Will traditional latches work on my cabs?

13 years ago

I was originally supposed to have single doors on the lower cabs but now that my contractor got me double doors (long story), I'm questioning whether traditional latches will work well - since one door being opened doesn't pull the other door open with it. The doors meet evenly in the middle.

So if I open the door with the turn knob on it, how will I open the other door if I want both open? Will people have to just grab it with their hands, getting the paint dirty over time?

Also, the doors stick just a tiny bit. If they were very light and loose I imagine having the traditional latches wouldn't be so much an issue. What's the best method to making doors ever so slightly smaller so as to open more easily? Shaving or sanding the edges?

Here's a pic of the cab doors prior to installation but it gives you an idea (they're in place for the most part, in the pic):

I don't have a pic of the latches but the link below shows the idea.

Thank you!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's an example of the actual latch I got

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Comments (7)

sombreuil_mongrel
13 years ago
If you do use your pictured latch, one door of each pair has to be made the stationary door, and fixed with another specialized piece of hardware. To open both, you will have to reach inside and free it. Seems like a hassle.
That's why butt doors (with no center face frame stile) are not very conducive to cupboard latches and freedom of opening.
For mine I used an internal catch for both doors so either could be opened without turning or reaching inside. The ought to make dummy cupboard latches so you can have the "look" without the hassle.
Casey
sayde
13 years ago
In our kitchen (which was built in 1927) we had uppers that had butt doors fastened with latches. I think what Casey said is true -- but, all these years, I lived with it and it never really bothered me. We have rebuilt the cabinets into a different layout but will still have some that have butt doors and latches (and also some with doors inset into rails/stiles, that have latches. We are trying to reuse everything to the extent possible, even the original latches. I think if you love them then go with it. But I will say that if I were doing everything new build from scratch I would probably use knobs.
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John Liu
13 years ago
You could use those latches, or similar ones, mounted at the top corner of the cabinet doors, with the striker (the fixed part) mounted on the upper part of the face frame.

If you don't want to have to turn a knob to open the door, they also make lever-type latches, where you simply hook your finger under the lever and pull. That makes the motion no more complicated than with a fixed knob and magnetic catch.

Like
http://www.kennedyhardware.com/brass-cabinet-offset-lever-latch-i-9.html

or like
http://www.thehardwarehut.com/catalog-product.php?p_ref=186387
judydel
13 years ago
I'm not sure what the other posters are talking about. We have those but from Rejuvenation Hardware (they work smoothly) and we have double doors with no stile and the hardware works perfectly on 5 of our cabinets. We turn the knob and open the right half and if we want to open the other side we use the hardware on that left side to open it. The cabinet isn't getting dirty. As far as your cabinet's sticking . . . talk to wherever you bought them from. Wood does shrink and swell depending on moisture in the home. Is it humid right now where you live?
artemis78
13 years ago
We have the Rejuvenation latches too (which look almost like yours) and will probably use magnet catches like judydel's have since our old cabinets had those and I really liked them. You can also get little flip-up latches for the second door. I planned our storage around the "dominant" cabinet doors so we wouldn't have to open the second ones as often---and on one heavily used door (broom closet) I'm using something else (still TBD) since I don't want to mess with latches on that.

They do, however, make faux latches if you just want the look---Van Dyke's sells a latch that can be set to be permanently open so it would function like a normal knob. You'd still need a plan for opening the second half, but it could get you partway there...

You're in the PNW, right? If it just started raining there in the last month or so like it did down in Northern CA, the sticking is almost certainly from wood expanding with moisture. Our back door won't open right now after we whacked the house slightly off square with all the drilling and then the door expanded a bit! No fun, but normal.
artemis78
13 years ago
P.S.

I want to see how your kitchen is coming!! :)
brickeyee
13 years ago
"I'm not sure what the other posters are talking about. We have those but from Rejuvenation Hardware (they work smoothly) and we have double doors with no stile and the hardware works perfectly on 5 of our cabinets. We turn the knob and open the right half and if we want to open the other side we use the hardware on that left side to open it. "

This works since you have magnetic catches at the top.

Most folks seem to prefer just the magnetic catches and NO latches.