Glossary of Hinge Terms

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ANCHOR HINGE- This type of hinge is used for heavy wood or metal doors. Anchor hinges are used to anchor the hinges into the door and jam. It is commonly used in hospitals, office buildings, schools, or other high traffic areas.

DROP LEAF HINGE- These hinges are sold in pairs. They are surfaced mounted to the underside of your table top.

INVISIBLE SPRING HINGE- This is a fully concealed cabinet door hinge.It has a 90 degree opening. this type of hinge is spring activated, self closing , and self locking.

FLANGE HINGE- This type of hinge gives you extra support. It is great for lighter cabinet doors, and is also very easy to install.

SNAP CLOSE GLASS DOOR HINGE- This hinge keeps the glass cabinet door closed without any latches. These hinges are very easy to install and require no drilling into the glass.

PARTIAL WRAP AROUND HINGE- This hinge is used for heavy cabinet doors . It has a large surface area so it improves the support of your door.

SURFACE MOUNTED HINGE- This type of hinge does not need a hole drilled into the door to fit it. It comes in a concealed or exposed style.

KNIFE HINGE- this type of hinge is shaped like a pair of scissors. It is a heavy duty hinge , and gives clean lines to your furniture.

SELF CLOSING HINGE- This type of hinge has a feature to help pull the door shut automatically when the door is a few inches from being closed.

270 DEGREE OVERLAY HINGE- This type of hinge allows the door to move a full 270 degrees. This grants you better access to your cabinet.

PIN HINGE- This is a hinge that swivels on a single point. only the knuckle is visible from the outside of the cabinet when the door is closed.

SLIP ON HINGE- This type of hinge is a concealed hinge. Two parts of the hinge are connected together by slipping one half onto the other half.

REVERSE BEVEL HINGE- This type of hinge gives a flawless look to your cabinets. It is angled backwards to allow the cabinet door edge to work as a door knob.

DOUBLE LOCKING BIFOLD DOOR HINGE- This type of hinge stabilizes bifold doors by locking it into two positions. It automatically locks flat so the door remains open, or locks shut when the doors are folded to prevent the doors from bouncing back.

CAFE DOOR HINGES- This type of hinge is used so the door can open ,and swing in both directions. A gravity pivot returns the into a closed position after you have passed through the doors.

DUMMY HINGES- These hinges are purely decorative. They usually come in a wrought iron finish.They are attached directly to the surface of your door. Dummy hinges add old world charm to your doors.

RISING BUTT HINGES- This type of door hinge is used when you have a door that cannot open or close due to a high carpet or an uneven floor

HALF MORTISE HINGE- This type of hinge is designed for older vintage door. One side fits in a groove in a door frame and the other side fits onto the door face. These types of hinges are considered decorative and are usually used on thinner doors.

CONCEALED SOSS HINGE- This type of hinge is invisible when he door is closed. Soss hinges allow a closed fit between the door and the frame. this hinge allows the door to open 180 degrees

PARLIAMENT HINGES- This type of hinge is designed so that part of the hinge is cut away. This allows you to open or close your door if you are having trouble because of decorative molding around the door frame.

BUTT HINGE- This is the most common type of hinge. It is a hinge with two rectangular metal plates with screw holes joined by either a pin or rod. Butt hinges are used for mounting ordinary doors. They are available in a rigid or loose pin type.

KNUCKLE HINGE- This is a predominantly decorative hinge. It is designed osm that only the knuckle of the hinge shows when the door is closed. The knuckle of a hinge is is the part that connects the frame wing and the door wing , and allows movement of the door. this hinge can also hold alot of weight.

DOUBLE ACTING HINGE- This type of hinge is used mainly on folding doors. It lets the door open in either direction.

PIVOT HINGE- This hinge is designed for mounting overlay doors. Pivot hinges pivot on a single point. The top and bottom of this hinge are sold as mirror images. this type of hinge is barely visible when the door is closed.

SWING CLEAR HINGES- This is a type of hinge that is used when a door is needed to swing completely clear of the opening. This is an alternative to widening your door which is very costly. These are helpful for people using a walker or a wheelchair.

BUTTERFLY HINGE- These hinges are very easy to fit. they are usually used on lightweight doors. butterfly hinges can be found in different shapes and patterns.

BARREL HINGE- This type of hinge comes in two parts. The threaded part of the hinge is screwed into a pre-drilled hole. Barrel hinge are very easy to install, fit, and can be dismantled very easily.

CONTINUOUS HINGE- This type of hinge is also known as a piano hinge.It rus the entire length of the door. Small screws are used to hold it into position. These hinges also come in a heavy duty design.

BALL BEARING HINGE-This type of hinge is designed for heavy duty doors that open to the exterior. It is permantly lubricated and usually more expensive than other hinges.

SPRING ACTION HINGES- This type of hinge closes a door automatically.It is commonly used on cafe doors that swing in both directions.

T-HINGE- This type of hinge is shapped like the letter T. It is commonly used on gates. It is a decorative hinge. T- hinges come in many different styles.

STRAP HINGE- This type of hinge is designed for supporting wide doors. Strap hinges are exposed so it is considered a decorative hinge and should come in many styles.

FLAG HINGE- This type of hinge can be taken apart with a removable pin. Flag hinges can also swivel a full 360 degrees around the pin.

CONCEALED HINGE- This type of hinge is also known as an invisible hinge. These hinges are made so you only see the surface of the door. They consist of two parts, which are pivots and brackets. Concealed hinges are very useful because you can take the door on and off without removing the hardware.

PLAIN BEARING HINGES- These types of hinges are recommended for frequently used doors. Plain bearing hinges come in many configurations, such as two-knuckle though six-knuckle. Plain bearing hinges are recommended on medium weight doors.