How to Choose the Right Hinge (Fast)

• Door weight & use: Heavier or frequently used doors benefit from ball-bearing or 3 hinges instead of 2.
• Clearance needs: Need the door to throw further past wide trims/radiators? Parliament hinges project the door out.
• Floor/carpet lift: Scraping on carpet? Rising butt lifts the leaf as it opens.
• Concealed look: Cabinets = concealed cup; flush minimalist doors = SOSS.
• Self-closing or both-way swing: Spring (double-acting) hinges.
• Exterior / corrosion: Use stainless steel (304 indoors, 316 coastal) or hot-dip galvanised for gates.
• Fire doors: Must use certified fire-rated hinges (usually 3 per door) with matching screws and intumescent pads where specified.

UK size shorthand: 76 mm (3") butt = light internal doors; 100–102 mm (4") for heavier/solid doors. Most internal doors use 2–3 hinges; exterior/solid core typically 3.

Butt Hinges (Standard)

The everyday door hinge: two leaves with a central pin/knuckle. Mortised into door and frame for a neat fit.

Use for: Most internal doors. Choose stainless for bathrooms and exteriors.

Pros: Cheap, widely available. Watch for: Cheaper plain-bearing versions can squeak/wear on heavy doors.

Ball-Bearing Butt Hinges

A premium butt hinge with ball races in the knuckle for smoother, quieter action and longer life.

Use for: Heavy, frequently used, or solid-core doors.

Pros: Durable, smooth; ideal for high-traffic. Watch for: Slightly higher cost.

Fire-Rated Hinges

Tested and certified for fire doors. Typically stainless steel, often with ball bearings. Must be installed per the door set certification (usually 3 hinges and correct screws).

Use for: Any certified fire door (FD30/FD60 etc.).

Rising Butt Hinges

Special knuckle geometry lifts the door a few millimetres as it opens, then drops it as it closes.

Use for: Doors scraping carpets/thresholds; accessible WC doors that need auto-closing without a closer.

Pros: Clears carpets neatly. Watch for: Handed (left/right); not ideal where doors must stay open unaided.

Parliament / Projection Hinges

Wide-throw hinges that project the door clear of thick architraves, shutters or deep reveals when opened.

Use for: French doors, doors behind wide trims or radiators, shutters.

Pros: Maximises opening width. Watch for: Larger leaves require more fixing length—use proper screws.

Leaves nest so they can be surface-mounted without chiselling a mortise.

Use for: Light internal doors, cupboard doors, quick retrofits.

Pros: Fast fitting. Watch for: Lower load capacity; not for heavy doors.

Concealed (Cup/Euro) Hinges

Common on kitchen cabinets. A 35 mm cup sits in a bored hole; arm mounts to the carcass with clip-on plates. Options include soft-close and different overlays.

Use for: Cabinets and furniture (overlay, half-overlay, inset).

Pros: Invisible from front, adjustable, soft-close. Watch for: Needs accurate 35 mm boring; choose the correct overlay type.

SOSS / Invisible Hinges

Fully concealed within door and frame when closed—no visible knuckle.

Use for: Flush interior doors, hidden doors, premium joinery.

Pros: Ultra-clean look. Watch for: Precise routing; weight ratings vary—check specs and use multiple units.

Spring / Double-Acting Hinges

Allow a door to swing both ways and return to centre automatically via adjustable springs.

Use for: Café/saloon doors, kitchen pass doors.

Watch for: Not for fire doors; check thickness/weight limits.

Pivot Hinges (Center/Floor)

Pivot pins at top and bottom carry the door; the pivot point can be centred or offset. Heavy versions use floor springs.

Use for: Wide/frameless doors, commercial entrances, concealed pivot aesthetics.

Pros: Clean look, handles large doors. Watch for: Specialist fitting; floor/ceiling prep required.

Pivot Hinges - Available Here

Piano / Continuous Hinges

A long, continuous hinge running the full length of a lid or door, spreading the load evenly.

Use for: Ottomans, toy boxes, bench seats, lightweight doors, access panels.

Pros: Prevents racking; neat. Watch for: Choose stainless for damp areas.

Piano / Continuous Hinges - Available Here

Strap / T-Hinges

Long decorative straps provide leverage and support on wide, ledged & braced doors and gates. A T-hinge has a narrow leaf on the frame and a long strap on the door.

Use for: Sheds, cottage doors, light/medium gates.

Pros: Easy to fit; rustic look. Watch for: Choose heavy-duty for large doors; galvanised for outdoors.

Hook & Band (Gates)

Two-part system: a band bolts to the gate; a hook (gudgeon) fixes to the post. Often cranked to centre the gate in the opening and adjustable for alignment.

Use for: Field & garden gates, farm doors.

Pros: Very strong, adjustable, easy to lift the gate off when needed. Watch for: Size bands according to gate width/weight; use proper coach screws/bolts.

Lift-Off (Loose Pin) Hinges

Allow the door to be lifted off the hinges without removing screws. Available handed (left/right).

Use for: Doors needing occasional removal (maintenance, access panels).

Security / Dog-Bolt Hinges

Feature anti-jemmy pins or security studs that interlock when the door is closed, protecting outward-opening doors even if the hinge pin is removed.

Use for: Outward-opening external doors, sheds.

Dog Bolt Hinges - Available Here

H & HL Hinges

Traditional strap-style hinges shaped like the letters H or HL that add racking resistance on ledged-and-braced doors.

Use for: Period joinery, cottage doors.

Butterfly / Decorative Hinges

Surface-mounted, shaped leaves for visual appeal.

Use for: Light cupboard doors, decorative furniture.

Friction Stay (uPVC/Aluminium Windows)

Scissor-style hinges that hold a window open at set positions using friction pads.

Use for: Side/top-hung casement windows; egress and easy-clean variants available.

Backflap & Other Specialty Hinges

Backflap: Large leaf area for thin/weak materials (e.g., stage flats). Offset: Moves pivot line to increase clear opening. Half-surface/half-mortise: Mix surface and mortised leaves for tricky frames.

• Standard timber field gate: Top hook & band (straight or cranked) + bottom adjustable hook; 19–24 mm pins; band ≈ 1/3–1/2 gate width.
• Posts out of plumb / easy tweak: Adjustable hook & band (slotted or threaded J-bolt gudgeon).
• Deep reveals / need to centre gate: Cranked bands or reversible hinges.
• Metal frame gate: Weld-on bullet/bearing hinges (greaseable).
• Sloped drive scraping: Rising gate hinge set.
• Security: Anti-lift collars; one pin up, one down; through-bolts where possible.

Quick Sizing & Fit Notes

• Internal doors (hollow core): 2 x 76 mm butt hinges; heavy use → 3 x 76–100 mm ball-bearing.
• Solid core/external: 3 x 100–102 mm stainless ball-bearing; use all supplied screws.
• Carpet clearance: Try rising butt before trimming doors; expect ~8–10 mm lift at full swing (varies by model).
• Bathrooms/coastal: Stainless 304 (general wet rooms) or 316 (coastal/exposed). Gates: hot-dip galvanised or stainless.
• Parliament throw: Choose width to clear the obstacle (architrave/radiator); thicker leaves need longer screws.