €209.79 |
| Wide lift-up doors | Free slide lift-up fitting, stops in any position | €227.70 |
Prices are from our kitchen cabinet hinges page at the time of writing.
How many hinges does a door need?
Most standard base and wall doors use two hinges. Taller and heavier doors need more, so a tall larder door will have extra hinges spaced along its height. Always follow the cabinet’s own drilling pattern rather than adding hinges at random, because the holes in the cabinet side have to line up with the mounting plates.
Adjusting a door that has dropped
The six-way adjustment on a concealed hinge is there so doors can be lined up after fitting, and again later if they move. You need a Phillips screwdriver. Screw positions vary a little between hinge makes, but on most concealed hinges it works like this:
- Side to side: the screw nearest the door moves the door left or right, so you can even up the gap between two doors.
- Up and down: the screws on the mounting plate let the door move up or down so its top lines up with its neighbours.
- In and out: the screw further back on the arm moves the door closer to or further from the cabinet front.
Make small turns and check the door after each one. If a door has dropped because the screws in the cabinet side have pulled out, that is a fixing problem, not an adjustment problem, and the hinge position may need to be repaired.
When to replace hinges
- A soft-close hinge has stopped slowing the door.
- The hinge arm is bent or the clip won’t hold.
- You’re fitting replacement doors and the old hinges aren’t soft-close.
Take an old hinge with you when you buy new ones, or send us a photo of the hinge and the cabinet side, so we can match the plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size hole does a kitchen cabinet hinge need?
Standard concealed hinges, including ours, use a 35mm cup hole drilled into the back of the door.
Are soft-close hinges standard on Kitchens4U cabinets?
Yes. Our cabinets use soft-close concealed hinges that adjust in six directions.
What hinge do I need for a corner cabinet?
A corner press uses a dedicated corner hinge. Ours is soft-close, nickel-plated and costs €51.04. Bifold corner doors use a bar hinge instead.
How do I stop a kitchen door from slamming?
Fit soft-close hinges. If the door has soft-close hinges already and still slams, the damper may have worn out and the hinge should be replaced.
Ordering cabinets or replacing doors? Look at our flat pack kitchens, which come with soft-close hinges, or book a free design consultation.
