How To Fix A Cupboard Door That Has Dropped?

Judging by the problem, there are three possible causes for a cupboard door that has dropped and needs fixing. But how to fix a cupboard door that has dropped? 

The loosened hinge is the most frequently occurring problem, and the fix is as simple too. Tightening it with a screwdriver will do the job just fine. However, the other two problems are comparatively complicated yet doable without any prior experience.

The procedure entails using toothpicks to fill the gaps in the expanded holes left by the screws, as well as drilling through certain holes to attach an additional hinge for added support to assist with the overweight door problem.

Causes For A Dropped Cupboard Door

Identifying the culprit and implementing the appropriate solution can restore the aesthetics and functionality of your cabinet. There are three primary causes-

Loose screw

The first is the loosening of the hinge screws. Screws are essential for holding your cabinet doors in place. On the other hand, a simple tightening of the screws will result in a conventional cupboard door.

Stripped hinge holes

Secondly, stripped hinge holes might be another cause of your cabinet door dropping. This is where the region around where the screw is positioned has become wider than before. Even if it appears that you will need a professional to fix it, it can be done at home with basic tools and no prior knowledge.

Weight distribution

Lastly, it’s possible that the problem isn’t with your hinges or door but with the weight distribution. Dropped doors can be caused by heavy hanging doors with a few hinges to sustain them. The problem may be readily solved by replacing hinges as well as inserting an extra hinge.

How To Fix A Cupboard Door That Has Dropped?

Whenever we hear about woodwork repairs, we immediately consider hiring a high-priced expert. Fortunately, repairing a dropped cabinet door may be done with a few simple techniques that only require materials that you probably already have on hand. Let’s see what we can do with those tools. 

Loose Hinge

The first solution we will look at is tightening a sagging hinge. Loose hinges are the most common cause of a dropped door, and it’s easy to fix with just a screwdriver. Here’s how to adjust cupboard door hinges.

Step 1: Opening the Hinge Covers

Since the hinges of your cabinet door are placed within the cabinet, we must first check them. When you open the cabinets, you’ll usually see two hinges, but you won’t be able to see the screws that need to be tightened with a screwdriver. Instead, you’ll find coverings above the screws that you’ll need to remove with a screwdriver.

Step 2: Screwdriving the screws

You should inspect the heads of the screws to see if they are Slotted or Phillips. Take the same-headed screwdriver and put it into the screws. On the other hand, a single hinge may have two sets of screws. If you do come across so, always choose the screw closest to your side, i.e. the front one.

Nonetheless, insert the screwdriver and turn it clockwise a few times to ensure that it is firmly attached.

Step 3: Trial and error

Now close the door of your cupboard. If it’s been repaired, that’s fantastic. If it isn’t, you’ll have to use the trial-and-error method. To discover an appropriate screw position for your doors, you must screw the screws left and right and close the doors shut repeatedly until it is the way you want.

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Stripped Hinge Holes

Stripped hinge holes are less common than loose hinge issues. Though, if yours has stripped hinge holes, you will have to put in a bit more work than if the hinges were loose. However, the spaces between the doors must be filled, and here is how to fix gap between cabinet doors.

Step 1: Take off the hinges

To fill the hinge holes, you must first remove both hinges from within the cabinet. Rotate the screws anticlockwise until they come out using the corresponding head screwdriver, then pull off the hinges and store them outside the cabinet.

Step 2: Bigger Diameter or Toothpick

There are two alternatives available to you at this stage. One of the options is to replace the hinges and screws with larger-diameter ones to fill the shortfall. On the other hand, to repair the hinge holes using the current hinge and screws, you can use toothpicks and some wood glue.

To do so, place a few toothpicks and your preferred wood glue on a plate. Then coat the toothpicks with wood glue. Start by inserting your current screws into the hole, and then the exposed regions can be inserted with coated toothpicks into the holes.

Step 3: Wait and Cut

Allow for a minimum of 20 minutes for the adhesive to dry completely. On the other hand, the toothpicks will be well beyond the bounds and will need to be cut off. To accomplish so, use an anti-cutter to cut them both off at the same time.

That’s all; your hinges should now be ready to be reinstalled, resulting in a non-dropped door experience.

Bad Weight Distribution

Last but not least, poor weight distribution in the doors might cause issues opening and shutting the doors effectively since the hinges are unable to support the weights. Yet, this process takes out the most effort to accomplish from the two fixes mentioned above. Nevertheless, there is no other option than to add another hinge. Let’s see how you can do it.

Step 1: Take off the cupboard door

When the cupboard door is attached, you can’t put in a new hinge. Remove the door by unscrewing the hinges with a screwdriver. Before moving on to the next step, it’s advised that you take it somewhere where getting messy won’t be an issue.

Step 2: Drilling 

In this step, you’ll need to drill some holes. Wearing gloves and goggles before getting your hands on a drill machine is a good idea for safety. Choose a location in the center of the top and bottom hinges for improved weight distribution. Drill two holes after taking exact measurements with a pencil where you wish to drill.

Step 3: Placement of the new hinge

It’s time to install the new hinge in its appropriate places. With a screwdriver, keep the hinge in place and tighten it clockwise. When you rebuild the door, you’ll have three hinges instead of two, which will solve the weight distribution issue.

That’s all there is to it when it comes to how do you fix cabinet doors.

Conclusion

To summarize, you should first determine the source of the problem before attempting any of the solutions for dropped doors. If yours only needs a few screws tightened, count yourself lucky because it’s the simplest of the bunch. On the other hand, fixing screw holes and installing hinges are tasks that need more tools and time.

Nonetheless, we’re confident you’ll be able to accomplish it and also provide an answer to someone who asks how to fix a cupboard door that has dropped?