The 4 inch butt hinges are designed for external doors and also heavy or large internal doors. The leaf length of a 4 inch butt hinge covers more of the door and provides greater stability and strength. Most standard internal doors have 3 inch butt hinges. Usually fitted as a pair, top and bottom.
Get a hinge size of 6 inches if your door is thicker than 1-3/4 inches and wider than 48 inches. Get a 5-inch heavy-duty hinge if your door is between 2 and 2-1/2 inches thick or 42 inches wide.
Three hinges help distribute the weight evenly, reducing stress on the door frame and hinges. Stability and Durability: With three hinges, the door has more support, which helps prevent it from sagging over time.
Hinges range from 3 inches to 6 inches, with 4 inches being the most common. The size of the hinge you need will depend on the door's weight, height, and width, as well as the number of hinges required to support the door. For standard 1 3/8-inch interior doors, two 3 1/2-inch hinges are usually sufficient.
Most residential doors need a 3 ½” x 3 ½” hinge, although larger ones, especially front doors, require a 4” x 4” hinge. If you aren't sure, a quick measurement can confirm the dimensions you need for new or replacement hinges.
Most homes have a standard sized hinge of 3.5" x 3.5" This measurement is from the bottom edge of the hinge to the top end of the hinge, and then from the outside edge to edge when the hinge is open. Exterior doors usually have a 4" hinge on them, but not always.
If the new hinges are larger than those from your old door, you'll probably need to chisel a little more out of the door frame recesses to make them fit.
As opposed to an Inset, or Inlay, door which goes inside the opening, flush with the face: A "Full" Overlay normally means it overlays 3/4" inch. This is because it is made to fully overlap a 3/4" faceless plywood end. These will often be intended for side mounted hinges.
The most common hinge size for standard internal doors is 3 inches (76mm). However, heavier or larger doors may require 4 inch (102mm) hinges to support the additional weight and prevent sagging over time.
Typically, a standard door requires x3 hinges. The top hinge should be located 150mm from the top of the sash, the bottom hinge should be located 150mm from the bottom of the sash, and the middle flag hinge should be positioned at an equal distance centrally between the top and bottom of the sash.
The most common type of hinge used on doors is the butt hinge. It's so named because the two leaves are mortised into the door and frame, allowing the two to butt up to each other.
I prefer to install the hinges to the frame first. If you are using a drill, take care to not overtighten any of the screws in the door or frame as they are small and it is soft wood, they strip easy.
For indoor furniture, barrel or concealed hinges are commonly used. Butterfly and strap hinges are ideal for main entrance doors, sheds, or wooden gates, offering decorative options. Friction and geared continuous hinges are typically used for industrial electrical enclosures.
Installation Tips
There should be a 5" distance between the top of the door and the highest hinge, and 10" from the bottom of the door to the lowest hinge. All hinges in between should be equally spaced from one another. Leave a small gap between the door's frame and the edge of the hinge's leaf.
As noted, the two hinge dimensions we're concerned with are the leaf or hinge height and the overall hinge width (measured with the hinge in the fully opened position). The hinge height required is determined by the door thickness and the door width.
Full overlay hinges can be interior or exterior. They attach to doors where the end of the closed door fully covers the cabinet frame. Half overlay hinges are either completely interior or exterior. The closed door fully covers the cabinet frame with these hinges.
Most kitchens are made in standard sizes, with cabinets measuring something around 720mm in height by 500mm in width. Where measurements change, this is usually by height rather than width. To fit the dimensions listed above, you'd typically be looking at a kitchen door measuring 715mm in height and 495mm in width.
If you intend to use new door hinge positions you will need to mark the door hinge positions on the frame and the door, exterior or interior doors should be hinged between 125-150mm (5-6 inches) from the top of the door and 175-230mm (7-9 inches) from the bottom of the door.
Heavier and larger doors require hinges that are designed to handle the increased load and stress. It's essential to select hinges with a load capacity that exceeds the weight of your door to prevent sagging, misalignment, and premature wear.
Whether you're replacing your hinges for design or for better functionality, replacing door hinges is an easy and manageable at-home project. In order to do this, you'll need some basic tools that can be found around your home: Sturdy door stops. The new hinges.
Installing a door will three hinges rather than two hinges will reduce the risk of it sagging. Doors can sag over time. The hinges will essentially buckle under the door's weight. For heavy doors, you can use three hinges to lower the risk of sagging.
How much to hang an internal door? The cost of hanging a door will depend on who you hire to do the job, and what the rate is for joiners in your area. You can expect to pay approximately £70 per door; however, this can vary as low as £40 up to £150.