Measuring Doors
If you are replacing existing doors, drawer fronts and panels measure the doors and not the cabinets.
The doors and drawer fronts will be slightly smaller than the cabinets.
This is done to allow sufficient space between the doors to allow for easy adjustment and opening .
Doors are normally 4 mm narrower than the carcass and 5 mm shorter
i.e a 720 mm high unit would have a 715 mm high door and a 500 mm wide carcass would have a 496 mm wide door.
Alway measure the door and drawer fronts from the back.
It's a good idea to make a simple sketch of all your doors and panels to make sure you have included all the doors, drawer fronts etc.
Check the height and width of every door
It's dangerous to assume that the cupboard doors on one side of your kitchen are exactly the same height as the doors on the other side of your kitchen, they may look similar, but they may have been fitted at a different time, and the size may be different.
The widths of doors can vary too, for example the last door on a row of what appears to be 500mm wide doors may have been made a special size. Therefore it's always worth checking the height and width of every door in the kitchen.
Check the hinge hole position on every door.
If you can, get somebody else to double check your meaurements, remember the old saying "measure twice cut once".
Measuring a Standard carcass/unit 18mm unit single door with standard concealed hinges 100 or 170 degree
Subtract the 4mm from the width of the carcass and 5mm from the height
Example; a 500mm wide 720mm high carcass will need a door 496mm wide (500 minus 4 = 496) and 715mm high ( 720 minus 5 = 715)
This seems to be the most common size for standard units, although a 500mm unit door can be anything from 495mm to 498mm
Measuring Standard carcass/unit double doorswith standard concealed hinges 100 or 170 degree
For standard Concealed hinges 100 or 170 degree
Divide the outside carcass width by two, then subtract 4mm (900mm divide x 2 = 450mm minus 4mm give you 2 doors at 446mm)
Measuring Built in cupboard with a single door using standard concealed hinges 100 or 170 degree
We recommed calculating the door size from the internal gap then adding 16mm for the hinge and a 16mm overlap for the opposite side.
Calculation
Internal width plus 32mm equals required door size.
Example
internal size 390mm + 32mm = 422mm
You need 18mm clearance on the hinge side of the frame if you use standard hinge plates.
The example shows an internal frame size of 390mm and an overlap of 16mm on both sides.
The side opposite to the hinges can overlap as much or as little as you like.
The frame height overlap can be any size to suit your needs but plus 15.5mm top and bottom work.
Measuring Built in cupboard with double doors
Using standard concealed hinges 100 or 170 degree.
The frame needs to be at least 60mm deep.
It's important to have the two vertical frames parallel and if you can wait, it can be a good idea to build your frame first then measure for the doors. It is some times easier to fit doors to a frame than build a frame to a door.
Internal width divided by 2 plus 14mm equals required door size.
Example
Internal size 640mm / 2 = 320 + 14mm = 334mm.
This will give you a 4mm gap between the two doors.
The frame height gap can be any size to suit your needs but plus 15.5mm top and bottom works well.
Measuring Internal or flush fitting doors
Using standard concealed hinges or 15mm cranked hinges
Single door fitted in a frame
The verticals needs to be parallel
If you do not have parallel sides plain MDF doors can be useful as they can be trimmed before painting.
The door needs to be 4mm less than the internal width to allow for the hing action
Door/panel should be approx 5mm less than the height.
Internal width less 4mm (e.g. 430mm minus 4mm equals 426mm)
You can use a 15mm cranked hinge or
a standard concealed hinge and 18mm packing pieces.
Double doors fitted in a frame
Double doors fitted in a frame
Each door needs to be 4mm less than the internal width to allow for the hing action
Door/panel should be approx 5mm less than the height.
Internal width divided by 2 less 4mm (e.g. 800mm divided by 2 gives 400mm minus 4mm equals 396mm)
You can use a 15mm cranked hinge or
a standard concealed hinges and 18mm packing piece.
Standard concealed hinges can be used for internal fitting doors
Standard concealed hinges can be used for internal fitting doors.
A 18mm packer with a mininium depth of 60mm is needed to fix the hinge.
The 15mm hinges are neater but this will work just as well.
Plate screw hole location 37mm from front 32mm centres in the vertical.