Broken Cabinet Doors With Cup Hinges
Through the years I’ve learned how to fix broken kitchen cabinet doors that have cup hinges. European style cabinetry has these concealed cup hinges that will tear out from the cabinet doors when they are over extended. When this happens usually the real wood frame style splits and is in need of being repaired. If it occurs to a plastic laminate cupboard door the Formica edge is generally destroyed. Thermofoil doors that get damaged in this way usually loose the form of the detailed edge. In this article I am going to make suggestions on how to repair broken cabinet doors that fall into these three categories, real wood doors, Formica and Thermofoil styles.
Damaged Cup Hinge Real Wood Door Repair
Most splits and tears on real wood doors will be fixed by using yellow glue. Basically what is needed to repair the door when it gets overextended and it splits the frame is a couple of bar clamps and glue. Now if the real wood oak, maple, walnut or cherry cupboard door has a piece of wood that has totally separated from the door’s frame it will be necessary to have a professional finish man do the repair, unless the piece fits perfectly back into place. Putty sticks are available from local hardware stores or paint supply companies. These will help fill in the split area after you have glued the door back together.
Broken Formica (plastic laminate) damaged doors with cup hinges
Depending on the extent of the damage, you may be able to tap the torn out cup hinge edge area back into shape. Once you do this, fill the broken hole area with strong wood filler like Bondo and then relaminate the entire backside of the kitchen or bathroom vanity door. Re-drill the cup hinge hole in a different area and move the hinge plate on the cabinet side or frame to accommodate the new position of the cup hinge on the cupboard door.
How to Fix a Broken Cup Hinge Area on a Thermofoil Door
Fixing this style door is really going to depend upon the extent of the damage done to the thermofoil cabinet door. If you can tap it with a hammer and reshape the damaged area back into shape, use the same technique described for repairing a damaged Formica door. If you cannot get the broken hinge area of the Thermofoil cabinet door to look good, you will have to order a new one.
If the door repair seems too difficult for you, the fastest and best way to fix a broken cup hinge door is to take it to a professional cabinet maker in your area. Use these points that I have mentioned in this article to help determine what needs to be done. If you must take your broken kitchen or bathroom vanity cabinet door to a professional, my tips can help you make an educated decision on how to get the door either replaced or fixed.