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Hinge Overlay Guide
PDFHow to measure hinge overlay
What is hinge overlay?
Hinge overlay is the amount a cabinet door covers the wooden frame on the front of a cabinet. It matters because your new refacing doors need the right overlay to cover the openings the way the old doors did.
You measure it once per door size before you order. The whole point is a clean fit, so the doors sit where they should when the kit arrives.
How to measure it
Five steps and a tape measure. Overlay applies to framed cabinets, the kind with a wooden frame around the front of the box.
- Measure the door width of a single door.
- Measure the cabinet opening behind that door.
- Subtract the opening width from the door width.
- Divide the difference by 2.
- This is your hinge overlay.
Worked example
Here is the math on an 18.5 inch door over a 17.5 inch opening.
Rather not do the math? The Hinge Overlay Calculator works it out when you enter the two widths.
Framed cabinets only
Hinge overlay describes how far the door sits over the face frame, so it applies to framed cabinets. Frameless cabinets have no face frame and use hinge plates instead. If you are not sure which you have, the Framed vs Frameless guide shows both side by side.
Your overlay goes on the order form along with your door sizes. The measurement form guide walks through where it fits.
Common questions
What is hinge overlay?
The amount a cabinet door covers the wooden face frame on the front of a framed cabinet. Your new doors need the correct overlay so they cover the openings the way the old doors did.
How do I measure hinge overlay?
Measure a single door's width, then the opening behind that door. Subtract the opening from the door width and divide by 2. An 18.5 inch door over a 17.5 inch opening is a 0.5 inch overlay.
Do frameless cabinets have a hinge overlay?
No. Overlay is a framed cabinet measurement. Frameless cabinets have no face frame, so they use hinge plates. The Framed vs Frameless guide shows how to tell.
Which door do I measure on a double door cabinet?
Measure one single door and the opening directly behind that one door, not the full two door opening. The overlay is per door.
Is there a hinge overlay calculator?
Yes. Enter your door width and opening width in the Hinge Overlay Calculator and it returns the overlay.
Get your overlay in seconds
Enter your door width and opening width and let the calculator do the math. Questions on your order? Call 844-484-3548 or email customerservice@qwikkit.com.