How to Mark Cabinet Doors for Hinges

New cabinets change the look of a kitchen. No matter what style of hardware is chosen to complement the kitchen décor, the same basic rules apply to mark the cabinet doors for installation of hinges and pulls.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pulls
• Pencil

Cabinet doors

1. Lay the cabinet door on a flat surface, face down.

2. Measure an equal distance from the top and bottom of the door. You can use the width of the hinge or measure 2 inches from the top and bottom.

3. Mark the spot at top and bottom with a pencil.

4. Match the edge of a hinge to each mark, then use a pencil to mark the location of the screw holes in the hinge.

5. Drill pilot holes for the screws, keeping an eye on the drill to avoid going through the cabinet door.

6. Use a screwdriver to fasten the hinges to the door.

7. Lift the cabinet door to the cabinet, adjust it for best fit, and use a pencil to mark holes for the hinges.

Pulls

8. Determine the cabinet's position to determine the location of the pull. With upper cabinets, the pull is placed near the bottom of the door. With lower cabinets, the pull is near the top of the door.

9. Decide where the pull looks best. The 2-inch rule for hinges doesn't apply here.

10. Use a pencil to mark the number of holes required for the pull, usually one or two.

Tips & Warnings

• With butt, decorative and inset hinges, it may be necessary to mark the spot for the hinge first and chisel out an area. This is especially true if the side-to-side width of a flush cabinet door is narrow. After the door is chiseled, set the hinge in the area and mark the locations for the screws.
• For invisible hinges, use the same method to measure from the top and bottom of the door, but match the supplied template to the mark and then mark holes for the screws.

Resources

• Find pulls and hinges at Menards.

[jbrown13]

on 11/5/2009 check out www.hingedummy.info as well, great step by step with picture instructions for all installations and general info