Home Improvement How-To's: Replacing Hinges

Replacing hinges on your cabinet doors is easy enough, but plan to take your time.  You'll need to remove each door to work on it. Place a soft cloth on a nearby countertop to use as a work surface, and take care not to drop any tools on your countertops.

 
SKILL SCALE
Easy
 

TIME REQUIRED
You can replace all the hardware on an 8-foot section of wall in approximately 3 hours.
 

TOOLS
Screwdrivers
Drill with bits
Combination square
 

MATERIALS
Replacement hardware

 
STEPS
 
Step 1 Use a screwdriver or power screwdriver to remove the old doors, hinges, catches, and other hardware.
 
Step 2
 		 Set a combination square at the 2-inch mark and position the new hinges an equal distance from the top and bottom of the door. Use a finish nail or an awl to mark the screw locations.
     
Drill pilot holes and attach the hinges with screws. Take care not to drill all the way through the cabinets! Mount the new knobs, handles, and catches. A power screwdriver will speed up this job, but be careful not to strip the threads or break a screw.
     
Attach the cabinet doors to the frames. Make sure the doors overlap the openings by an equal amount on all sides. Allow a 1/8-inch gap between doors that cover a s