Concealed Hinge Guide
Purchasing and installing concealed hinges can be a little complicated if you’ve never used them before. Here is a brief, yet comprehensive concealed hinge guide from Blum, one of the most popular concealed hinge manufacturers in the world. The information in there should get you going in the right direction if you already have some level of familiarity with hinges and cabinet construction. If you are completely new to this, keep reading down below, we'll get you started with some basics, including the different types of concealed hinges.
If you need additional help, our customer representatives are "hinge experts" and welcome any questions you may have regarding hidden hinges for cabinets. As always, we are available by phone Monday – Friday 8am to 5pm CST at (800) 383-0130 to answer your questions and help you find exactly what you need to make you a Hero at Home.
Are your cabinets Face-Frame or Frameless?
 | Face-Frame Style | Construction method that has a wood frame around the front of the cabinet box. | ||||
 | Inset Face Frame Style | Construction method that has a wood frame around the front of the cabinet box with the doors sitting flush with the frame. | ||||
 | Frameless (Box) Style | Construction method that consists of a cabinet box with sides, top, bottom, and back. | ||||
 | Inset Frameless (Box) Style | Construction method that consists of a cabinet box with sides, top, bottom, and back with the door sitting flush with the cabinet sides. |
Types of Concealed Hinges
 | European Two-Piece Hinges | Two-piece designs require a hole bored in the back of the door and will attach to a mounting plate that is attached to either a face frame(A.) or the side panel of a frameless cabinet(B). Find two piece euro hinges here | ||||
 | European One-Piece Hinges | Commonly called compact hinges, this type of concealed hinges features a design that requires a hole bored in the back of the door and will attach directly to the face frame of your cabinet. Find one piece euro hinges here | ||||
 | Semi-Concealed | Sometimes called knife hinges, a small 9/32” slot or kerf is cut in the top and bottom on the hinge side of your cabinet doors and all you see is small knuckle on the edge of the door. Find semi concealed hinges here | ||||
 | Mortise Hinges | Mortise hinges are installed in a mortised opening on the edge of the door and the edge of the face frame and are concealed or hidden when closed. Find mortise hinges here |
Self vs. Soft Close
 | Free Swing | These hidden hinges for cabinets do not have any type of closing mechanism and are commonly used with touch latches which pop your door open when lightly pressed and also mechanically or magnetically hold the door in the closed position. Find free swing hinges here | ||||
 | Self Close | As these types of concealed hinges get close to being shut, the self close mechanism will grab the door and pull it closed, this also helps to keep the doors shut so they don't creep open. Soft-close devices can be added to most hinges. Find self closing hinges here | ||||
 | Soft Close | Dampeners in the hinge will slow the door down and pull it fully closed. Same with drawer slides, cabinet doors using soft close hinges prevent slamming and minimize noise. Find soft closing hinges here |
Understanding Overlay
 | When people say the phrase ‘cabinet overlay,’ they are discussing how a cabinet door covers the face frame or side panel of their cabinets. If you purchase a new house, there is a good chance that your kitchen will feature cabinet doors with identical overlays. However, it doesn’t hurt to confirm and avoid a possible error. Before you start the process of adding hidden hinges to your cabinets, double check their overlay measurements first. A handy video that we have placed below can guide you through the process of taking measurements so you can ensure you complete this project without any errors. |
If you feel like you could use some more guidance after reviewing the concealed hinge guide and the information above, don’t be afraid to reach out. Feel free to send us an email or give us a call at (800) 383-0130 to speak to one of our hardware experts for more information.