FAQs for Replacement Cabinet Fronts
How do I measure for my replacement cabinet fronts?
Please refer to our detailed measuring guide here.
How do I know if my cabinets are frameless or framed?
With frameless cabinets, the hinges are installed directly into the side panels of the cabinet box. With framed cabinets, there is a frame that runs along the full perimeter of the cabinet box and that is where the hinge gets installed.
Can I reuse my current hinges?
Yes, you can reuse your current hinges. In order to do so, you must select No Hinges / Undrilled upon checkout. Please note that your doors will come undrilled and you or your contractor will need to drill onsite to ensure a perfect fit with your hinges. Follow the “Measuring Guide for Using Existing Hinges” section of the measuring guide.
How do I measure for a Lazy Susan?
Please refer to the “Measuring for Lazy Susans” section of the measuring guide. Important Note: We DO NOT offer hinges and drilling for full overlay (1 1/4") Lazy Susan doors. If you have framed cabinets and need to include a Lazy Susan in your order, you must measure and order your entire project with the standard overlay (1/2"). You can also order them with No Hinges/Undrilled.
Is there any size variance/tolerance I should be aware of?
Semihandmade works with the best cabinet door manufacturers in the U.S. All parts are made with a +/- 1/16" tolerance, which falls within accepted industry standards. Note: European hinges offer easy adjustment up/down, in/out, and left/right to account for any uneven gaps or cabinets being out of square; it should be assumed all hinges need adjustment once installed.
What is a blind corner cabinet?
A blind corner is the space that is created where two perpendicular lines of cabinets meet. A good use of limited kitchen corner storage space is to install a “blind corner cabinet,” which extends beyond the corner and takes up the unused space.
How do I measure for a blind corner cabinet door?
Measure for a blind corner cabinet door the same way you would measure for a standard door (according to which project type you have—no hinges/undrilled, frameless or framed). Keep in mind you are only measuring your existing door or the opening, not the full size of the cabinet. For example, a blind corner cabinet may take up 36" of space, but the door would only be used on 12" of that space. You will need a special hinge to work with a blind corner cabinet, so be sure to select blind corner at check out.
What is a diagonal cabinet?
A diagonal cabinet—also known as a corner cabinet—is a cabinet that is located in the corner of a room. It is often smaller than other cabinets. A diagonal corner cabinet is used when cabinets extend along the corner of a room, which is frequently the case in many kitchens.
How do I measure for a diagonal cabinet?
Measure for a diagonal cabinet door the same way you would measure for a standard door (according to which project type you have—no hinges/undrilled, frameless or framed). Keep in mind you are only measuring your existing door or the opening, not the full size of the cabinet. For example, a blind corner cabinet may take up 36" of space, but the door would only be used on 12" of that space. You will need a special hinge to work with a diagonal cabinet, so be sure to select diagonal cabinet as your type of piece at checkout.
Do you sell hinges?
Yes, we offer soft-close hinges for both framed and frameless cabinets when you purchase your custom replacement doors. Select Framed Hinges & Drilling or Frameless Hinges & Drilling at checkout. Each door will come with a set of hinges and the proper drilling to fit the hinge. We do not sell hinges à la carte.
Do you make inset cabinet doors?
No. Our replacement doors are only made for frameless and framed cabinets that are installed over the face of the cabinet.
How do I get my cabinet frames to match the color of my new doors?
If you currently have framed cabinets, you can see some of the frame around the doors and drawer fronts. Some of that frame will always be visible, even if you opt for larger replacement doors from Semihandmade or anybody else. For that reason, we recommend a solid color in either one of our Supermatte options or DIY Shaker or Slab.
Once you’ve chosen the color you like, get a paint match at your local paint store and paint the frames (and doors/drawer fronts if DIY). Be sure to use a primer first; we suggest Zinsser. Then use a very durable color-matched paint. We suggest Benjamin Moore Advance Interior Paint or Backdrop (available here on our site).
How do I get my side panels to match the color of my new doors?
