Retrofitting Concealed Hinges for IKEA Metod

A concealed hinge for the Metod kitchen system strictly requires a 35 mm cup diameter and a mounting plate compatible with the standard System 32.

When replacing or upgrading kitchen units, fitters and ambitious DIYers are frequently faced with the question of which hardware will fit precisely into the existing grid. The current kitchen system from the Swedish furniture manufacturer is built on standardised dimensions. This means that defective or basic hinges can easily be replaced with technically identical or higher-quality components. This guide explains the technical prerequisites to correctly identify, select, and install hardware suitable for IKEA cabinets.

What to Look for Regarding Compatibility

For a new concealed hinge to fit accurately into the pre-drilled holes of a Metod door and the corresponding carcase, three fundamental technical parameters must match.

The Cup Diameter

The drilling in the furniture door that accommodates the metal cup of the hinge almost always has a diameter of 35 mm in modern kitchen cabinets. Smaller 26 mm variants are not used for heavy kitchen fronts. The depth of the cup hole is generally 11.5 mm to 12.5 mm.

System 32 and the Mounting Plate

The carcase of the Metod range is drilled according to the furniture industry standard System 32. This means:

• The distance between the centres of two drill holes in the vertical hole line is exactly 32 mm.
• The distance from the front row of holes to the front edge of the carcase is standard at 37 mm.

The cruciform mounting plate of the new hinge must support these distances. With an accurate alternative for Metod, the fixing screws of the mounting plate can be driven directly into the existing 5 mm hole series.

Concealed Hinge Types: Selecting the Correct Overlay

Choosing the correct hinge depends on how the door is positioned in front of the cabinet carcase. The wrong overlay will cause the door not to close or to bind.

Full Overlay

This is the standard configuration for a simple base unit. When closed, the door rests completely over the side panels of the carcase. The opening angle for classic doors here is usually 110°.

Half Overlay

When two doors are mounted on a single central carcase partition (for example, in adjacent cabinets without a double side panel), a half overlay hinge is required. The crank of the hinge arm ensures that the door covers only half of the carcase side, leaving room for the adjacent door.

Inset

With this construction, the door does not sit on the carcase sides, but sits flush between the side panels. The hinge arm is strongly cranked for this purpose.

Wide-Angle Hinges for Internal Drawers

If kitchen cabinet pull-outs are installed behind a hinged door, a standard 110° angle is not sufficient. The open door would protrude into the path of the drawer. Here, a wide-angle hinge with an opening angle of 155° or 165° is strictly required. This hinge throws the door completely clear of the internal width of the carcase. This is particularly important if you want to retrofit, for instance, a kitchen cabinet pull-out 60 cm or a narrower kitchen cabinet pull-out 40 cm.

Damping: Retrofitting Soft-Close

Many older kitchens or basic configurations are fitted with un-damped hinges. Upgrading to soft-close is one of the most common maintenance tasks. A properly adjusted soft-close hinge works like a car suspension system—it absorbs the kinetic energy and gently halts the heavy door before it hits the frame.

In modern hinges, the damper is integrated directly into the hinge arm and operates using a small hydraulic cylinder. Note: Soft-close damping is technically the exact opposite of a push-to-open (tip-on) mechanism. While soft-close slows down and pulls the door shut, push-to-open pushes the door open. Both systems cannot be combined on the same hinge.

When upgrading the functionality of your kitchen, it is often worthwhile to take a holistic look at the fittings. Alongside the doors, full extension drawer runners can also be replaced in older carcases to improve load capacity and running performance. For very narrow recesses, such as spice racks, a kitchen cabinet pull-out 30 cm is often used in combination with the matching front fixings.

Guide: Installing and Adjusting Concealed Hinges

Retrofitting as a replacement for IKEA original parts is a precise yet straightforward task when using the correct tools.

Tools Required

• Cordless screwdriver
• Cross-head screwdriver (size PZ2)
• Optional: 35 mm Forstner bit, if working with new fronts without pre-drilled holes
• Tape measure or folding ruler

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Dismantling: Release the old door by pressing the quick-release catch at the rear end of the hinge arm (clip-on mounting). Then unscrew the old mounting plates from the carcase.
2. Fitting the Mounting Plates: Screw the new cruciform mounting plates into the System 32 drillings of the carcase. Use dedicated Euro screws (typically 5 mm thick) for this, as they provide optimum grip in the pre-drilled holes.
3. Inserting the Hinge Cup: Place the hinge into the 35 mm hole of the door. Align it precisely at a 90-degree angle to the door edge and secure it with wood screws (usually 3.5 x 15 mm or 4 x 16 mm).
4. Clipping On: Bring the door to the carcase and push the hinge arm from the front onto the mounting plate until it audibly clicks into place.

3D Adjustment

Once hung, the gap alignment of the kitchen must be calibrated. Modern concealed hinges offer three-dimensional adjustment:

• Depth adjustment: An eccentric screw on the rear part of the hinge arm regulates the gap between the door and the carcase (typically +2 mm / -2 mm).
• Height adjustment: By loosening the fixing screws on the cruciform mounting plate, the vertical position of the door can be adjusted.
• Lateral adjustment (gap alignment): The front screw on the hinge arm tilts the door left or right. This ensures that adjacent doors remain parallel and do not rub against each other.

Complementary Fittings for Wall Cabinets

Hardware selection is not only relevant for base units. If you are configuring wall units where wet plates will be placed, integrating a dish drainer for wall cabinet is a common solution. Here, ensure the hinges have sufficient corrosion protection against moisture (e.g. nickel-plated steel). For flaps that open upwards, stay flaps or gas struts are used instead of concealed hinges.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I use any 35 mm hinge for my Metod kitchen? In principle, yes, provided the cup drilling is 35 mm and the supplied cruciform mounting plate supports the 32 mm hole spacing. It is fully compatible as a replacement for IKEA hardware, provided the overlay type (full overlay, half overlay, or inset) is selected correctly.

How many hinges do I need per door? This depends on the height and weight of the MDF or chipboard front. For standard base units (up to approx. 800 mm height), two hinges are sufficient. For tall larder units (from 1600 mm), at least four—or for very heavy fronts up to five—hinges should be installed to prevent sagging.

Do current hinges also fit the older Faktum system? The older Faktum system also uses the 32 mm grid. However, the distance from the first row of holes to the front edge differs slightly. With adjustable mounting plates, modern hinges can usually be used without problems as compatible replacements for Faktum.

Why is my door not closing flush after replacing the hinges? This is often due to an incorrectly set depth adjustment. Check whether the door makes contact with the carcase before reaching its closing angle. Adjust the eccentric screw on the hinge arm to increase the clearance to the carcase by 1.5 mm to 2 mm.