How to Fit Soft Close Hinges – Step by Step Guide
Most of us have made the fatal error of slamming a cabinet door without meaning to. It’s loud, annoying and usually results in damage to the cabinet hardware over time. Opting for soft close cabinet hinges or ‘dampers’ prevents damage to cabinet hinges and when fitted correctly, soft close hinges catch and slow the cabinet door shutting before it slams. But, it’s important to fit a soft close hinge mechanism properly or it could stop working properly.
If you are updating your cabinet fittings due to a kitchen refit, take a look at our recent blog post on other things to consider when refitting your kitchen.
Here at SCF Hardware, we’ve put together a complete step by step guide to fitting our soft close hinges for silent cabinets.
You will need:
- Soft close cabinet hinges
- Pencil
- Drill
- Screwdriver
Step 1 – Position the Hinges on Your Cabinet Hardware
Start by making your new soft close hinge parallel underneath your current cabinet door hinge. You should position the rubber-tipped arm of the hinge roughly ½ inch past the cabinet hardware face to allow the closer arm to open fully.
Step 2 – Make Your Mark
Now you know where you’ll be positioning the soft close hinge on your cabinet hardware, make a mark of where the screw holes will be.
Step 3 – Screw on Your new Hinge
Pre-drill the marked screw hole with a smaller screw first, then screw in the new hinges into your cabinet hardware.
Step 4 – Make Desired Adjustments
The benefit of soft close cabinet hinges is that they are adjustable, making them a versatile choice for all cabinet fittings. If you have a heavier or thicker cabinet door, it’ll require more of a soft close, reducing noise. For thicker cabinet fittings we recommend Sensys Thick Door Soft Close Concealed Hinges. However, if your cabinet door is lighter, you’ll want less of a soft close. Keep adjusting until you get a perfect balance and enjoy quieter cabinet fittings!
Visit our blog for more detail on the different cabinet hinges we supply at SCF Hardware.
At SCF Hardware we have got a selection of different types of cabinet hinges, buy in bulk from us to receive free shipping on any order over £120! To get in touch with our friendly team for more information, give us a call on 0800 298 7141 or email us at sales@scfhardware.com.