You have two options for side panels:
If you chose a Supermatte color finish, we suggest you get a color match at your local paint store and paint the frames. Be sure to use a primer first (we suggest Zinsser). Then, use a very durable color-matched paint (we suggest Benjamin Moore Advance Interior Paint).
If you chose a wood grain finish or prefer not to deal with the hassle of painting, we sell base and wall panels, trim, and toe kick that can be applied over your existing cabinets.
Do you have hardware?
Yes, you can purchase decorative hardware from us here.
Do the doors come drilled for hardware?
No, our doors and drawer fronts are not drilled for decorative hardware.
Do you offer drilling if we are not purchasing hinges from you?
No. If you are not purchasing hinges directly from us we cannot drill the doors for you.
Do you offer custom drilling and boring patterns?
No. We do not offer any custom drilling or boring patterns.
What is an overlay?
An overlay has to do with how much of the face frame you see when the cabinet doors are closed. It’s the distance between the door and the outside edge of the cabinet (called the reveal). By selecting the “standard” ½” overlay, you’ll see more of the cabinet frame when the doors are closed. Frameless cabinets have a very minimal overlay, which is typically 1/16" of a reveal.
Can I change my overlay?
Framed cabinets typically have a ½” overlay. We offer measuring instructions, hinges and drilling for the industry standard 1/2" overlay only. If you’d like to change your style to a full overlay, you can do so by ordering your doors undrilled/without hinges. Frameless cabinets have a very minimal overlay which is standard and cannot be changed.
Can I cancel my order?
Custom orders cannot be changed, canceled, or refunded.
Can I return pieces?
Custom orders cannot be changed, canceled, or refunded.
Can I make changes to an order I submitted?
Custom orders cannot be changed, canceled, or refunded.
How quickly will I receive my doors?
Please refer to our lead times page.
----FAQ FOR HINGES & INSTALLS----
How do I install my replacement cabinet fronts?
Please refer to our installation guide here.
How do I know which hinges go with which doors?
The hinges and hinge plates you receive will be specific to the type of door you ordered. We recommend referencing your order confirmation page to match the correct hinge and hinge plate with each of your doors.
Your hinge plates can be identified by the number on the back side of the plate towards the bottom. You will see either H00, H03 or H04.
Standard Doors on Framed Cabinets will have a regular, straight hinge and a 4mm hinge plate (look on the back of the hinge plate for H04)
Standard Doors on Frameless Cabinets will use the same regular, straight hinge, but with a 0mm hinge plate (look on the back of the hinge plate for H00)
Doors for Diagonal Cabinets on either Framed or Frameless will have a regular hinge that has a slight bend in the elbow and a 4mm hinge plate (look on the back of the hinge plate for H04)
Doors for Blind Corner Cabinets on either Framed or Frameless will have a hinge that has a 90 degree angle and looks like an L. These will use a 4mm hinge plate (look on the back of the hinge plate for H04)
Doors for Lazy Susan Cabinets on either Framed or Frameless need two sets of hinges and two sets of hinge plates.
The first set is used to connect the two lazy Susan doors to each other. This hinge has a long bend in it that makes the arm look like a v shape. This pairs with a 3mm plate (look on the back of the hinge plate for H03)
The second set is used to install the door into the cabinet base. This hinge will have two bends in, making it look like a zig zag. This pairs with a 0mm plate (look on the back of the hinge plate for H00)
How do I install my hinges?
All of the hinges you purchased require no tools or screws to install into the boring holes on your doors. Once you’ve matched each hinge and hinge plate to the correct door, you’ll need to install the hinge into the cup hole on the door. Make sure the hinge is in the open position, and that the falange is up. Align the hinge with the boring cup hole and two guide holes and apply pressure. Once the hinge is in the holes, press down firmly to secure and close the falange.
Connect the hinge to the hinge plate with the doors still off your cabinets. The hinge and the hinge plate will connect by sliding the hinge into the face plate towards the metal tab. Press down until you hear a click to ensure the hinge is connected to the hinge plate.
How do I install my doors?
