Guide to Hinges: 13 Types of Hinges

A hinge is a type of moveable joint that connects two objects together and allows for a swinging motion, where one part is fixed and one is mobile. Any exterior or interior doors in your home, kitchen cabinets, and even some types of windows function with the use of different types of hinges.

There are different hinges for different types of doors or openings. Cabinet doors will have cabinet hinges, and other types of doors in your home will have door hinges. Within those broader categories, there are more specific hinge varieties depending on style, need, and budget. Even briefcases open using a type of hinge.

When leaves are screwed into both the door frame and the door, and the pin is placed through the barrel, your door should open and close smoothly. You will most likely need more than one hinge for your exterior and interior doors, but unless you have extremely heavy doors or are working with a specific item, you shouldn’t need hinges covering the entire length of the door.

Sometimes, the moving parts of the barrel, or each individual knuckle, can become tight or squeaky and need to be oiled to continue on its path of smooth opening and closing.

To understand the mechanics of how a hinge works, it’s important to know the different parts of a hinge. These are the components of the most common types of hinges:

• Hinge leaf: Hinge leaves are the parts of the hinge that you screw into the door frame and the edge of the door—one hinge leaf per hinge for each surface.
• Knuckle: The knuckle is the cylindrical part of the hinge through which the pin passes.
• Barrel: A row of knuckles is called the barrel.
• Pin: The long piece that slides through the barrel to keep the hinge leaves together is called the pin.

There are many different types of hinges, created for very specific purposes. Here are different types of hinges and their common uses:

1. 1. Barrel hinge: This is not to be confused with the barrel part of a hinge, as barrel hinges are a specific type of hinge similar in appearance to a butt hinge and are best used for small cabinets or storage chests.
2. 2. Butt hinge: A butt hinge is one of the most common types of hinges and also a very heavy-duty hinge. It consists of two leaves joined by a series of knuckles. One leaf is attached to the door, or moving component, leaving the other leaf in a fixed position. Within this variety, there are three types of butt hinges: lift-joint hinges, rising butt cabinet hinges, and ball bearing hinges. Butt hinges are usually made of stainless steel.
3. 3. Butterfly hinge: More decorative hinges, butterfly hinges come in light-duty or heavy-duty versions, so they can be used for almost anything where the hinge is visible.
4. 4. European hinge: European hinges are designed to be concealed within a door, making them not only hinges but also design elements. They can be used on cabinet doors or anywhere else you want to hide the actual hinge when the door is in a closed position. The term European hinge usually refers to a wide range of this type of hinge and not a specific, singular hinge.
5. 5. Flush hinge: These hinges are best for lighter use since they can’t handle the heft of most doors. Each flush hinge features one leaf that fits inside a cutout on the other leaf.
6. 6. Knife hinge: Use this type of hinge when you want to conceal hinges. They are scissor-shaped and usually mounted in places where a door or lid is opened upwards, such as tool chests or even some types of cabinets, making this one of the many types of cabinet hinges.
7. 7. Mortise hinge: A mortise hinge is technically any hinge that requires a recess to be cut out of the frame in order for the hinge to sit flush with the frame. Hinges that don’t require a mortise are referred to as surface mount hinges.
8. 8. Offset hinge: Offset hinges are replacements for standard measure hinges and allow for the door opening to be wider than what is required for building codes. This is helpful if there is a need for a wider door opening, or if you just like the look of a wider door opening.
9. 9. Piano hinge: Also called a continuous hinge, this is the longest of the hinges, as it runs the entire length of the door. You will find these hinges mortised into the lid of items such as a piano, a desk door, a tool box, and others. A mortise means a hole or divot cut into a certain part of a design element in order for another piece to be placed into it. In this case, the piano hinge is the element being inserted.
10. 10. Pivot hinge: You can also call pivot hinges overlay hinges, as they are frequently used on overlay cabinets and doors that are either partial overlay, half overlay, or full overlay doors. Since this hinge rotates on only a single pivot point, it can be tricky to install in a way that keeps it level, and if it’s not level, it won’t function properly.
11. 11. Soft-close hinge: Soft-close hinges prevent doors from slamming shut and can even make it easier to close doors that are difficult to shut, as they assist somewhat with the closing. Many kitchen cabinets, as well as bathroom vanity drawers and cabinets, have soft close hinges that are inside or outside of the cabinet or drawer.
    
12. 12. Spring hinge: Use spring-loaded hinges, or self-closing hinges, when you want a door to close on its own without force. If it’s a heavy-duty door, multiple spring hinges might be required to achieve the desired self-closing effect.
13. 13. Strap hinge: Strap hinges are also known as gate hinges since they are mostly used for outdoor gates, sheds, garages, and exterior doors. These hinges have long, thin leaves and short barrels.

The type of hinge you choose depends on the type of door you have, including the weight of the door, the clearance space needed, and the location. The latter dictates how durable you need the hinge to be, for example, whether you must select a hinge that won’t be susceptible to rust or corrosion.

Hinges also impact a design aesthetic. Some hinges that are created to be attractive serve the same purpose as those designed to be concealed, and some semi-concealed hinges can be the best of both form and function worlds. For example, if you have frameless cabinets (also called face frame cabinets) or cabinet doors that sit inside the frame (sometimes referred to as an inset cabinet), then you’ll want inset hinges. Full inset hinges aren’t necessarily a separate thing on their own, and you can essentially use any type of hinge, depending on if you want to see the hinge or not.

Hardware is another consideration. Different cabinet door hinges, for example, require specific cabinet hardware in order for the cabinet to open—like a knob or a type of pull. Sometimes the edge of a cabinet can be the cabinet opening measure itself.

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