Fixing Uneven Cabinetry Doors

There are three different adjustments for fixing out of alignment or uneven kitchen cabinetry base or upper doors. If you have tried all of the adjustments and the doors are still not aligned correctly, perhaps the problem is that the cupboards were not installed plumb, level and square. The adjustments are side-to-side, up-and-down or back-and-forth.

Back-and-Forth
When the door margins are really close together, if the cabinets have a slight twist in them, the left and right doors will not be flush with each other when the doors are closed. The way to correct this issue is by moving the door either away from the cabinet or toward the cabinet. If the cupboard door is away from the face of the cabinet at the top and touching at the bottom that would indicate that either the bottom corner needs to be adjusted away from the cabinet face-frame or the top of the door would get adjusted inward.


This uneven appearance is more visible with European style cabinets than it is with face-frame designs. The reason being is that the face-frame door margins are close to one inch in width and the European styles are an eight of an inch apart. However, some face-frame areas will have the door margins close together because there is not a center style behind the cupboard doors.

Up-and-Down
Fixing cabinet doors where the bottom or top of the doors are uneven with the upper or base cabinet top or bottom is usually adjusted with the screw that is inserted into a slotted or oblong hole. By loosening the screw you should be able to lift or push the uneven door up or down. This is usually a trial-and-error process where you loosen the screw, move the door, tighten the screw and close the door to see what it looks like. If it is still uneven then the process is repeated until it’s perfectly in place.

Side-to-Side
Fixing the sided-to-side alignment is usually done by turning a screw and this will move the uneven door into alignment. Some hinges you will have to loosen a screw and then push the kitchen, vanity or office cabinet door into place and re-tighten the screw.

When adjusting uneven cabinet doors remember to take your time and do not get in a hurry. Never over adjust the screws because if you do you may end up with more problems than just uneven kitchen cabinetry doors.