Door Hinges and Furniture Tips
Butt hinges
These are available in pressed steel, cast steel, brass and cast brass in sizes ranging from 50mm to 100mm, for fitting internal or external doors and wardrobe or cupboard doors (but not fire doors).
Rising butt hinges
Sometimes it is useful if a door raises itself as it opens so that it can clear things like carpets. Rising butt hinges are designed to do this. They are usually made from cast steel, in right- and left-handed sets. The top end of the hinge pin is open-ended, and as long as the hinge is fixed on to the frame with the knuckle (or the pin) clear of the frame, the door can be removed by lifting it off the pins.
Rising butt hinges are fixed in a manner similar to that described for butt hinges. But the following addi¬tional points should be considered:
• doors fitted with this type of hinge tend to be self-closing owing to the weight of the door on the spiral seat¬ing of the hinge
• the hinges must be accurately located on the door and the frame, otherwise only one hinge may be resting on its spiral seating - fit one hinge and then the other.
• to allow the door to close without catching the frame, the top corner of the door must be tapered.
T-hinges
These hinges are made from steel and galvanised or japan¬ned to protect them from corrosion. They are lightly built and suitable for use on ledged-and-braced doors and gates. Framed, ledged-and-braced doors may be hung on T-hinges or on standard butt hinges.
Strap hinges
These are sturdier than T-hinges and are ideal for garage doors and large heavy gates. This sort of hinge is held in place by screws and a coach bolt. It has an open pin so the door can be removed from the frame - by taking off the upper pin cup - without having to unfasten the hinge from the door.
Door furniture
Doors need something for you to open and close them with - usually a handle of some sort - and some¬thing to keep them in the closed position once they have been shut. On external doors the retaining device is usually a lock. On internal doors, including cupboard and wardrobe doors, a number of dif¬ferent devices can be used
Ball catches
These are basically a casing containing a spring-loaded ball or roller which holds the door closed when it engages with a strik¬ing plate (keep) in the door frame. They are simple to fix - insert the catch into a prebored hole in the door and hold it in position with screws.
Spring latches
These hold a door more firmly than ball catches. To open the spring latch a lever handle or knob is required.
Lever handles
These are used to open latches fixed in doors. They work by rotating a square metal spin¬dle which passes through the door and the latch. Lever handles come in a variety of shapes and finishes -including anodised aluminium and brass.
Thumb latches
These are the tradi¬tional latches for ledged-and-braced doors and garden gates.
These are available in pressed steel, cast steel, brass and cast brass in sizes ranging from 50mm to 100mm, for fitting internal or external doors and wardrobe or cupboard doors (but not fire doors).
Rising butt hinges
Sometimes it is useful if a door raises itself as it opens so that it can clear things like carpets. Rising butt hinges are designed to do this. They are usually made from cast steel, in right- and left-handed sets. The top end of the hinge pin is open-ended, and as long as the hinge is fixed on to the frame with the knuckle (or the pin) clear of the frame, the door can be removed by lifting it off the pins.
Rising butt hinges are fixed in a manner similar to that described for butt hinges. But the following addi¬tional points should be considered:
• doors fitted with this type of hinge tend to be self-closing owing to the weight of the door on the spiral seat¬ing of the hinge
• the hinges must be accurately located on the door and the frame, otherwise only one hinge may be resting on its spiral seating - fit one hinge and then the other.
• to allow the door to close without catching the frame, the top corner of the door must be tapered.
T-hinges
These hinges are made from steel and galvanised or japan¬ned to protect them from corrosion. They are lightly built and suitable for use on ledged-and-braced doors and gates. Framed, ledged-and-braced doors may be hung on T-hinges or on standard butt hinges.
Strap hinges
These are sturdier than T-hinges and are ideal for garage doors and large heavy gates. This sort of hinge is held in place by screws and a coach bolt. It has an open pin so the door can be removed from the frame - by taking off the upper pin cup - without having to unfasten the hinge from the door.
Door furniture
Doors need something for you to open and close them with - usually a handle of some sort - and some¬thing to keep them in the closed position once they have been shut. On external doors the retaining device is usually a lock. On internal doors, including cupboard and wardrobe doors, a number of dif¬ferent devices can be used
Ball catches
These are basically a casing containing a spring-loaded ball or roller which holds the door closed when it engages with a strik¬ing plate (keep) in the door frame. They are simple to fix - insert the catch into a prebored hole in the door and hold it in position with screws.
Spring latches
These hold a door more firmly than ball catches. To open the spring latch a lever handle or knob is required.
Lever handles
These are used to open latches fixed in doors. They work by rotating a square metal spin¬dle which passes through the door and the latch. Lever handles come in a variety of shapes and finishes -including anodised aluminium and brass.
Thumb latches
These are the tradi¬tional latches for ledged-and-braced doors and garden gates.
