How many times have you tried to close the cabinet door as softly as possible but the thing literally ends up making a bang sound that feels super annoying?
Probably many. And that’s usually due to the “non-soft close” type of cabinet hinges. One of the best inventions for a person like me who hates the sudden boom bang of a slamming door has to be soft close hinges. As this thing literally vanishes those mini panic attacks.
However, when you want to know about how to install soft close cabinet hinges, there’s a need to get the whole process in-depth as it’s not very easy. But then again, it’s also not the hardest task in the world.
A guide like today’s one will hopefully make you capable enough of trying the installation for yourself and ending up a noisy disaster.
Let’s Figure Out How to Install Soft Close Cabinet Hinges
Questions such as do both hinges need to be soft close or where exactly you should be placing them can make this simple installation a bit confusing. I’ll try to keep the most confusing points included in this guide as we approach each and every step. Keep on Reading…
Tools Needed for Soft Close Cabinet Hinges Installation
Apart from the hinges, you’ll need drill bits and a power drill. Also, about the hinges, compact Blum soft close cabinet hinges are right now the ideal pick that I definitely want to recommend as these are proved to be a pretty convenient up-gradation choice. You can also try the self-closing cabinet hinges if you’d need that particular feature.
Getting Old One’s Out
Before you worry about how to install soft close hinges on cabinet doors, think about getting rid of the old ones. Use a power drill with the Philips #2 bits for getting the old-fashioned wooden screws out from your cabinet door. And then you can detach the door as well.
Drill Required Hole
Now with most old-styled cabinets, there should be a 35 mm hole existing for new hinges. However, if this is your first time converting it into hidden hinge type, then go ahead and drill that 1 3/8 inches hole. Use an adjustable depth Forstner bit for better results. You won’t need to hole down any farther usually. As most soft-close hidden hinges are good too with that much.
Follow with Cabinet Door Hinges Installation
You are all set to get the new soft close kitchen cabinet hinges installed with hole being drilled. The hinges should easily fall inside the hole if you’ve drilled it right. There should be a little coaxing. Sometimes you may face a little bit of snug fit with the dropping. But it should not require a ton of pressure for fitting into place.
Use your hand to nicely fit the hinge down this hole. If there’s however stubbornness with it, bring a rubber mallet. Use it for gently tapping over the hinge until it fits well. In case this rubber mallet also fails to put hinge inside the hole, then depth was not right. You need to drill the hole once again to make it deep enough.
The soft close hinge needs to be flushing with cabinet door’s top portion. It should be squarely placed there. As soon as you ensure the proper alignment, go ahead and secure it nicely. Using some tiny wooden screws should be enough. Usually, those are included with Blum soft close hinges.
Then Go for Clip-On Mounting Plates
Next, you need to fix the mounting plate onto the cabinet. In a face frame cabinet, it needs to be directly fixed with face frame. This type is known as the clip-on mounting plate. As once you install them, it basically lets the cabinet door to clip onto them. And compared to the conventional style hinges, these are easier to for. As there’s no need to hold the door of the cabinet in place for securing hinge.
To properly center this new mounting plate to its place, use previous screw holes. Then you can pre-drill using the 5/64- or 3/32-inches bit for avoiding any crack of wood. Afterward, simply use some wood screws to securely fasten the plate onto cabinet.
Clipping the Hinges to Plate
And we are almost by the end of this whole installation process. Use your one hand for holding the door of cabinet. At the same time, you need to grab the soft close hinges with your other hand. For cabinet doors that are larger, get some help from a friend for holding them. Simply slide the hinge inside mounting plate. You want to carefully push it so that it can clip into plate.
You will need to do some cabinet hinge adjustment if it does not line up well with the mounting plate. Simply loosen one of the screws in mounting plate. And make the required adjustments. That way you can easily adjust soft close hinges and clip them into mounting plate with proper alignment.
Give the door a final check and see if it’s opening as well as closing well. If things are good, you have successfully installed the hinges without making any problem, congrats!
Wrap Up
That’s all for how to install soft close cabinet hinges. You see, the installation isn’t very hard, it just needs your focus and patience. If you are having trouble with choosing the right one, checking some of the best soft close cabinet hinges available can help. So, make sure to give it a try.
Once you get these really amazing hinges at your place, there will no irritating door slamming noises causing a problem. And the silence your place deserves will be back to keep the peace.
This is Adam Sullivan, the author of tchardwaretools.com! I started my days as a mobile carpenter to become a full-time shop owner, and have been living my professional life for more than 8 years now.
Here I want to share my thoughts, experiences, and ideas through this platform. Stay Tuned!