Furniture fittings, in particular hinges, are an integral element of any piece of cabinet furniture. Its quality, composition and installation directly affect the durability of products, as well as the possibility of proper operation of cabinets, chests of drawers and cabinets.
The development of technologies used for the production of new models of cabinets and facades inevitably provokes developments in the field of manufacturing fasteners of the appropriate form.
Today, furniture hinges, varieties and types of which are constantly replenished and improved, have more than a dozen items. Their classification can be carried out taking into account the following parameters:
- Appearance design.
- Body mount style.
- Mechanism turning angle.
It makes no sense to list them all, since the most convenient basic types of furniture hinges are often used. The features of their design and installation rules are well known to professional craftsmen, thereforethe process of production and installation of furniture is greatly simplified.
Depending on the shape of the facade and the geometry of the cabinet, the manufacturer also has the opportunity to use specific furniture hinges. Varieties and types of this fittings allow you to effectively mount straight, diagonal, radius, curved facades.
The most common types of loops
Any furniture hinges for doors are semi-mechanical devices designed to fix the facade to one of the walls of the case with the possibility of subsequent repeated opening of the door.
Four-hinged (cup) hinges have become well-deserved favorites of many masters. This type includes:
Invoices. Indispensable if the cabinet door must completely close all ends of the cabinet (one door for one cabinet). Furniture overhead hinge is the most common and simple design
- Semi overhead. They are used when two facades opening in different directions should be attached to one vertical edge. Each of the facades fixed in this way covers the end of the frame only halfway, while maintaining the symmetry of the cabinet.
- Insert. Their specificity is that they are designed to fix the facades inside the box. That is, with such a mount, all the ends of the case remain visible.
- Angular. As the name implies, these devices are used to assemble cabinets that have a complex geometric shape. As a rule, the facades of such furniture are mounted at different angles (from 30o to175o).
- Inverse. Only this type of hinges is able to provide a facade displacement of 180o, in which the door in the open position is in the same plane as the closed one.
In addition to the listed devices, there are also furniture hinges, varieties of which allow you to fix folding facades. Some types of mounting fittings ensure the functioning of sliding structures or make it possible to open the door not only in a horizontal, but also in a vertical plane (up or down).
Punch-free hinges: easy and fast installation
Unlike the types of hinges described above, which require specific milling for fastening, overhead furniture hinges without tie-in are mounted much easier. This model is preferred by novice craftsmen and self-repair enthusiasts.
This hinge attaches to the inside of a wooden or metal door. An important condition for the correct functioning of these devices is accurate marking.
Closers and shock absorbers are the main attribute of quality hinges
Experts recommend resisting the temptation to save on fittings and install cheap furniture hinges: the price of more expensive devices more than pays off with high quality and durability. The cost of the loops offered by different sellers varies significantly. For simple fittings, you can specify a price range of 0.5-3 euros, with the presence of closers -2-7 euros. When installing non-standard facades, it is worth considering in advance the type of mounting hardware, since the cost of such hinges can reach 4-7 euros per unit.
For the long-term performance of these elements, the materials used in their manufacture, the method of coating and its composition, compliance with technological standards and rules, the availability of additional devices are of great importance.
The door closer system installed on cabinet furniture hinges can significantly facilitate the use of interior items. To a greater extent, this applies to kitchens, but the quiet and smooth closing of the door is also relevant for wardrobes, cabinets and lockers located in other rooms of the apartment.
The popularity of such a design as furniture hinges with a closer is due to the additional level of comfort that owners of furniture improved in this way acquire. In addition, this approach ensures a more accurate use of furniture, protecting the edges and edge of the facade from the formation of chips, cracks and distortions.
Specific functioning of hinges with closers
Furniture hinges with closers are equipped with an auxiliary device that is mounted on the hinge and prevents incomplete or too abrupt closing of furniture doors. The meaning of his work is to timely slow down the movement of the slamming door and smoothly bring it to the closed position.
The operating mechanism is a spring hidden in the body of the device, which is filled with oil orliquid. Economy-class devices use gas, but its functional characteristics are significantly inferior to oil mixtures.
The indisputable advantage of the closer are:
- Improve furniture ergonomics.
- High load capacity, which is important for massive facades.
- Easy to install.
- Thoughtful design, when broken, the oil remains inside the capsule.
- Various range of devices and ease of choice.
- Width of the price range.
Among the few drawbacks are the difficult operation of the closer at low temperatures (the oil becomes viscous) and the need to carefully follow the installation requirements set out in the instructions.
Installation of closers for furniture hinges
Closer can be equipped with any furniture overhead hinge, as well as corner or inset.
When buying or ordering furniture, any seller will first of all advise precisely hinges with closers. To improve already functioning furniture, it is possible to mount these devices on installed hinges. This process is simple and can be carried out by the owner himself.
Adjustment of closers
After installing the hinges with closers, they should be carefully adjusted. This is possible by changing the position of the screw located on the case.
The adjustment is designed to determine the speed and smoothness of closing the door, and also affects the degreefit of the facade to the body.
By loosening the screw, a very smooth and slow closing of the door can be achieved. And vice versa: a firmly tightened screw allows the front to close faster.
Caring for furniture fittings
Speaking about the durability of furniture fittings, it is worth mentioning the conditions for its proper functioning:
All types of furniture hinges (especially in the kitchen) need timely cleaning from dirt and dust. These activities should be carried out using soapy water and clean wipes
- It is contraindicated to clean the closer mechanism with granular abrasive substances. The inevitable formation of scratches provokes accelerated wear of the anti-corrosion coating.
- Device screws need to be tightened in time. Such a measure is necessary so that the door always opens correctly, does not sag or creak.
- All hinges need periodic lubrication.
- Do not "help" the closers to close the door, this prevents the full functioning of the device.
Decorative loops
The design of vintage Provence or grunge furniture often includes discreet decorative elements or their complete absence.
Instead of them, functional elements, such as furniture handles and hinges, can act as decorations. Varieties of these parts are most often overhead, that is, visible from the front or side.
Such butterfly loopsdifferent sizes are used to make cabinets, chests of drawers, nightstands, chests and boxes.
A distinctive feature of vintage-style fittings can be considered the deliberate aging of metal elements: uneven paint application, scratches, abrasions or stains that mimic rust.
