My kitchen cabinet doors won't line up and keep dropping — fix or replace?
A few of my kitchen cupboard doors have gone wonky — they don't line up with each other anymore, one hangs lower than its neighbour, and a couple don't sit flush when closed. It's an apartment kitchen, standard fitted units.
Is this something I can adjust myself, or is the whole door/cabinet on the way out and I'm looking at a replacement?
3 answers
Before you replace anything — this is almost always the hinges, and it's usually a five-minute fix.
Modern cabinet hinges (the cup-style soft-close ones) have three adjustment screws, and each does one thing: - Side-to-side (aligns a door with its neighbour, closes a gap). - Height / up-down (lifts a door that's dropped below the others). - Depth / in-out (sets how flush it sits when closed).
Small turns, both hinges, adjust and check as you go. That fixes the vast majority of "wonky doors" — no new door needed. Nine out of ten kitchens I'm called to for this just needed adjusting.
When it's genuinely more than a tweak: - The hinge itself is bent or snapped — cheap to swap, standard sizes. - The chipboard/MDF around the screws has swollen — very common on the under-sink cabinet where a slow leak has soaked the board. Once it's soft, the screws won't bite and it won't hold an adjustment. That panel (or the door) needs replacing, and you should find the leak too. Our swollen under-sink cabinet thread covers that case.
Try the hinge screws first — genuinely free. If a hinge is broken or the wood's gone soft and you want it done cleanly, a carpenter can realign or replace the parts properly.
Can confirm from the café — our cupboard doors drift all the time from the constant use, and it's always just the hinge screws. Once someone showed me which screw does what, it's a 30-second job now. Learn the three screws and you'll never pay for this.
Found the three screws — the doors line up perfectly now, and one that wouldn't stay shut is fine. Cannot believe I nearly asked for replacements. Thank you!
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