Three hinges or four?

[julian abram]

I was planning to install 3 Blum hinges on these pantry doors but after building them today they are heavier than I thought they would be. Each door is 18" x 72" built with poplar frames and 1/4" MDF panels. Should I install 4 hinges instead of 3 per door or would 4 be overkill?

[Mark Bolton]

60+" to 78" you need 4 per door. Above 78 is 5 i believe

[John R Green]

What size hinge ?

Door thickness ?

[julian abram]

Frames are 3/4" x 2 1/2" poplar
Hinges are Blum 110° Clip Top Hinge, Full-cranked, Screw-On

[Edwin Santos]

There's a diagram in the Blum catalog that gives you the guidelines you're seeking. I think Mark's response above is probably quoting from it.
Edwin

[julian abram]

Ok, thanks. I did pull up the Blum installation guide earlier today, tons of spec info but could not find anything concerning vertical spacing. I'm sure I must have overlooked it.

[Mark Bolton]

There's a diagram in the Blum catalog that gives you the guidelines you're seeking. I think Mark's response above is probably quoting from it.
Edwin

We use Salice but all of the euro hinges have similar specs.

[Martin Wasner]

My gut says three. Any time there's more than two hinges it creates problems with getting them to adjust nicely and not have something bind. The door should be relatively light for it's size, if it had a back cut raised panel I'd maybe consider adding a fourth.

[Larry Edgerton]

3 for me....

[Pat Barry]

Doors that size should need no more than three.

[Matt Day]

My pantry doors are 15” x 56” and they have 4. Previous owners had the kitchen redone, so I didn’t make them. If it was me I might do 4 just for insurance. Only a couple bucks per hinge.

[Ken Grant]

My pantry doors are 15” x 56” and they have 4. Previous owners had the kitchen redone, so I didn’t make them. If it was me I might do 4 just for insurance. Only a couple bucks per hinge.
I don't have the specs in front of me, but I believe those hinges are rated at approximately 9-10 lbs/hinge. That being said, my standard is-if a door is over 36" tall, it gets 3 hinges, if it is over 60" it gets 4.

[Scott Buehler]

Poplar with 1/4" panels shouldn't be that heavy. 3should do fine, but if you are worried, then go for4

[Bill Space]

My gut says three. Any time there's more than two hinges it creates problems with getting them to adjust nicely and not have something bind. The door should be relatively light for it's size, if it had a back cut raised panel I'd maybe consider adding a fourth.

This may be true, however I used FIVE hinges on some doors in a bathroom storage place similar to a pantry, and there was enough adjustability in the Blum hinges that I had no issues. Might have been my lucky day, I don't know.

I admit I tend to err on the side of more rather than less...

Bill

[Mark Bolton]

I don't have the specs in front of me, but I believe those hinges are rated at approximately 9-10 lbs/hinge. That being said, my standard is-if a door is over 36" tall, it gets 3 hinges, if it is over 60" it gets 4.

The weight per hinge really has very little to do with it. All of the manufacturers have specs for the fixed number of hinges per door based on HEIGHT not weight. They are in every hardware manfuacturers catalog from Blum, to Grass, to Salice, and so on. They do extensive testing and are not trying to sell an extra 3$ hinge. Any of the big name manufacturers will call out four hinges from something over 60" up to like 78". Above 78 its five.

I never can never understand why would want a single pantry door over 80" tall that is only 1" or so (we often go 1 1/8" on tall doors) thick but when they do, the extra hinges add a lot of rigidity to a thin, tall, door and are simple to adjust, you just adjust each hinge sequentially and the door does exactly what you want it to. Now if its going to stay flat or not, that is the issue.

[scott vroom]

Here's what Blum recommends in their hinge catalog. In addition to height, weight can be a factor as well.

[Mark Bolton]

Here's what Blum recommends in their hinge catalog. In addition to height, weight can be a factor as well.

Just peeked in the Salice binder and the layout is pretty much the same thought they dont call out any info with regards to weight in the spacing diagram. 36" and under is 2, 36"-60" is 3,60"- 84" is 4, 84"-96" is 5. I thought the jump to five use to be at 78". They have a separate call out for weight at 20=2, 40=3, 60=4, but anytime Ive spoken with our rep, the weight never trumps the hinge count based on height. So a super light 80" door still is spec'd as 4 hinges in the book. For me it just adds to the feel of the door.

[scott vroom]

...the weight never trumps the hinge count based on height. So a super light 80" door still is spec'd as 4 hinges in the book.

A 36" tall 20lb door would be an example of weight trumping height.

[Martin Wasner]

Tl

I never can never understand why would want a single pantry door over 80" tall

I don't understand it either. They feel like sloppy garbage.

I don't think adding hinges improves the feel either, maybe it's just me.

My adjustment issues come from trying to force a door into place that is less than flat and trying to pull it around and make it do what I need it to on inset cabinets.

[Mark Bolton]

on inset cabinets.

Well now were in agreement lol.

[Martin Wasner]

Well now were in agreement lol.

There's another kind? :D