Hinge size/ type

[Rudy Musclow]

Hello, I'm making a couple of linen closet doors, the opening is 80 x 40" so each door is 80" x 20" the rails and stiles are 1 1/16" thick and are red oak.
I'm not sure what would be best for hinges. The moldings around the closet are 3/4 inch thick. I'm thinking maybe European Hinges but I would like your opinions. Thank you!

[Jim Becker]

Those are going to be heavy doors...like almost narrow passage door weight in some respects. You'll want heavier hardware. For Euro type hinges (or any hinge for that matter), which I assume you ask about to match other cabinetry near the linen closet, you need to do some math and calculate how many you need to reliably support the weight plus some wiggle room. The specifications for the hinges you intend to use should give you the numbers you need to do that. Increasing the number of hinges increases the weight handling.

[Jamie Buxton]

If you use euro hinges, they're have to be "thick door" hinges. (The common euro hinges work for 3/4"-thick doors.) The thick door hinges I've used open only 95 degrees. Is that okay for your situation?

I'd use conventional knuckle hinges for doors that big. They also can open much farther than 95 degrees.

[Paul F Franklin]

Another possible advantage of knuckle hinges in this case is that I think they are more effective at keeping the hinge stile straight, especially if you use 4 or 5 of them. Keeping tall, narrow, doors from warping can be a challenge, especially since even a small amount of bow or twist over that length will keep the door from closing tightly. If the hinges help keep the hinge stile straight, you've won part of the battle.

[Scott Bernstein]

If were thinking Euro-style hinges to avoid visible hardware, you could consider Soss hidden hinges. They certainly have sizes that can handle the weight and size of door you are talking about. They do require deep mortises, so if the framing of the door and door jam is of adequate dimension for the size hinge you need, that would work.

[Rudy Musclow]

Thanks for all the advise. I was just looking online at 3" door hinges. Has anybody used them on this thin of stile 1 1/16". The knuckle hinges looked like a good option , however, they would be time consuming to mortise in where as I could use my door hinge jig to route out the 3" hinges. Just not sure if there is enough wood for the hinge screws. I hadn't really thought about keeping the stiles straight so I'm thinking European hinges may not be the way to go for that reason.

[David Stone (CT)]

This is 3" x 3" butt hinge on a 1-1/16 " thick wood screen/storm door -- so, yes, this works. The barrel (and pivot point) are out a little farther from the face of the door than typical, but I've done a couple doors this way and they still swing fine with normal clearances. It's best to make the mortise go all the way through the door to keep the screws away from the front face of the door and maybe use a size smaller screw than supplied with the hinges.IMG_2032.jpg

[Tom Bender]

You mention 3/4" molding, it may not be appropriate to hang the door from the molding if that's your thought. Ordinary door hinges may be best.

[Rudy Musclow]

Sorry for the confusion. I only mentioned the molding because the door will need to clear it when opening. The molding is set back 3/8" from the opening.

[Rudy Musclow]

Thanks David, I am going to go ahead and order the 3" hinges. I think 3 on each side to help keep the stile straight.