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| How
To |
DIY - Hinges |
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Chinese fittings around your home may
give you problems, especially in older apartments. The
two most common problems are broken wardrobe hinges,
and broken curtain rail supports.
These are jobs you should probably consider rectifying
yourself, as they are quite simple to repair and basically
require only a suitable screwdriver.
Replacing Chinese wardrobe hinges and curtain rail supports.
Wardrobe Hinges
Nearly all of these are of the recessed circle
type (Pictured) as found in most kitchen cabinets,
although flat surface mounted ones do exist.
The problem is that these hinges are made from
poor quality materials, and often break at the
hinge, or surface mounting plate.
They cannot be repaired, so must be replaced.
Replacement hinges can be bought at some hardware
stores or your local trade counter. |
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When buying replacement hinges there are two important
considerations:
1. Size.
2. Quality.
As in the West, these hinges invariably come in two
sizes, this relating to the circular cut-out. You better
take an old one with you as a pattern.
The quality of replacements is more difficult to rectify,
as most are either cheap, or very cheap. This in turn
means they will probably break before you even finish
fitting them!
What you are looking for is something with quality -
as any DIY person will readily identify. Normally good
quality ones will be relatively heavy. We suggest that
if you are not sure, then you only purchase one or two
sets to begin with ... and see if they work ok.
The fitting couldn't be easier, as all you normally
do is unscrew the old hinge and replace it with the
new one. Given you have checked the replacement hinge
fits into the circular recess nicely, then start by
removing all the old hinges so both door and interior
are clear. If one hinge is still working, then leave
this in place and replace each hinge individually.
Otherwise fit all the new hinges to the interior first.
Using a chair or suitable packing for support, set the
door at 90 degrees and align the hinges. You will probably
only manage to fit one of the circle bits initially,
so do this and add a screw to hold it (The weight is
taken by the circle thingymagig). Use the screws you
just removed, but pay attention to their size, as this
may vary considerably.
It is best to fit the top hinge first if possible. Now
remove the chair or support, meanwhile taking the weight
yourself and keeping everything in-line. Put the bottom
hinge into place next and secure with a screw. An extra
pair of hands can help you greatly, bearing in mind
that most girls are hopeless at this sort of thing (Exceptions).
Now do the same for any remaining hinges (Normally there
are three). Once all hinges are in place, add the remaining
screws and tighten (But not too much).
These types of hinges allow you to reset the doors for
perfect fit using the adjusting screws that are integral
of the units - something that can keep inexperienced
people occupied for hours. |
This information is as supplied by ourselves, and ably
supported by our friends and various internet portals. |
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