At a glance
| Hinge type | How it works | Used for | What to specify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butt hinge | Two leaves and a pin, let into the door edge and the frame | Heavy and tall doors, doors with closers, fire doors (as the certificate lists) | Mass of the door; the hinge grade; the finish |
| Concealed cup hinge | Cup in a 35 mm bore in the door back, arm to a plate on the carcass | Cabinet and wardrobe doors, small and medium leaves | Overlay or inset; door height, width and weight; count by the maker's chart |
| Pivot hinge or set | Pins at floor and head, set in from the door edge | Tall, heavy or wide leaves where side hinges would not do | Floor and head ratings; fixing into slab and head; see our pivot door sheet |
| Piano (continuous) hinge | One long hinge along the whole edge | Flaps, lids, fall fronts and narrow doors | Length, leaf thickness, support along the edge |
| Flush-folding hinge | Small leaves that lie flat between two panels | Folding screens and bifold doors | Thickness of leaf and panel; the fold angle |
| Bespoke or hidden hinge | Made to order, with the knuckle or leaf shaped for the design | Special doors, jib doors, decorative metalwork | Evidence, load and grade for a made-to-order part; see our hardware metals sheet |
Practice summary of types and uses, not a standard. Load and count figures on this sheet come from one maker's catalogue and one trade guide, and each hinge maker publishes its own.
Start with the door, not the hinge
Choose the hinge from the door first, then the look. The door’s mass, height and width and whether it has a closer decide how many hinges it needs and of what grade. The finish, the knuckle, the cup and whether the hinge shows come after. A hinge schedule that says only ‘concealed hinges’ or ‘3 hinges’ leaves the part, the count and the load to the price.
Our hinges and hardware metals sheet covers base metals, finishes and the BS EN 1935 digits; this sheet is the joinery view: which hinge, how many, where, and what to write for a fire door.
Concealed cup hinges: overlay and count
A concealed (cup) hinge sits in a round bore in the back of the door, with an arm running to a plate on the carcass. The catalogue we read draws the bore as 35 mm in diameter, and shows the distance from the door edge to the bore as about 3 to 6 mm for one maker and 3 to 7 mm for another, a reminder that the setting-out depends on the hinge model. The hinge adjusts in three directions, which is why it is the usual choice for cabinet and wardrobe doors where a neat gap matters.
Overlay. How the door sits on the carcass decides the hinge arm: a full-overlay door covers the whole front edge of the side, a half-overlay door covers half so that a neighbouring door covers the rest, and an inset door sits inside the opening with the faces flush. The hinge for one is not the hinge for another, so write which. The terms are the common trade ones, defined in the terms box below.
How many. One hardware maker’s 2024 catalogue gives a chart of the recommended number of its hinges by door height, for a door up to 600 mm wide: two hinges up to 1,000 mm high (and 7.7 kg), three up to 1,700 mm (13.7 kg), four up to 2,200 mm (17.1 kg), five up to 2,400 mm and six up to 2,600 mm (22 kg), seven up to 2,800 mm (22 kg), with the end hinges 60 to 100 mm from the door ends. A second maker’s chart in the same catalogue is a little different: two hinges at about 750 mm and 4 to 6 kg, three at 1,500 mm and 6 to 12 kg, four at 2,000 mm and 12 to 17 kg, five at 2,500 mm and 17 to 22 kg. Both state that the loads and heights refer to a 600 mm wide door, that the count depends on the weight and height, and that hinges should be placed as far apart as possible for stability.
| Chart | Door height up to | Hinges | Load up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maker A | 1,000 mm | 2 | 7.7 kg |
| Maker A | 1,700 mm | 3 | 13.7 kg |
| Maker A | 2,200 mm | 4 | 17.1 kg |
| Maker A | 2,400 / 2,600 / 2,800 mm | 5 / 6 / 7 | 22 kg |
| Maker B | 750 mm | 2 | 4 to 6 kg |
| Maker B | 1,500 mm | 3 | 6 to 12 kg |
| Maker B | 2,000 mm | 4 | 12 to 17 kg |
| Maker B | 2,500 mm | 5 | 17 to 22 kg |
The two makers disagree at some heights, so the counts are not a rule: the maker whose hinge is specified gives the number for that hinge and that door. Neither chart goes beyond a 600 mm wide door or beyond about 22 kg, so a wider or heavier door is not covered by them. For a door that heavy a butt hinge or a pivot is the usual answer.
