How to Choose Door Hinges?
If this is your first attempt to purchase custom door hinges for your home, you may encounter many surprises. There are a lot of hidden aspects when it comes to selecting door hinges.
When planning your door hinge purchase, you must ask yourself a few questions to sort it out by taking the following steps. It will help you understand the wealthy amount of options available in the market in a better way.
Educate Yourself on the Size of a Door Hinge
First things first. Get yourself educated on how to determine the size of a door hinge. Measure it all the way from top to bottom and then from side to side. Once you’re done with it, determine whether the hinge has a radius corner or a square corner.
Most of the door hinges have ⅝ inch radius corner, a ¼ inch corner, or a square corner. One can measure the radius corner with a dime or a nickel.
Know About the Most Common Types of Residential Hinges for Exterior Doors
When considering exterior doors, you must consider the size and hole patterns. Residential spring exterior doors mainly involve entry doors leading to the backyard and doors taking you out from the garage.
Any door that takes you outside is called an exterior door. Most common exterior door hinges have a zig-zag hole pattern and are 4 by 4 with a radius corner.
Additionally, a template hole pattern has a crescent half-moon shape that’s sometimes used with exterior residential doors.
Know About the Most Common Types of Residential Hinges for Interior Doors
Residential interior doors include bathroom doors, bedroom doors, basement doors, or closet doors. Most common exterior door hinges have an arched hole pattern and are 3.5 by 3.5 with a radius corner.
These door hinges are associated with the doors internal to your house between the rooms and in the bathrooms.
Know the Difference between Different Types of Hinges
Ball bearing hinges have two ball bearings and the knuckles of the hinges. The standard plain bearing hinges have no ball bearings.
The ball-bearing hinges are better at preventing squeaking of the hinges when compared to plain hinges.
Spring hinges are called self closing hinges and adjustable hinges. They are required to install doors leading to the garage. These adjustable tension springs allow automatic door closure, preventing harmful gases from entering the home from the garage.
Know the Door Thickness and the Weight
The door hinges you opt for must comply with the weight of the door. Standard door hinges fit well with the interior doors. For exterior doors or doors with bulk material, heavy-duty hinges or commercial-grade hinges are very well suited.
When you shop for door hinges, ensure that the total weight-bearing capacity of the door hinges is very well suited to bear the overall weight of the door.
Next comes the door thickness. For a five to six-inch door hinge, a thicker or larger one will work way better. For this, you must ensure that the door frame is equally large to accommodate the larger hinge type.
Choose the Door Hinge Material
Door hinges are usually crafted from durable and resistant materials that can withstand wear and tear. The material of choice is stainless steel, brass, iron, and bronze.
As stainless steel constitutes a few percentages of nickel. It can combat corrosion all at once. On the other hand, brass, iron, and bronze have better material properties but will cost you more.
Door Hinge Style and Finish Options
Style and finish are the primary considerations when it comes to door hinges. Many door hinge styles are not seen at all. They are rarely seen when adapted to the frame. To help make the door more focused, you need to opt for a small and less visible hinge.
While you may select a hinge that draws attention toward it with its style and finish. One way to do so is to choose a hinge with a silver or gold finish. The other way to make it more noticeable is to use decorative hinges.
Such a setting can be applied to the exterior or interior doors in a home or outdoor setting.
Count Your Doors After a Thorough Evaluation
Once you’ve decided on the sizes and the number of door hinges, you’re ready to shop. TDC Hinges are your one-stop, go-to solution for all types of door hinges. We have years of experience in hinges production and selling, and over the years, we have surpassed our customers' expectations.