Hidden Door Hinges: Description, Advantages And Disadvantages, As Well As How To Install Correctly

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Features of the device, installation and adjustment of hidden door hinges

Door hinges provide fastening of the leaf to the box and with their help the door is opened and closed. There is a large selection of such accessories, but hidden ones are very popular. They provide a smooth and quiet opening of the web. In addition, such structures are not visible from the outside with closed doors, have a long service life and an affordable cost. Some models of hidden hinges allow doors to be opened 180 °, which greatly facilitates the movement of bulky items.

Content

• 1 Device of hidden door hinges

  1.1 Concealed hinges with door closer

• 2 Advantages and disadvantages of hidden door hinges
• 3 What to look for when choosing hidden door hinges

• 4 Features of installing hidden hinges

  • 4.1 Installation of hidden hinges on wooden doors

    4.1.1 Video: installation of hidden hinges

  • 4.2 Installing hidden hinges on homemade metal doors

    4.2.1 Video: installation of hidden hinges on self-made steel doors

• 5 How is the adjustment of hidden door hinges carried out

  5.1 Video: Adjusting Hidden Hinges

• 6 Reviews

Hidden door hinge device

For smooth and easy door opening, the hinges must be correctly selected and installed. Concealed or hidden hinges are popular. For their installation, special holes are made in the door frame and door leaf, and such awnings are not visible when the sash is closed.

According to the standards, door hinges, including hidden ones, must provide the following characteristics:

• free opening and closing of the door leaf;
• reliable fixation of the door and box during operation;
• safety, they must not allow spontaneous separation of the sash from the door frame;
• the ability to fix the canvas in extreme positions;
• high-quality performance of functions during the warranty period.

To create hidden hinges installed on interior doors, an alloy of four metals called tsamak is usually used. It contains magnesium, aluminum, zinc and copper. Tsamak has good fluidity at a low melting point, so high-temperature furnaces are not required to organize production. It has sufficient strength and a smooth surface.

To give the finished hinges an attractive appearance, a nickel, chrome or brass finish is used, which can be glossy or matte.

Hidden door hinges do not spoil the appearance of the door leaf, since in its closed position they are not visible

If we talk about the design of hidden hinges, then it will be more complicated than that of overhead or mortise models.

The invisibility loop includes the following elements:

• metal case;
• hinge, it hides in the hinge body;
• lever, this element consists of two parts, which are fastened together by a steel movable axis, and provides a connection between the hinge and the canvas;
• anti-friction bushings, they serve to improve sliding.

The hidden hinge consists of the following main elements: a central pivot (1) and two fixed axles (3), a lever (2)

Before you buy hidden hinges, you need to decide on the direction of opening the door. There are left and right products as well as universal ones. The latter can be installed on either side of the box.

In addition, there is a division of hidden hinges into non-adjustable and adjustable. It is clear that the cost of the latter will be higher. If we talk about the materials of the door frame and sash, into which such hinges are installed, then this is wood, aluminum or steel.

Depending on the load for the hidden hinges, their dimensions will differ. For interior doors, it is enough to install parts that can withstand a load of 40-50 kg. The weight of entrance doors can be up to 200 kg, so more powerful models will be needed here.

Although universal hinges are more convenient to install, they are less reliable. Experts recommend choosing hidden hinges, taking into account the opening of the canvas.

Left and right door hinges are more reliable, but universal models can also be purchased.

Concealed hinges with door closer

These models have appeared relatively recently. Since the hinge and the closer are combined in one mechanism, there is no need to additionally install a shock-absorbing device. Outwardly, such products practically do not differ from traditional ones. They can be larger, but the main difference lies in the design.

The hinge with a closer has a built-in shock-absorbing mechanism, the main working element of which is a spring. When the door leaf is opened, it stretches, and after releasing it begins to shrink. This returns the sash to its original closed position.

In order to close the door smoothly, an oil shock absorber is used. In this case, the spring is placed in the cylinder. It has a system of valves through which the oil moves from one chamber to another. When the door is opened, the process occurs in one direction, and when it is closed, in the opposite direction. The spring is in a viscous medium, so the compression speed decreases. This allows the door leaf to close slower and softer and avoid hitting the box.