Butt hinges, door mass and pivots
A butt hinge is rated by how much door it can carry for how many cycles. The Door and Hardware Federation’s style guide to BS EN 1935:2002 gives test door masses in the third of its eight digits: 1 for up to 20 kg, 2 for 40, 3 for 60, 4 for 80, 5 for 100, 6 for 120, 7 for 160, 8 for 200 and 9 for 250 kg. It also says that for a door with a closer, the hinges should be selected on an effective door mass 20 per cent above the actual mass without back-check, and 75 per cent above with back-check (our hardware metals sheet sets out the digits).
Worked example, ours. A solid one-piece oak leaf 2,100 × 900 × 44 mm, with a density of 762 kg/m³ (the Wood Handbook’s specific gravity of white oak, 0.68 at 12 per cent moisture, times 1.12), weighs about 63 kg: an upper bound, because real leaves are lighter or heavier according to the core. With a closer without back-check, the effective mass is about 76 kg; with a back-check, about 111 kg. Against the test door masses, the actual mass needs digit 3 of at least 4 (80 kg), the first closer case digit 4, and the back-check case digit 6 (120 kg). The hinge maker confirms the actual grade for the actual door; this is a way to see what to ask for.
Why spacing matters. The door’s own weight acting at mid-width tries to pull the top hinge out and push the bottom one in, in proportion to the width over the hinge spacing. On the same 63 kg door, 900 mm wide, the horizontal pull is about 165 N with the hinges 1,700 mm apart and about 280 N with them 1,000 mm apart. That is our statics, not a rating: it leaves out the closer, slamming and the sharing of vertical load. It agrees with both makers’ advice to place hinges as far apart as possible.
Three hinges. The same trade guide says timber doors with door closers should normally use three or more hinges, and that a closer with a hold-open or back-check calls for a grade 12, 13 or 14 hinge. If three are used the third should be about 200 mm below the top one.
Pivots. A pivot door hangs on pins set in from the edge instead of side hinges, and floor and head units each have a rating. A pivot hinge document we read gives a load limit in the hundreds of kilograms; our pocket, sliding and pivot doors sheet shows it with the fixing questions. Do not borrow a rating from one unit for another.
Fire doors: the hinge is a certified part
On a fire door the hinge is a certified part of the doorset. Approved Document B Volume 2 (online version, 2019 edition incorporating amendments to 2026), Appendix C, paragraph C10, says that, unless shown to be satisfactory when tested as part of a fire doorset assembly, the essential components of any hinge on which a fire door is hung should be made entirely from materials with a minimum melting point of 800°C. The trade guide adds that digit 4 of the BS EN 1935 code marks a hinge as suitable for fire doors only subject to assessment against the door assembly. So the schedule line for a fire door names the hinge in the certificate, with its number and position, and nothing else may be substituted.
For the door, see our fire door specification guide; for the paperwork, fire door documentation for bespoke doors; for installation, the installation and handover checklist.
What to put on the hinge schedule
- Type and count. Per door: type, number, position, from the maker’s chart for this door’s height, width and mass.
- Mass. The leaf mass as built, from the partner, with the closer type if any.
- Hinge identity. Maker, model, size, base metal and finish, plus the grade for a butt hinge. See ironmongery finish codes.
- Fixings. Screws of the length, head and metal the maker gives, in the same finish, into a solid fixing, not a veneer face or a thin skin.
- Gaps and reveals. Hinge-side and head gaps from the door tolerances on our door sizes and tolerances sheet, set before the hinge is chosen.
- Evidence. A hinge data sheet submitted before ordering; for a fire door, the certificate.
Specification wording
Paste into your schedule or specification and replace anything in [square brackets] with your own figures. Wording is a starting point: your specification governs.
Doors [W-01 to W-04]: concealed cup hinge, [maker, model], [full overlay / half overlay / inset], [110] degree opening, [soft-close / not], [nickel plated / finish], 35 mm bore. Door [2,100 x 600 x 19] mm, mass [12] kg. Number of hinges per door as the hinge maker's chart for this height, width and mass: [4]. The hinge maker's data sheet and count chart are submitted before ordering.
