How to Install Cabinet Door Magnets

Keeping a cabinet door closed would seem like it would be easy, however, there are times when the cabinet door just does not want to stay closed. For a wide variety of reasons, the cabinet door can swing open when it is supposed to be closed. Fixing this is a very easy process by using a simple magnet catch.

There are plenty of reasons you will want to keep your cabinet door closed. One of the most important is when you have small children in the home. The magnet catch will not only keep the cabinet door closed but will also require some effort to open. The child, until they are stronger, will not be able to have the strength to open the door.

Step One - Determine where Magnets will go

Since the installation of the magnetic catch on your cabinet door is quite easy, you will not need to have a lot of different tools. You'll have to determine a location where they can be installed without creating an obstruction when accessing the cabinet. The best location is on the upper or lower corner opposite the hinges.

Step Two - Mark the Magnet's Location

The best thing about installing a set of magnetic catches is that you do not need to measure anything. By simply placing the catch on the location where you want to attach it, you can easily mark it. The catch can go anywhere near the top or bottom corner. The one thing to pay close attention to is that you will need to keep it flush so the door will close tightly.

Step Three - Attach to the Cabinet

Place the magnet part on the casework at the edge of the door opening, placing the end contacting the striker plate flush with the edge of the opening. The magnet casing always has slotted openings for the screws to facilitate their adjustment forward or back. With the magnet flush to the front, use a scratch awl or a center punch to mark their placement at the center of each of the slots. This will permit the magnet to slide back and forth for proper adjustment later. With the location of the holes marked, drill two pilot holes in the marked spots, then screw the magnet in place, aligning it temporarily flush to the front for now.

Step Four - Find the Striker Plate's location

With that done, place the striker plate onto the magnet in its intended position when the door is normally closed. Secure the door in perfect alignment in its opening, then close it carefully bringing it up against the striker plate. The striker plate has two little juts sticking out for marking the positioning on the door. Press the door gently against the striker plate, and holding it still with one hand, hit the door inward hard enough to leave two indentations where it is to sit on the door. Screw the striker in place using those indentations as a guide.

Step Five - Check and Adjust

Now that all the parts are in place, you need to check to make sure it is working as it should. The magnet will likely have to be adjusted for the strikers to get full contact with the magnet, in case the door bumpers are in the way, or the magnet is simply sitting too far inside, or it is sticking out too far and leaving a crack when the door is closed. This is adjusted by loosening up the two screws holding the magnet, sliding the magnet back or forward depending on what is needed, and re-tightening in the right spot. The key to it is to make sure that the cabinet door sits tightly closed and that the magnets hold the door shut.

Once the adjustments are made, your closed cabinet door will remain close until someone gives it a sufficient pull. You will then be able to keep your smaller children safer from the items inside the cabinet.