Concealed Hinges as Replacements for Mepla Kitchens

A concealed hinge connects the cabinet door invisibly to the carcase and requires precise cup drilling and hole pattern dimensions for replacement.

In many older kitchens, fittings from established manufacturers have delivered decades of reliable service. However, when spring tension fades, the door sags, or the closing mechanism breaks, a replacement becomes necessary. As corporate structures change over time, an exact original component is often no longer available on the market. For joiners and installers, this means standardised fittings must be used for repairs. Modern hinges serve as an excellent alternative for Mepla, provided technical parameters such as cup diameter, overlay type, and screw hole centres match.

This technical guide explains how to determine compatibility and the steps required for a professional upgrade on your furniture fronts.

What to Consider for Compatibility

When replacing a hinge suitable for Mepla, a purely visual comparison is not enough. The door mechanism relies on strictly defined measurements that must be recorded with millimetre precision. A vernier caliper is the ideal tool for this task.

The Cup Diameter

The most distinctive feature of a concealed hinge is the metal cup recessed into the routed hole of the cabinet door. A standard has established itself across the furniture industry: the cup hole typically measures exactly 35 mm in diameter. On very narrow or lightweight doors, such as those on small bathroom units, 26 mm variants are occasionally used. However, for kitchen wall and base units, the 35 mm dimension is the technical standard.

The Hole Pattern

Next to the cup, there are two smaller holes for the fixing screws. The distance between the centre points of these two drill holes is referred to as the hole pattern. Common centres are 45 mm, 48 mm, or 52 mm. If the new hinge alternative to Mepla features a different hole pattern, the old screw holes must be filled with wood filler or dowel pins, and new holes must be pre-drilled at the correct spacing.

The Cross Mounting Plate and System 32

The counterpart to the hinge arm, screwed to the inside of the cabinet carcase, is the cross mounting plate. In modern carcase construction, the drilling line is based on System 32. This means the spacing between holes is exactly 32 mm, and the standard setback from the carcase front edge is 37 mm. If the existing cabinet is drilled according to this standard, a compatible mounting plate can be fitted without any additional drilling.

Overlay Types

The most crucial factor governing door function is the crank of the hinge arm. It dictates how the door sits against the carcase edge when closed. A strict distinction is made between three types:

• Full overlay: The door sits completely over the carcase side panel. Viewed from the front, the door conceals the edge of the cabinet wall almost entirely (minus a gap allowance of approx. 1.5 mm).
• Half overlay: Two doors share a single central carcase partition. The door covers only half of the side wall thickness. The hinge arm is slightly cranked.
• Inset: The door does not sit on top of the carcase edge, but sits flush within the cabinet side panels. The hinge arm features a very pronounced crank in this configuration.

Confusing these types will inevitably prevent the door from mounting or closing properly.

Suitable Fittings for Kitchen Refurbishment

Once the technical dimensions are determined, the appropriate component can be selected. A standard hinge typically opens at an angle of 110°. For specialised requirements, such as cabinets housing internal drawers, an opening angle of 155° or 165° is mandatory. Only with this angle will the open door swing completely clear of the internal carcase width, allowing pull-outs to extend without collision.

Replacing defective hinges is often the ideal opportunity to bring the internal functionality of the kitchen cabinet up to modern standards. For example, when readjusting the doors of a wide base unit, retrofitting the interior with a kitchen cabinet pull out 60 cm is highly advantageous. Such full-extension runners make accessing heavy pots and pans effortless. To organise cutlery and small items in upper sections, a tailored kitchen drawer organiser provides structured storage.

Another technical upgrade during a hinge replacement is the addition of integrated soft-close damping. While older Mepla fittings often allowed doors to slam shut under unbuffered spring tension, an integrated hydraulic damper in modern hinges gently slows the closing movement over the final few centimetres.

Installation and Retrofitting New Hinges

Fitting compatible hardware requires precision and the correct tools. You will need a cordless screwdriver, a PZ2 cross-head screwdriver, a rule, and—in cases of differing hole patterns—a 35 mm Forstner bit and a wood drill bit (3 mm or 5 mm).

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Dismantling: Remove the old door by loosening the securing screw on the mounting plate. Then unscrew the old hinges from the door cup.
2. Dimensional check: Insert the cup of the new hinge into the existing 35 mm recess. If the fixing hole pattern matches, the fitting can be screwed directly into place.
3. Fixing the mounting plate: Screw the new baseplate into the carcase. For existing 32 mm line drillings, dedicated Euro screws are used.
4. Clipping on: Modern fittings use clip-on technology. Hook the hinge arm onto the front edge of the mounting plate and press down on the rear until it audibly clicks into place. No tools are needed for this step.

If the cabinet is intended for a specific application, such as housing a pull out kitchen bin, precise front alignment is vital to prevent internal runners from catching against the door. If working on a wall unit above the sink fitted with a plate rack for wall cabinet, ensure the hinges provide high corrosion resistance to withstand elevated internal moisture levels.

3D Adjustment

Adjusting the 3D screws resembles fine-tuning on a milling machine—fractions of a millimetre determine a perfect reveal. Every modern concealed hinge provides three adjustment axes:

• Depth adjustment: Moves the door closer to or further from the carcase, regulating the gap between the door and cabinet edge.
• Height adjustment: Adjusted via the mounting plate. Loosening the screws slightly allows the door to move up or down by approx. 2 mm.
• Lateral adjustment: The front screw on the hinge arm angles the door left or right, aligning the gap between two adjacent doors perfectly parallel.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Hinge Replacement

Can I replace just a single hinge on a door? Technically, this is strongly discouraged. Different manufacturers use different pivot centres and leverage ratios. Combining an old and a new model on the same door causes mechanical stress that can tear out fixing screws or twist the door. Always replace all fittings on a door as a complete set.

What should I do if the old screw holes in the wood are stripped? Stripped holes in chipboard provide no holding strength. The correct solution is to drill out the damaged hole (e.g. to 8 mm), insert a matching wooden dowel with wood glue, and trim it flush once cured. The required pilot hole can then be drilled accurately into the dowel.

Are concealed hinges suitable for lift-up flaps? No. Concealed cup hinges are engineered for vertically pivoting doors. For horizontally opening overhead flaps, dedicated flap fittings or a gas strut for heavy flaps are required to safely support the weight of the front against gravity.

Conclusion on Updating Furniture Fronts

Replacing hardware requires an accurate survey of existing routings and hole spacings. Because original spare parts are often unavailable, using standardised fittings compatible with Mepla is the professional approach. By paying close attention to cup diameter, System 32, and the correct overlay type, you can fully restore furniture performance.

Taking the time to replace fittings also presents the ideal moment to update the exterior aesthetics with new kitchen furniture handles. Precise measurement before ordering remains essential—in installation hardware, a single millimetre determines smooth door operation.