How to Install Half Overlay Hinges

Use a half-overlay hinge when the door partially overlaps the cabinet edges. The door lays over approximately half of the width of the cabinet carcase edge. Typically, half-overlay doors extend 3/8 to 1/2 inch past the opening. The overlay measures how much bigger the door is than the opening it covers. Aesthetically, half-overlay hinges allow you to hide the hinges from sight and create a smooth appearance for your cabinets. Half-overlays are very useful when you have two doors that open back-to-back.

Half-overlay hinges are a type of the popular European-style hinges.
  • Measure the position of the center of the hinge cup hole from the top of the door.

  • Mark the center line of the hinge on the back of the door with pencil or tape.

  • Place and hold the door in position over the cabinet opening. Transfer the cup hole mark to the front edge of the cabinet.

  • Mount a 35 mm Forstner bit in your drill and bore a flat-bottomed 35 mm diameter hole in the back of the door. Drill to a depth of 1/2 inch to create the place for the hinge cup.

  • Align the tabs of the mounting plate portion of the hinge to the edge of a face frame cabinet. Mark the position for the screws by using the hinge as a template. Use the location your hinge manufacturer specifies to position screws on frameless cabinets, due to the variations in hinge and cabinet sizes.

  • Screw the other part of the hinge apparatus, the mounting plate, to the frame of face-frame cabinets. Screw the mounting plate to the cabinet carcase on frameless cabinets.

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