Inset Cabinet door sagging?

11 years ago

Hi, for our new build we are thinking of doing face frame cabinet with in-set doors. Typically, what is the gap between the door and the frame? and over time will door sag and rub against the frame? We are worried that we'll have to adjust/repair the door joints, or is it really base on the quality of the cabinet made. What kind of material and joint will be moest reliable?

Thanks alot.

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Comments (3)

CEFreeman
11 years ago
3/32.
That means you measure a single door's opening and subtract 3/32s.

If you have a double door, check with BarkerDoors.com because they tell you how to measure and get it right. At this time of night, after several glasses of wine, I don't recall the double door fraction.

If you use the proper length screws for your doors, no, they should never sag. Look at antique furniture, not the nay-sayer cabinet people. Done right is done right.

Material and joint are different issues.
Your face frames should and will be wood. Face frames are normally either biscuted (if I remember correctly) or more recently, pocket screwed.

I'm making mine pocket screwed because this was clear to learn on my own and makes perfect sense.

Your cabinet maker should know this.
macybaby
11 years ago
just keep people from using the door as a support when standing up.

I've caught myself doing this a few times, I open the door below the sink, squat down to get something, then without thinking I put my hand on the top of the open door and stand up - using the door as support.

I'm over 50 now, and can't get up as easily as I use to, so I've got to train myself to put my hand on the countertop for support, not the open door.

If the door does start to sag, it's a hinge/screw issue, and those can be replaced. Filling in the screw holes and re drilling will tighten up a lot.

Particle board doors are more likely to sag as that materiel does not hold screws near as well as solid wood.

BTW- I have a 125 year old buffet and the doors are sagging horribly - the hinges are sprung and the screw holes are widened. It's a very solid piece of furniture, and an easy fix. I'm sure it's from years of someone leaning on the open doors as the doors themselves are not heavy and the hinges are sprung enough you have to actually lift the door to get it to close.

This can happen to all doors, but it's may more noticeable with inset doors.
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brickeyee
11 years ago
The typical screw lengths used with commercial hinges are painfully inadequate.

For the door side of the hinge you are very limited by style thickness, and the pilot hole diameter must be exact since the screws are necessarily short.

On the frame side there is no real reason to use under length screws (except then the same size is used everywhere) and I routinely replace them with at least 3/4 inch screws.