Learning how to do your own kitchen cabinet repair might not be as simple as you think. Like anything that needs to be fixed, your success will be determined by your level of skill and the tools that are at your disposal. One of the most common things that homeowners try to fix on their cupboards is cabinetry doors that are out of adjustment. This problem is most popularly associated with contemporary style European concealed hinges. The reason out of adjustment doors are so noticeable with this style of cupboard is because all of the gaps between them are only one eight of an inch apart.
Adjusting uneven kitchen, bathroom vanity and office cabinet doors would appear to be an easy task, but the truth of the matter is that many people fail. After a screw gets adjusted too far out and the hinge falls completely apart, many homeowner/handymen will resort to calling a professional.
Craftsmen who work with European concealed hinges on a daily basis can look at a set of out of adjustment cabinet door s and tell where the pitfalls are located. Yes, by all appearances it would seem that a second grader could make the kitchen cabinet repair because the only tool required is a Phillips screwdriver. I witnessed a disaster in doctor’s office where the physician decided to make the adjustments while he was off duty. Thank God, they kept all the spare loose parts when I was hired to fix the mess he had created.
Three Things You Must Not Do When Adjusting Uneven Cabinet Doors
1) Never adjust the doors so close together that they bind on each other. The standard distance that the doors should be apart from one another is one eight of an inch. Any margin less than that could cause the doors to bind when you try to open them. If this happens it’s possible to chip the edges of the cupboard doors.
2) When you are moving the side to side adjustment on the European hinge, never back the screw out beyond the casing of the hinge. When the hinge is separating as you turn the screw, be extremely cautious that you do not overextend the allotted boundary of the steal casing on the hinge. If you do, you must remove the kitchen cabinet door completely and reassemble the hinge parts. This is a frustrating task, so be patient.
3) There’s a front to back movement that is possible on this style of hinge. When the cabinet door is open, the edge of the door should not be adjusted tight to the cabinetry face. Here again a binding effect will occur and the possibility of damaging the cabinet face or door is more likely.
While you are making the cabinet repairs in your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, garage or office, open and close the doors gently. Adjusting uneven real wood or Formica plastic laminate doors, without having experience, could end in disaster. Make sure you have allotted enough time to repair the cabinets without being in a great hurry and things should go smoothly.