Door [D-07], [2,100 x 900 x 44] mm, mass [60] kg as built, closer [none / without back-check / with back-check]. Hinges: [3] ball-bearing butt hinges, [maker, model, 102 x 76 x 3] mm, BS EN 1935 classification [3 7 4 1 1 3 0 11] or better for an effective mass of [mass x 1.2 / mass x 1.75] kg, base metal [stainless steel 304 / solid brass], finish [satin], screws of the same finish. Positions [top at 250 mm, bottom at 250 mm, middle as the maker advises].
Hinges on fire doors [F-01 to F-12] are those named in the door set certificate [door maker, certificate ref]: [make and model], [number] per leaf, position as certified. No change of hinge type, number, size, metal or finish without the door maker's or certifier's written confirmation. A hinge not covered by test evidence for the doorset has its essential components made entirely of materials with a minimum melting point of 800 degrees C (Approved Document B Volume 2, Appendix C, paragraph C10), confirmed by the hinge maker.
Pivot door [D-12], mass [90] kg, height [2,700] mm, width [1,100] mm: floor unit and head unit as [maker, model] with the maker's written confirmation that the pair is rated for this mass, width and height, and the fixing into [slab / screed / head] as the maker requires. The partner states the largest leaf and the heaviest it will guarantee.
Terms used on this page
- Concealed hinge
- A cabinet door hinge that sits in a round hole bored in the back of the door and cannot be seen when closed, with adjustment in three directions.
- Butt hinge
- A traditional hinge with two flat leaves joined by a pin, fitted into rebates on the door edge and frame.
- Overlay
- How a door sits relative to its carcase: overlay doors cover the front edge, inset doors sit flush inside the opening. The hinge type depends on which you choose.
- Effective door mass
- The actual door mass increased to allow for a closer (20 per cent more without back-check, 75 per cent more with, according to a trade guide to BS EN 1935), used to select hinges.
Standards and sources
- BS EN 1935:2002: BSI Knowledge, read 7 Nov 2026: Current, Under Review; 15 March 2002. The standard was not read; digits and closer notes are from the Door and Hardware Federation trade guide.
- BS EN 15570:2008 (hinges for furniture, vertical axis): BSI Knowledge: Current, Under Review; 31 October 2008. Listing only; not read.
- Approved Document B Volume 2, Appendix C, paragraph C10: Online version, 2019 edition incorporating 2020, 2022, 2025 and 2026 amendments and forthcoming 2029 changes, read 7 Nov 2026.
Questions we are asked
How many hinges does a door need?
It depends on the door's height, width, weight and closer, and on the hinge. One maker's chart for concealed hinges gives two up to 1,000 mm, three up to 1,700 mm and four up to 2,200 mm for a door up to 600 mm wide; a second maker's chart is different. Timber doors with closers should normally have three or more butt hinges, according to a trade guide to BS EN 1935. Ask the hinge maker for the count for your door.
Can I use concealed hinges on a heavy door?
Not if the door is beyond the maker's chart: the two charts we read stop at about 22 kg and a door width of 600 mm. For a heavy or wide door, a butt or pivot hinge is the usual route, and the hinge maker gives the rating.
What does it mean if hinges should be 'as far apart as possible'?
Both makers' charts say so. The pull-out force on the hinge screws falls as the hinges move apart: on our worked example it falls from about 280 N at 1,000 mm apart to about 165 N at 1,700 mm.
What hinge do I need on a fire door?
The one the door set's certificate lists, in the number and position listed. Approved Document B Appendix C paragraph C10 says that, unless shown to be satisfactory in a test of the doorset, the essential parts of the hinge should have a melting point of at least 800 degrees C. Do not change the hinge without the door maker's written confirmation.
What is the difference between overlay and inset?
On an overlay door the door covers the edge of the carcass side (fully or by half); an inset door sits inside the opening with its face flush. The hinge arm is different for each, so write which.
Do bespoke hinges carry a rating?
A catalogue hinge has the grade and load evidence of a tested product. A made-to-order hinge may not: ask the maker what evidence a made-to-order part carries, and on a fire door whose certification it relies on.
Download the factsheet
A two-page A4 PDF with the hinge types, the count by door height from one maker's chart, a butt-hinge mass example, the fire-door rule and wording for a hinge schedule.