Once you’ve installed your hinges into your doors, and attached the hinge plates, take the door to the cabinet you are going to install it on. Have one person hold it up to the cabinet, and make sure it's aligned to properly cover the cabinet opening. Once the door is in the correct position and level, make pencil marks in the two pilot holes in the hinge plate. Remove the door and hinge from the hinge plate by releasing the metal tab and pulling them apart.
Now, take just the hinge plate back to the cabinet box and align it with the pencil marks you made—make sure to use a level. With a Phillips head screwdriver or drill, install a screw into the center of the mark you drew. You will need two screws per hinge plate.
Once you’ve properly installed your hinge plates, reattach your door and hinges to the hinge plate by sliding them into place and making sure you hear the click to lock them in.
Once you’ve installed your doors, they will need to be adjusted for the perfect fit. There are three screws for adjusting that run horizontally with the hinge. Do not adjust the screws you installed the hinge plate into the cabinet box with.
When facing your hinge, the screw closest to the back of the hinge controls the depth adjustment (moves the door closer to the cabinet box or further away from the cabinet box).
The center screw controls the height adjustment (moves the door up or down).
The screw closest to the front controls the lateral adjustment (moves the door left to right).
Use each screw to adjust your doors as needed up or down, left or right, and front or back for a perfect fit.
How do I install Lazy Susan replacement doors?
Your Lazy Susan doors will come in a set of two. There will be four boring holes in one door and no holes in the other door.
Use the hinge with the long bend (v shape) and the 3mm hinge plate (H03) to connect the two doors together.
Once the hinge plate is connected to the hinge, stand both doors up on their edges side by side, ensuring they are on a level surface. The doors should be connected when they are standing together at a 90-degree angle and there is approximately a ⅛” gap between them.
Using two screws, drill the hinge plate into the door without any boring holes, to secure them. Keep in mind that you can adjust the hinges after installation for the perfect spacing. As you are installing the hinge plate, ensure the doors remain level, at the same height, and that the ⅛” gap is consistent from top to bottom.
Once you’ve installed the hinge plate, disconnect the two doors by pressing the release tab on the hinge plate.
Next, take the hinge with the double bend (zig-zag shape) and the 0mm hinge plate (H00) to install the door into the cabinet base.
Once the door is attached to the cabinet base, take the second door and connect it to the installed door by sliding the hinge into the hinge plate, making sure you hear the click.
How do I install my new drawer fronts?
When installing your new drawer fronts, we recommend reusing the existing drawer screws that are holding your current drawer fronts in place. Use double-sided foam tape to hold the drawer front in place while you install.
Apply 2-4 pieces of foam tape to the front of your cabinet box, depending on the size of the drawer. Put the drawer front in place, ensuring it’s straight, level, and precisely covers the drawer box before applying pressure.
Once the drawer front is in place with the double-sided foam tape, open the drawer and re-install the same screws into the new drawer front using the existing pilot holes. Use a drill to ensure the screws go all the way through to the drawer front to secure it into place.
Pro tip: When installing the next drawer front, make sure there is a ⅛” gap between the two drawers to allow them to open and close smoothly. Using a cabinet bumper on the top of your drawer front will act as a good spacer when installing the drawer above it, and it can be removed after you are finished.
What screws do I need to install my new hinges and doors?
Be sure to purchase your screws separately before installing. Double check the thickness of your cabinet base before drilling as you may need a shorter or longer screw.
Why does one of my doors have no boring holes?
If you ordered doors for a Lazy Susan, you will receive one door with 4 boring holes and one door with no boring holes. Follow the Lazy Susan installation instructions to install. If you did not order Lazy Susan doors, contact customer service.
Why do some of my doors have 3 boring holes?
If your door is 40” or taller, you will need 3 hinges and 3 hinge plates to support the extra height of your door. Therefore, these doors will have 3 boring holes.
Why do some of my doors have 4 boring holes?
If you ordered doors for a Lazy Susan, you will receive one door with 4 boring holes and one door with no boring holes. Follow the Lazy Susan installation instructions to install. If you did not order Lazy Susan doors, contact customer service.