The spring of the closer, placed in the cylinder with oil, ensures smooth closing of the door

When choosing hidden hinges with a door closer, it should be borne in mind that they cannot be installed on all types of doors. Such models cannot be used for heavy products, since the hinges will not be able to perform their functions normally and will quickly fail.

The number of hinges will depend on the weight of the door leaf:

• for a sash weighing 40-50 kg, experts recommend installing two hidden hinges with a door closer;
• for doors weighing from 50 to 90 kg, it is necessary to install three canopies;
• for a canvas over 100–120 kg, it is not recommended to use such hinges; it is better to install a powerful closer separately.

Another disadvantage is that the door block must be positioned with a slight deviation from the vertical. This is to facilitate the work of the mechanism of the parts. In each case, the angle is determined individually. If you make the slope large, then the canvas will close on its own without a closer. At a low blade angle, the operation of the mechanism becomes more complicated, it breaks down faster.

Due to the built-in shock-absorbing mechanism, such hinges have a number of advantages:

• the absence of strikes of the canvas on the box, which prolongs the service life, and if there are children in the house, then the presence of a closer will minimize the risk of injury;
• there is no need to hold the door when closing;
• lack of drafts.

Advantages and disadvantages of hidden door hinges

At first, hidden hinges were installed only on entrance doors, this is due to their high burglary resistance. Now many people have begun to mount such canopies on interroom canopies, while they are guided by the following advantages of hidden hinges:

1. Attractiveness. Such hinges do not spoil the appearance of the door leaf, therefore they can be installed on almost all types of doors, including products with an "invisible" box.
2. High reliability. A pair of hidden hinges can support a door leaf weighing 50 kg, while conventional hinges are designed for a sash weight of 30 kg.
3. Comfort. They can be adjusted in three directions: vertical, horizontal and clamping. This can be done both during installation and during operation. Such an adjustment is important for new buildings, since after a while the house may shrink, due to which the doors begin to close poorly. Some models of hidden hinges allow the canvas to be opened 180 ^o.
4. Long service life.
5. Versatility. Such hinges can be mounted on canvases made of wood and metal, as well as synthetic materials. Most manufacturers include such accessories in their assortment.

Despite the large number of advantages, hidden loops also have disadvantages:

1. The high cost of fittings.
2. Risk of deformation of the door frame when trying to open the doors sharply due to the presence of levers.
3. Low strength of the door structure due to the creation of holes in the box and the leaf for the installation of such hinges.
4. Reduced width of the rebate at the entrance door from the hinge side, therefore, the sealing of the gaps worsens.
5. Complex installation of the platband, since when the door is opened, the canvas rests on it.

What to look for when choosing hidden door hinges

When choosing such products, you should pay attention not only to their cost, but also to their performance characteristics.

It is better to buy fittings from trusted manufacturers such as AGB, Armadillo, Krona Koblenz and others. No need to try to save money by buying loops of dubious origin. Door hinges should provide not only smooth and easy door leaf opening, but also reliable fixation to the box.

The Italian company AGB is a renowned manufacturer of hidden hinges

There is no specific instruction on the correct selection of hidden hinges. To purchase fittings that meet your requirements, it is enough to define the following parameters:

1. Opening side of the curtain. There are right and left hinges. You can buy universal models, but their durability is lower.
2. Loop size. To do this, you need to decide on the weight of the canvas. If it is 15–25 kg, then 7–8 cm long hinges are sufficient, and when the weight of the door is 25–40 kg, then it is necessary to install canopies 10 cm long.
3. Number of loops. This indicator also depends on the weight of the door leaf. On lightweight structures, it is enough to install two hinges. If the canvas is heavy, then 3-4 canopies are needed.
4. Material. For heavy entrance doors, you need to purchase hinges made of steel or brass. They are more durable, but also expensive. For interior structures, you can use tsamak alloy hinges. Their strength is sufficient for reliable fixation of interior linens, and the cost of such accessories is less than that of steel or brass.

