Door Hinges

Hinge choice comes down to three things: the weight of the door leaf, how far the door needs to swing, and whether the door is fire rated. Getting it wrong is the most common reason a new door drops or binds.

Browse hinges by type

• Butt Hinges
• Washered Hinges
• Concealed Hinges
• Parliament Hinges
• Fire Rated Hinges

Anything from the fire door range must be hung on hinges certified for use with that door, so start from fire rated hinges rather than a standard butt hinge. Hinges are supplied separately from the handle and lock, so check door handles and locks and latches before you order.

Hinge types and where each one is used

Most internal doors in UK homes are hung on butt hinges, which are the plain two-leaf hinges that sit in a rebate in the door edge and the frame. Where a door has to swing back flat against a wall, or two doors have to open past each other in a narrow reveal, parliament hinges project the pivot away from the frame so the leaf clears the architrave. Washered hinges add a bearing surface between the knuckles, which is what stops heavier doors dropping and squeaking over time. Concealed hinges are used where no hinge should be visible when the door is shut, typically on flush and jib doors.

Sizing: door weight decides the hinge, not the price

A hinge is chosen on the weight and thickness of the leaf it carries. A light hollow core door and a solid engineered oak internal door of the same size are very different loads, and a glazed door is heavier again because of the glass. Three hinges is the normal count for a standard internal door; going to a heavier grade of hinge matters more than adding a fourth. Our step-by-step guide, how to choose door hinges, covers sizes, knuckle counts and load ratings, and where to fit door hinges covers the positions on the leaf.

Fire doors need rated hinges

On an FD30 or FD60 fire door the hinges are part of the tested assembly. Use fire rated hinges together with intumescent strips and pads, and where the door has to shut itself, a door closer. A standard hinge on a fire door compromises the rating of the whole doorset. The difference between the two ratings is explained in FD30 vs FD60 fire doors.

Matching the finish

Hinges are the one part people forget when they match a finish. If the handles are satin chrome, the hinges should be too, otherwise the doorway reads as mismatched even when the handle is right. The brand ranges keep finishes consistent across handles and hinges: Carlisle Brass, Atlantic UK and Zoo Hardware. Buying a handlepack avoids the problem entirely because the hinges come in the same finish as the handle.

Why do my doors squeak?

Usually the knuckle is dry or the door has dropped slightly onto the bottom hinge. How to stop doors squeaking covers both causes.

Can I reuse the old hinges when I change the doors?

Only if they are the same size, the same number of knuckles and rated for the new door weight. New doors are often heavier than the ones being replaced, which is the usual reason a reused hinge drops within a year.