The hinges you choose for your cupboard will determine their design and durability. Inset hinges are often selected for a more minimalistic design, whereas overlay hinges provide a more traditional look. But what are the main differences between the two?
The main differences between inset and overlay hinges are their cost, style, and usage. Inset hinges are often decorative, more expensive, and used for inset cupboards. Overlay hinges are less visible, cheaper, and used for overlay cupboards.
In this article, we’ll go over the key differences between inset and overlay hinges. We will also tell you their benefits, disadvantages, and which would work best for your cupboards.
What Are Inset Hinges?
Inset hinges are used on inset cabinets. They allow the cabinet door to sit flush with its walls, and they can also be applied to partially inset cabinets.
There are two categories of inset hinges: surface-mounted and hidden-mounted. Surface-mounted hinges are positioned on the outside of the door frame. In contrast, hidden-mounted hinges are put on the inside of the cabinet door and flush to the cabinet frame.
Inset hinges are available in several styles. These include:
- Butt hinges: These are the most common hinges used in modern kitchen cupboards. They consist of two leaves and a center pin. When installed, the leaves are hidden.
- Premium Quality: The silver cabinet hinges are made of aluminum material, durable and sturdy, ensure you a long service life.
- Smooth Movement: Our door hinges use high-quality bearings which can rotate smoothly and quietly, not easy to get stuck or stagnant.
- Easy to Install: The bifold door hinges can be installed directly without grooving in the door and door frame, easy to operate with our solid screws.
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- H & HL hinges: These are visible hinges composed of two thin parallel leaves.
- Size: 7.
- Package Quantity: 1
- Excellent Quality.
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- Strap hinges: They are mounted on the outside of the cabinet doors. These are available in decorative designs.
- Heavy Duty Stainless steel strap hinge 6"
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- Self-mortise hinges: This model is a plate hinge that does not require cuts in the cabinet door for use. The hinge rests flush with the cabinet, and the plates are not visible.
- These automatic door closer hinges are made from a heavy duty steel that's highly resistant to rust and corrosion. These are high-performance hinges that are designed to last.
- Doors will close automatically: No more forgetting to close doors in your home. Includes hex wrench, tension rods, and matching installation screws.
- For use on exterior or interior doors. Designed to be installed on any left hand operated or right hand operated doors. They’re designed to fit doors that are 1-3/4 inch thick.
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- Full wrap cabinet hinges: The hinge wraps around three sides of the cabinet frame for improved durability.
- PACKAGE CONTENT: 6 Pieces Soft Close Full Overlay Hinges and Installation Screws
- MAIN SPECIFICATIONS: Overlay: Full, Opening Angle: 110 Degree, Closing Type: Soft Closing, Adjustment: 3-Cam Vertical, Horizontal and Depth adjustment. These are the main specifications of our hinges, please look at the descriptions section at the bottom for a comprehensive view of all specifications.
- FULL OVERLAY DESIGN: These hinges will have a straight arm and it allows your cupboard door edge to be completely in line with the edge of your cabinet. One major advantage of a full overlay concealed hinge is that it is fully adjustable due to three little screws that they have. Depth, Side and Height adjustments are made with these three screws. They can be fine-tuned to ensure the door frame is totally concealed and fits together perfectly.
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- Partial wrap cabinet hinges: The partial wrap style of hinges goes inside the door frame with a screw. They wrap around two sides of the cupboard walls.
- UPGRADE YOURS TODAY: These 1/2 overlay semi concealed bulk hinges work perfectly on your American cabinets. The finish on our brushed nickel cabinet door hinges match your style of cabinet pulls and will lift the appeal of your tired-looking cabinet.
- ½ INCH OVERLAY CABINET HINGES. It means your cabinet door semi or partially "overlays" or overlaps the face frame cabinet. These are also known as the 1/2 cabinet wrap hinges for cabinet door, or surface mount kitchen cabinet door hinges.
- SELF CLOSING CABINET HINGES :Our proprietary metal spring cabinet hinges brushed nickel give you outstnding functionality & performance. Cabinet door hinge will automatically close under 30 degrees. Silicon dampers ensure every close is a quiet one.
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Pros
Because inset hinges allow the cabinet doors to be inline with their walls, it has many advantages, including:
- Sleek design: Inset hinges allow the cupboard doors to be flush with the frame, giving a neat look.
- Decorative: Inset hinges are available in beautiful designs and metals that can complement the room’s theme.
- Exposed hinges allow a 180° range: Visible inset hinges will enable you to open the cabinet door fully. This wide range stops the door from being an obstruction when in use.
- Soft-close mechanism
Cons
Notably, inset hinges also have negative aspects like:
- Costly: Inset hinges are the most expensive style of hinge available.
- Installation requires advanced skills: A trained professional must install these styles of hinges. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of your cabinets being misaligned or fragile.
- Not adjustable: Designs like the butt hinge or strap hinge cannot be adjusted once installed.
- Visible leaves: Some styles have visible leaves. In some cases, these can be unattractive.
- Hidden mounted hinges have a limited range: Hidden mounted hinges offer a range of 110° or less. The doors protrude from the cabinet frame and can get in the way.
What Are Overlay Hinges?
Overlay hinges are what you would use to install overlay doors. These hinges come in five variations:
- Demountable hinges: The design of these hinges allows you to remove the cabinet doors when needed. They are available as single or double hinges. Single demountable hinges require installing the screws to face the cabinet frame. The hinge goes through a slot set in the door. Like the single hinge style, double demountable hinges have screws facing the cabinet frame, but these require two spaces to be placed in the cabinet.