Features of installing hidden hinges

To install hidden hinges with your own hands you will need:

• measuring instruments;
• pencil;
• electric drill with a cutter attachment or hand-held milling cutter;
• screwdriver;
• building level;
• chisel;
• a hammer.

Installing hidden hinges without a router or a drill with a milling attachment will not work

Installation of hidden hinges on wooden doors

The installation process of such parts consists of the following stages:

1. Door leaf markings. At 20-25 cm from the top and bottom edges mark the places for the loops and outline their contours. If you need to install a third canopy, then it should be located exactly in the middle between the other two. There should be two contours: the inner one for the loop, and the outer one for the overlay.

   

   A loop is laid on the marked place and its contours are drawn

2. Door frame markings. The canvas is inserted into the box, the position is adjusted with pegs and fixed. Opposite the marks for the loops on the canvas, they indicate the places for the holes on the box. After that, the sash is removed, loops are applied to the box in the marked places and their contours are drawn.

   

   If the door frame has not yet been installed, then it will be much easier to transfer the marking of places for hinges from the canvas to the frame.

3. Cut in loops. First, using a hammer and a chisel, make a hole for the loop. The depth of the groove should be equal to the thickness of the part. After that, a hole is made with a drill with a milling nozzle. To determine the depth, measure the height of the loop without overlay. Notches are made both on the door leaf and on the frame.

   

   The place for the lining is created using a chisel and a hammer, and the place for the hinge is created with a milling cutter or a drill with a milling nozzle.

4. Loop fixation. First you need to separate them, for this you need to unscrew the fixing screw. Large hinge elements are inserted into the finished holes on the box and fasteners are tightened with a screwdriver. This must be done evenly so that there is no skew. Now smaller elements are fixed in the canvas. It remains to expose the canvas and connect both parts of the hinge with a mounting screw.

   

   While fixing the hinge, it is necessary to evenly clamp the screws so that there is no skewing of the structure

Video: installation of hidden hinges

Installing hidden hinges on homemade metal doors

Factory metal doors already have holes for installing hidden hinges and the awnings themselves are included, so there are no problems with installation.

If you decide to install them on homemade steel doors, then there is an affordable option. In this case, the hidden hinges are created on the basis of the external canopy, popularly called "papa-mama".

It can only be made during the door manufacturing process. The work is performed in the following sequence:

1. A slot is made in the wall of the box adjacent to the canvas, which corresponds to half of the canopy.
2. In this place, a part of the loop, which is called "dad", is fixed with a welding machine.

3. The upper part ("mother") is welded to the extension in the form of an arc, and it is already fixed on the door leaf. This creates a second loop.

   

   Self-made steel doors can be fitted with hidden hinges based on an external canopy

Video: installing hidden hinges on homemade steel doors

How are hidden door hinges adjusted

After installing the hidden hinges, you need to adjust them. This procedure may also be required due to the fact that the web sags during operation.

Hidden hinges are adjustable in three directions:

1. Horizontally. To do this, use a hexagon to turn the adjusting screw located on the right side of the hinge at the top. Thus, the web is aligned on both sides with respect to the box, while the adjustment value is 1 mm.

   

   The horizontal adjustment allows you to move the web by 1 mm

2. Vertically. To do this, turn the adjusting screw, it connects the two hinge levers. This makes it possible to even out the gaps between the sash, the floor and the top of the box. The adjustment amount is 1.5–2 mm.

   

   Vertical adjustment allows you to move the web by 1.5-2 mm

3. By pressing. Using the hexagon, turn the eccentric located on the left side of the hinge. Achieve uniform pressing of the sash to the box along the entire perimeter. You can adjust 1 mm to one side or the other.

   

   Hinge adjustment helps align the door to either side

After the hidden hinges have been adjusted, the decorative overlays can be installed.

Video: adjusting hidden hinges

Reviews

Although now hidden hinges are very popular, but when choosing them, one should take into account the fact that they have a higher cost and are more difficult to install. In addition, they are less reliable, although they do not spoil the appearance of the door.