How to Fix Cabinet Doors that Won't Close

Cabinet doors that overlap or refuse to stay closed are unsightly and can be a safety hazard. Fixing cabinet doors that won't close properly involves troubleshooting the problem to determine its cause, and can usually be solved in one of three simple ways.

Step 1 - Tighten the Hinges

The first and simplest step is to see if a screw is loose and needs to be tightened. Simply open your cabinet door and look at the hinges. Put slight pressure on the underside of the door—does the door lift up when you do this? If so, the fix to your broken cabinet door may be as simple as a screwdriver. Lift the door into place and gently tighten the screws until they are snug against the wood. If the screw turns too freely, the hole may be stripped and you may need to replace the hinge.

Step 2 - Adjust the Hinges

Most homes nowadays have cabinets with European hinges. These are large hinges hidden on the inside of the cabinet, and they are adjustable. If your cabinet doors are overlapping, or if they are edging forward slightly, then you may need to adjust your hinges. The screw used for adjusting the alignment of a European hinge is the one closest to where the cabinet opens. There are two grooves that form a plus sign across it. Turn the screw counter-clockwise to move the door away from the side where it closes if there is an overlap. Turn the screw clockwise to move the door closer to the shutting edge if there is an unsightly gap.  Minute adjustments are really the key here—try a little change, then see if you can close your cabinet door.  If not, try again, with just another small adjustment. This is one of the most common problems with door hinges, and is relatively easy to solve.

Step 3 - Replace the Hinges

If neither of the above steps work, you may need to replace your hinges or re-frame your cabinets. Stripped screw locations can be fixed in one of two ways—either you can relocate the hinge and possibly damage the cabinet door, or you can pull out or reinforce the cabinet framing in the area with the stripped screw. You can try using wood glue to reinforce a stripped screw hole, but in application like doors which see constant use, this may only offer a temporary solution to your problem. If the screw holes are in good shape but the hinge itself appears damaged, remove the door carefully and set it somewhere safe, and take the hinge to your local hardware store to see if you can find one that matches it in size and screw location. If you are lucky enough to find hinges that match, reinstalling the hinges is as simple as carefully removing the existing hinge from the cabinet door by unscrewing it, attaching the new one, and then attaching it to the cabinet fixture. Be careful not to damage the cabinet door during this process, or you may be looking at a much bigger project.