- Full overlay concealed hinge: This style is the most popular overlay hinge used in homes. It has three screws that adjust to the angles of the door frame.
- Face mount hinges: This hinge is self-closing with partially concealed components. One leave is attached to the back of the cabinet door. The other is attached to the front of the frame.
- Full wrap cabinet hinges: You can also use this hinge model to fasten overlay doors. On overlay doors, they are not adjustable.
- Partial wrap cabinet hinges: Partial wrap hinges are designed for overlay cabinets, too. This style of hinge improves the durability of the cabinet door.
Pros
Overlay hinges have several advantages over inset hinges:
- More affordable
- Adjustable: Homeowners can modify most styles of overlay hinges after installation with little effort.
- Easy installation: Overlay hinges require little experience, so the placement has a higher chance of being done successfully.
Cons
- Less minimal design: Since overlay hinges suit overlay doors, some models tend to be less modest.
Which One Should You Choose?
Choosing a hinge depends on the style of door you desire. There are three main types of cabinet doors available:
- Inset cabinet doors: They are the most desired in modern households due to their minimalistic appearance. The door rests inline with the cabinet frame. A door or knob is needed to open this model of cabinets. The most significant disadvantage of inset cabinet doors is that they are costly and require a trained professional for installation. Also, with inset cabinets, you sacrifice storage space since they sit inside of the cabinet.
- FRAMELESS HINGE: used in various types of frameless cabinet, wardrobe, cupboard, bookcase and closet for home, office or other places. For door thickness of 14-22mm/Cup diameter:35mm/Cup depth:11.5mm/Opening degree:105°
- EASY INSTALLATION: the cabine hinge has three-dimensional adjustment function with the adjustable mounting plate,therefore you do not need to loose any screw to adjust the cabinet door up & down,left & right,in & out.
- TWO WAY HINGE: The cabine hinge is a two-way force structure that makes the door open and close more mute.
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- Overlay cabinet doors: Companies design overlay cabinet doors to conceal the entire face of the cabinet. This style is less expensive than inset cabinet doors. Also, they provide the most amount of storage usage from your cabinet. Like inset cabinets, you have to open them with a pull door or knob.
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- Partial overlay cabinet doors: Partial overlay cabinet doors are the least expensive. This design leaves a gap between the door frame and the cabinet. Thus, there is no need to install a handle to access the inside of the cabinet.
- 1/2" Partial Overlay Cabinet Door Hinges - 1/2" Partial Overlay, soft closing, 105 Degree Opening Angle, short arm, cup diameter 35mm, compatible with most common cabinet styles.
- MATERIAL - Made from stainless steel with a nickel plated finish for long-lasting durability.
- Quiet Soft Close - The Cabinet Hinges have a mechanism that allows the cabinet door to gently close before completely closing. These cabinet door hinges are made with built-in dampers that help doors close more safely and quietly to protect hands and fingers. Full Overlay Cabinet Door Hinges - Full overlay, soft closing, 100 Degree Opening Angle, short arm, cup diameter 35mm, compatible with most common cabinet styles.
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How To Install Door Hinges on Cabinets
Installing cabinet hinges can take up to 4 hours regardless of whether they are inset or overlay hinges. In some cases, hinges are simple to install even if you don’t have experience.
Home Depot recommends taking these steps to install hinges on your cabinet doors safely:
- When replacing old hinges, remove the cabinet door first. Ensure you disassemble the catches and other parts of the hinge from the cabinet. Otherwise, start with the new cabinet door.
- Set a combination square 2 in (5.08 cm) away from the cabinet frame.
- Position the hinges at the top and bottom of the door. Check that they are equal distances away from the edge.
- Mark the screw locations with a finish nail or an awl.
- Drill pilot holes. Do not fully drill through the cabinets. Aim for a hole as deep as the length of the screws.
- Mount the handles, knobs, and catches.
- Fasten the cabinet door to the frames. The doors should overlap the cabinet by an equal amount. A ⅛ in (0.3175 cm) gap should be placed between the wickets.
Final Thoughts
Overlay hinges have several advantages over inset hinges because they are easier to install and less expensive. However, if you want a clean, minimal design in your kitchen and living room, choose inset hinges.
Professionals can install both inset and overlay hinges with ease. Suppose you’re not an experienced technician, and you’re trying to secure your hinges at home. In that case, Everyday Home Repairs has a video on choosing the right hinge for your cabinet:
Regarding both styles of hinges, we recommend picking an experienced handyman to install them on your cabinets.
Sources
- Eurofit Direct: Concealed & Cabinet Hinges Explained For Kitchen Cupboard Door Hinges
- YouTube: How To Measure And Pick Replacement Cabinet Hinges | Soft Close
- Hinge Outlet: How To Select The Right Cabinet Hinge For Your Home
- Home Depot: 13 How To Replace Cabinet Hinges
- Home Depot: Homepage
- Knobs: A Guide To Choosing The Right Cabinet Hinge
- Marlboro Manufacturing Inc.: Leaf Size and Shape
- Rockler: Choosing The Right Cabinet Hinge For Your Project
- Signature Kitchens: Inset vs. Frameless Cabinetry – Kitchen Remodeling, Kitchen Renovation & Design in Hawthorne NJ
- Wikipedia: Awl