If you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen, Installing soft close hinges to your cabinet doors could be the way to go. Learn what soft close hinges are, how they work, and how to install them to get the most out of your kitchen cabinets.
How Soft Close Hinges Work
Soft close hinges are exactly what they sound like; they’re hinges that close softly and quietly. No one likes the sound of a cabinet door slamming shut. Soft close hinges use built-in hydraulics ( mechanical device) to prevent the loud bang sound you might otherwise hear with regular cabinet hinges. This also helps prevent injuries like slamming your finger in the cabinet door. A soft close hinge is a type of self-closing hinge, but with the added benefit of being extra quiet.
Why Install Soft Close Hinges?
There are plenty of reasons to install soft close hinges, some of which include safety, noise, and the longevity of the hinges. Closing a cabinet door with a self close hinge will slow momentum to keep things quiet all the time. This is particularly useful if you’re opening and closing kitchen cabinet doors when sneaking off for a midnight snack.
Benefits of Installing Soft Close Hinges
In addition to the noise factor, soft close hinges also provide the added benefit of safety. This is particularly important if you have young children around and are teaching them how to open and close kitchen cabinets.
Another plus is that installing soft close hinges in your home will be a long-term investment. Their durable, smooth, and silent-closing motion means you’ll have these hinges for the long haul, which will reduce the number of times you need to replace your door hinges and perform additional kitchen upgrades.
How to Install Soft Close Hinges on Cabinet Doors
Installing soft close hinges is a relatively easy task that you could do yourself in one weekend depending on how handy you are. This DIY hinge project could be the instant upgrade your kitchen needs. Can you do this project yourself DIY? That all depends on your skill level and the tools you have on hand. If you’re up for the task, you’ll need the following supplies:
Hinge Installation Tools You’ll Need
- Power Drill
- Blum Hinges
- Drill Bit
Steps for Installing Soft Close Hinges
Step 1: Remove Old Cabinet Doors and Hinges
The first thing you need to do is remove your old cabinet doors and their hinges. The steps for removing old hinges will vary depending on the type of cabinet hinges you have. For a comprehensive overview of removing and replacing door hinges, we suggest reviewing our guides on how to install cabinet hinges.
Once you’ve removed the old cabinet hinges, use a power drill and a #2 drill bit to fasten the hinges to the cabinet. If you don’t have a power drill, an old-fashioned screwdriver will do. It just may require a little extra effort.
Step 2: Drilling the 35mm Hole
If your old cabinets have concealed hinges, there should be a 35mm hole already drilled in. This is where you can affix your new hinges. If you need to drill new holes, you’ll do so using a 35mm adjustable bit. Cabinet doors with holes need to be first verified to ensure their depth is suitable for the new hinges. Conventional non-soft close hinges are often much shallower so further drilling may be necessary.
Step 3: Install the Soft Close Hinges into Cabinet Doors
Once the old hinges have been removed and you have drilled the 35mm hole, you can now install your new soft close hinges onto your cabinet doors. This will be pretty straightforward; as long as the hole is of the right depth, the soft close hinges should drop smoothly into place. They should fit snugly and not require a lot of force to put them into place.
Buy Top-Quality Soft Close Hinges from Hinge Outlet, Inc. Today
Hinge Outlet, Inc. provides free shipping for any orders above $100 and provides product exchanges if customers ordered the wrong finish or size. We also offer refunds if you are not satisfied with the product quality.
If you have any questions about our soft close hinges, feel free to contact us today.