Adjusting Concealed Hinges — Height, Depth & Side (3 Screws)

July 27, 2026

Adjusting a concealed hinge is done via three adjustment screws on the hinge arm, allowing you to precisely align the furniture door in height, depth, and lateral tilt.

Crooked cabinet doors, uneven gaps, or catching edges are classic installation problems. The solution lies in correctly adjusting the concealed hinges / cabinet hinges. Modern hinge systems feature three-dimensional adjustability. This guide is aimed at fitters, joiners, and keen DIYers who need to align cabinet doors accurately.

Difficulty level: Easy to medium Time required: approx. 5 to 10 minutes per door

Required Tools and Materials

Machine force is out of place when fine-tuning furniture fittings. A cordless screwdriver often transfers too much torque, which can damage the delicate threads in the cross mounting plate or the timber.

Manual screwdriver: Essential. Most adjustment screws on European hinges require a size 2 cross-head drive. Ideally, use a screwdriver for wood screws PZ2 (Pozidriv). A PH drive (Phillips) can slip and round off the screw head.
Spirit level or straight edge: For checking horizontal and vertical alignments.
Tape measure or vernier caliper: To check gap dimensions down to the millimetre. Standard gaps in furniture making are usually between 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm.
Replacement screws (optional): If old threads in the carcase are stripped, keep wood screws 3.5mm or, for heavier wear, wood screws 4mm to hand.

Structure of a Standard Concealed Hinge

Before turning any screws, understanding the components is key. A classic concealed hinge consists of the hinge cup (usually routed into the door with a diameter of 35 mm), the hinge arm, and the mounting plate secured to the internal carcase wall. The adjustment principle remains identical regardless of whether it is a full overlay, a half overlay, or an inset application. The opening angle, whether classic concealed hinges / cabinet hinges 110 degrees or wide-opening concealed hinges / cabinet hinges 155 degrees, also does not change the three-screw principle.

Step-by-Step: Adjusting Concealed Hinges

Always proceed systematically when making adjustments. Work from the coarse alignment (height) to the fine tuning (side and depth).

1. Height Adjustment (Vertical Alignment)

The height of the door is not adjusted on the hinge arm itself, but on the cross mounting plate screwed to the cabinet wall.

Open the cabinet door fully.
Locate the two fixing screws at the top and bottom of the mounting plate on each hinge.
Loosen these screws slightly (about half a turn) on all hinges of the relevant door. Do not remove them completely.
Now slide the door manually up or down. The adjustment range provided by the slotted holes in the plate is typically + 2 mm to - 2 mm.
Hold the door in the desired position and retighten the screws securely.

2. Side Adjustment (Door Gap and Tilt)

This adjustment corrects crooked doors and defines the gap between two doors. The adjustment screw is located at the front of the hinge arm, directly behind the hinge cup.

Think of the hinge arm as a see-saw: tightening the front adjustment screw pushes the arm away from the mounting plate, moving the door edge towards the carcase edge.

To reduce the gap between two doors (door moves towards the centre): turn the front screw clockwise (inwards).
To increase the gap (door moves outwards): turn the screw anti-clockwise (outwards).
If the door is tilted out of square, adjust the hinges independently. For example, if the door overhangs in the middle at the top, turn the screw on the top hinge anti-clockwise and on the bottom hinge clockwise.

3. Depth Adjustment (Distance to Carcase)

Depth adjustment regulates the gap between the closed door and the front edge of the cabinet carcase. If this gap is too narrow, the door rubs upon opening; if it is too wide, the aesthetic suffers and dust enters. The screw for this is located at the rear section of the hinge arm.

Loosen the rear fixing screw slightly. On modern clip-on hinges, this is often an eccentric cam screw that turns smoothly.
Pull the door and hinge arm forward by one to two millimetres or push it backwards. The adjustment margin is usually + 3 mm to - 2 mm.
Retighten the screw. Ensure that a minimal clearance gap (approx. 1.5 mm) remains between the door and carcase so the door does not bind against the edge when swinging open.

Common Mistakes and Technical Tips

Excessive force during adjustment: Adjustment screws have a limited travel range. If you feel strong resistance, the end stop has been reached. Continuing to turn will strip the thread.
Wrong sequence: Adjusting the height often slightly alters the other parameters. Therefore, always adjust the height first, then the depth, and finally the lateral tilt.
Ignored soft-close mechanism: If a door does not close, depth adjustment is not always the culprit. Check whether concealed hinges / cabinet hinges with damping (Soft Close) are installed. Sometimes the damper cylinder is defective or the damping function has accidentally been deactivated via a small switch on the hinge cup.
Heavy doors: For large MDF or solid timber doors, adjusting only the top and bottom hinges is not enough. All intermediate hinges must be readjusted without load; otherwise, they remain under tension and wear out prematurely.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about Hinge Adjustment

Which screwdriver do I need for concealed hinges? In Europe, PZ2 (Pozidriv size 2) is the absolute standard for furniture fittings. Its additional ribs provide optimal grip in the screw head. A standard cross-head (PH) tends to cam out on tight screws.

What should I do if the wood screw spins freely in the cabinet wall? If the drilled hole in the chipboard is stripped, the mounting plate screw will no longer grip. Replace the standard screws with thicker versions (e.g. from 3.5 mm to 4.0 mm). Alternatively, plug the hole with a wooden dowel and wood glue, then redrill after it has cured.

Why does the door not close fully after adjustment? The depth adjustment is usually set too tight. The edge of the door presses against the carcase upon closing before the hinge reaches its zero point. Increase the clearance from the carcase by approx. 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm.

Can I mix hinges with different opening angles on one door? No. The kinematics of the hinge arms differ. Combining a 110-degree hinge with a 155-degree hinge on the same door causes severe tension and will tear the fittings out of the timber.

Related Categories and Replacement Parts

If the hinges cannot be adjusted without play despite proper alignment, the internal mechanism is often worn out. Suitable replacement parts and screws for refitting can be found in the following categories: