8 Types of Hinges You Need to Know
The talk about the door hinges can go very long as it’s one of the fundamental components in determining the superb functionality of your interior and exterior doors. We’ll try to keep it short to help you get the most information in a few minutes of reading.
The interior and exterior door hinge selection mainly depends on 3 things: the load on the door, the material of the door, and the type of hinge.
The Load on the Door
This aspect explains the weight of the door and how strong a door hinge needs to be to support the overall door. The weight is introduced with the center of gravity that acts on the center of the object when it’s stationary.
The Material of the Door
The material of the hinge matters a lot. The material has to be decided depending on the environment, temperature, chemicals, UV radiation, and moisture. Steel door hinges are the most popular, while stainless steel and brass door hinges are also gaining popularity these days.
The Type of the Hinge
Door hinges can be categorized broadly into removable door hinges, fixed door hinges, concealed door hinges, and custom door hinges.
Know the 7 Types of Hinges
1 - Spring Loaded Butt Door Hinges
A simple butt hinge allows the door to swing on its vertical axis and remain open where the individual stops it. These are generally used throughout the home.
These are self-closing hinges that are spring-loaded, which, when let go, will automatically close the door. These are used where a fire rating is required or where you need the door to close behind you, like a garage door.
These butt hinges come with removable pins, which are generally used throughout a home.
2 - Ball Bearing Door Hinges
These hinges are a must-have for heavy doors. The load contact point is the apex of the ball, and there the friction is considerably reduced, making heavy and more oversized doors easier to move.
Many vault doors are on ball-bearing door hinges because of the weight of the door.
3 - Concealed Door Hinges
Concealed door hinges, also known as hidden hinges or invisible hinges, are a type of hinge that is designed to be hidden when the door is closed. This allows for a clean and seamless look on the door, as the hinges are not visible.
Concealed hinges are typically made of metal, such as steel or brass, and are attached to the door and the door frame using screws or other fasteners.
4 - Overlay Door Hinges
Overlay door hinges are often used on kitchen cabinets where you want to see part of the hinge (for decorative reasons).
These are often on small cabinet doors. The left part of the hinge is on the face of the cabinet, the hinge is even with the front of the door, and the screws are attached from the back of the door.
5 - Offset Door Hinges
Offset door hinges do not allow the door to swing both ways. Instead, they change the point where the door pivots so that when opened to 90 degrees, it is flush with the edge of the door frame rather than sticking into the doorway opening.
These are two to three times more expensive when compared to regular door hinges.
6 - Piano Door Hinges
Piano door hinges or continuous door hinges are similar to the piano in their essential attributes. The design resembles more like a piano key with a central pin.
Piano hinges are used instead of regular or standard hinges because they also have what are called wide-throw hinges that will allow 180 degrees of movement.
7 - Strap Door Hinges
If you’re on the lookout for the door hinges with the longest leaves and the shortest hinges, strap door hinges are the best option to move with. These hinges have gained great popularity over the years because they are phenomenal in providing extra support to the most used doors while providing extra support to doors.
Unlike other options, it offers two-in-one goodness in terms of aesthetics and support.
Wrapping Up
Typically, a hinge is an alloy or mechanical bearing that is used in the slide of the doors. By using hinges, we can rotate the doors in the fixed axis of rotation. The first evidence of door hinges was found in 1600 B.C. in ancient times when hinges were not invented yet; the doors were built with heavy brass or a burnt-bronze type metal. The article details a long list of types of door hinges, each specially made to meet your specific needs. We are a great go-to resource for your door hinge needs, so get in touch if you want the best door hinges.
