All about door hinges

When we think of doors, the first thing that comes to mind is the most obvious: for most people, Door leaves are synonymous with "door". We only notice a hinge when it squeaks. Yet door hinges are what turn a board or a pane of glass into a real door. Time to take a closer look at this component:

A door hinge connects the door to the door frame and allows the door to be opened and closed with a turning movement. In its simplest form, hinges consist of two plates that are connected to each other by a hinge pin. One of these plates is attached to the Door, while the other is mounted on the door frame or wall.

However, this was not always the case: Before the development of modern door hinges, Doors were fastened with leather straps, fabric straps or Metal Pivot points. Wooden pivots or pivot posts made of stone also functioned as primitive hinges for a Lengthy time, until technological advances in metal processing and precision manufacturing led to today's robust, efficient and small hinges.

• Screw-on hinges: Theyconsist of two parts: a plate that is attached to the Door and a plate that is attached to the door frame with screws. The two plates are connected by a hinge pin or, nowadays, by more sophisticated technology. These hinges are easy to install and are often used on lightweight Doors in homes, such as kitchen units.
• Mortise hinges: These cylindrical hinges are inserted into pre-milled holes (mortises) in the door and door frame. This gives them a smoother finish and a more elegant appearance than the simpler screw-on hinges. They are often used on Internal doors.
• Piano hinges extend the full Length of a Door or flap and are often used on pianos (hence the name), cupboard doors or large Doors. They are flat and allow the weight to be evenly distributed, resulting in stable movement of the Doors.
• Concealed hinges consist of two parts, one mounted in the door frame and one mounted in the Door leaves. These hinges are recessed into specially prepared pockets or recesses in the Door and enable almost invisible integration. Their range of movement is usually 180 degrees or more. These hinges are often used in high-quality Furniture and Internal doors to ensure an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
• Hinges for Room doors are a type of door hinge specifically designed for use on Internal room doors. The focus is on Easy installation and removal as well as unobtrusive aesthetics.

You are probably familiar with the term "unhinging". It comes from the fact that "door h inges" is now a generic term for different types of door hinges. In their original form, Doors hinges simply consisted of two metal plates, the one on the Door being hooked into a tube on the frame with a metal pin. Such simple door hinges are very robust and can also hold heavy Doors.

There are also many other door hinges for special applications, for example ball bearing hinges, double door hinges or self-closing hinges. Our door experts at Griffwerk will be happy to advise you if you need a different type of hinge.

Hinges, just like Door handles, can be made of different materials such as Steel, Stainless steel, Aluminium, Brass or other metals, but also Plastic and vary in their load capacity depending on the material. Some models offer adjustment options for optimum door alignment, while others integrate a soft-close function for silent closing.

A simple maintenance routine is necessary to ensure that the door hinges do their job as long and unobtrusively as possible and do not cause jamming or squeaking: clean your door hinges regularly with a soft cloth or brush. You should also lubricate the hinges at regular intervals with a high-quality lubricant to ensure smooth opening and closing. Also check from time to time whether the screws are still tight. If the hinges are exposed to rust, a rust inhibitor or rust inhibitor spray should be used. Concealed hinges can be treated with silicone spray to keep the mechanisms supple.