How to Replace Cabinet Fronts and Hinges

Refreshing an existing kitchen or built-in wardrobe does not require tearing out sound carcass units. In most cases, replacing cabinet fronts alongside their hinges and handles provides an immediate transformation at a fraction of the cost. Whether you are fitting new bespoke doors or modernising worn surfaces, achieving smooth operation comes down to precise measurements, correct hinge selection, and proper alignment.

Assessing Your Carcass and Hinge Setup

Before ordering new doors or hardware, examine how your current doors mount to the cabinet frame. The vast majority of UK cabinetry uses concealed cup hinges mounted onto 18 mm or 15 mm carcass sides. You need to establish whether your doors are:

• Full Overlay: The door sits directly in front of the carcass edge, covering almost the entire thickness of the side panel.
• Half Overlay: Two doors share a single central divider panel, each covering roughly half the edge.
• Inset: The door sits flush inside the carcass opening, surrounded by the frame.

Confirming this ensures you select the correct crank angle for your replacement hinges, preventing doors from catching on edges or failing to close properly.

Measuring and Drilling Hinge Cup Holes

Standard European concealed hinges require a 35 mm diameter circular recess (the hinge cup) drilled into the rear face of the door. When replacing cabinet fronts, check whether your new doors come pre-drilled or require custom boring on site.

If you are drilling new fronts yourself:

1. Identify the cup depth: Most standard cups require a depth between 11.5 mm and 12.5 mm. Use a drill stop to avoid punching through the front face.
2. Measure the edge distance: The gap between the edge of the door and the edge of the 35 mm hole (often called the drilling distance or tab) is typically between 3 mm and 5 mm.
3. Match vertical spacing: Transfer the centre points from your existing carcass mounting plates to ensure the new hinges line up with pre-existing carcass holes.

Installing and Adjusting Concealed Hinges

Once the 35 mm recesses are prepared, press the hinge cups into place, ensure the hinge arm is perpendicular to the door edge, and secure them using wood screws or expanding dowels.

Next, mount the base plates onto the cabinet carcass using standard Euro screws (typically into 5 mm pre-drilled system holes) or wood screws. Clip or screw the hinge arms onto the plates. Most modern concealed hinges offer 3-way adjustment via integrated screws:

• Lateral (Side-to-Side): Adjusts the gap between adjacent doors.
• Vertical (Height): Moves the door up or down to align top edges.
• Depth (In-and-Out): Sets the distance between the back of the door and the carcass face, ensuring soft-close buffers engage smoothly.

Replacing Drawer Fronts and Fitting Handles

Upgrading drawer fronts requires detaching the existing face from the drawer box. In modern systems, this is typically done via quick-release clips inside the metal drawer sides or by removing fixing screws driven from inside wooden boxes. Clamp the new front in position using light-duty F-clamps, verify the perimeter gaps against neighbouring doors, and secure from behind.

When drilling handle fixing holes, always work from the front face using a backing block of scrap timber on the rear. This stops the drill bit from tearing out the laminate or veneer as it exits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I reuse my existing hinge mounting plates with new hinges?

It depends on the manufacturer. While many use standard 32 mm hole centres on the carcass, the clip-on or slide-on mechanism between the hinge arm and the plate varies between brands. It is generally safer to replace the mounting plates alongside the hinges.

How do I fill old screw holes in the carcass?

If new mounting plates require slightly different positions, drill out the stripped or misplaced holes with a 5 mm bit, glue in hardwood dowel plugs, and trim them flush before re-drilling pilot holes.