
The formula for calculating the size of a correctly sized cabinet door with a ½ inch overlay door is:
- Door width = Opening width + ½ inch + ½ inch
- Door height = Opening height + ½ inch + ½ inch
What is the difference between standard and full overlay cabinets?
These types of cabinets are more traditional in design but still quite popular today. The doors extend past the front of the cabinet, which means that your cabinetry is exposed to view. Full overlay cabinets are similar to standard ones in their covering ability but additionally have shelves within them.
How to install hinges on cabinet doors accurately?
Method 2 of 2: Attaching Traditional Hinges
- Choose a traditional hinge to add a stylistic detail to your cabinets. ...
- Wrap the hinges around the cabinet so they’re flush. Start by placing the hinges on the cabinet where you plan to install them, wrapped around the outer edge of ...
- Measure the spacing between the hinges to make sure they’re even. ...
How do you put handles on cabinet doors?
- If your cabinet doors have stiles (also called framing), cabinet pulls are usually 2 to 3 inches up from the bottom edge of the door. ...
- If your cabinets have slab doors without stiles, cabinet pulls are usually 2 to 3 inches up from the bottom edge of the door. ...
- Measure and mark this location with a pencil.
How to correctly measure for replacement doors?
the top, middle and bottom of the door (A, B, C). Record the narrowest dimension. Measure the opening height (vertically). Record the shortest dimension. Make your measurements and bring to your nearest Lowe’s store. (1 in. wide x 1 in. deep) mounting surface is needed Door Sizes Min–Max Doorway Width Min–Max Doorway Height 32" x 81" 31 7/8" to 32 3/8"
What is cabinet door overlay?
How to measure the edge of a cabinet door?

How do you calculate cabinet door overlay?
0:541:46How to Measure Your Cabinet Door Overlay - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipStep 1 with your door closed draw a small line on the frame of the cabinet at the edge of the doorMoreStep 1 with your door closed draw a small line on the frame of the cabinet at the edge of the door on the hinge side of the door step 2 open the door depending.
How do I know what size overlay hinge I need?
You should check the diameter of the hole in the door that your current hinge sits in - these are usually 26mm, 35mm or 40mm for larger hinges. It's important to measure the hole in the door and not the hinge itself as the hinge may be slightly smaller.
How much should the cabinet doors on a overlay be?
The industry standard for most cabinet doors is a 1/2 inch overlay around the cabinet door. To create a 1/2 inch door overlay on all four sides, add 1 inch to your total height, and 1 inch to your total width.
What does 1/2 inch overlay on cabinet hinges mean?
A 1/2″ overlay literally means that all the drawers and doors of a cabinet run will extend half an inch over the frame. This is a classic styling for cabinetry and leaves about two inches of exposed frame in between cabinet doors.
What is the standard overlay for cabinet doors?
Partial-overlay cabinet doors are cabinetry designed with ½-inch overlay door and drawer fronts, which leaves 2 inches of the cabinet face frame exposed between the doors, creating a more traditional kitchen look. Partial-overlay cabinet doors are also called standard, traditional or half overlay.
What is standard cabinet hinge overlay?
An overlay on face frame or frameless cabinets refer to the amount of the cabinet door that lays on top of the cabinet (or face frame). A hinge with a 1/2″ overlay will be 1/2″ larger than the cabinet opening on all sides, or 1″ wider and 1″ taller. Your overlay cannot be larger than your face frame width.
How do you measure a 1/2 inch overlay cabinet door?
The formula for calculating the size of a correctly sized cabinet door with a ½ inch overlay door is: Door width = Opening width + ½ inch + ½ inch. Door height = Opening height + ½ inch + ½ inch.
How much does a full overlay cabinet door reveal?
A Standard Overlay door will lay on top of (overlay) this 1.5” face frame 3/8”, leaving 1-1/8” revealed on all rails and stiles. A Full Overlay door will overlay that same 1.5” face frame 1.25”, leaving a ¼” reveal on the sides (stiles) and bottom (rail).
What is the most common cabinet overlay?
The most common overlay lengths on American cabinets are called partial overlay and full overlay. Partial overlay leaves some space between doors. Most common overlay lengths on American cabinets are 1/2-inch and 1 1/4-inch. Full overlay leaves little to no space between doors.
How far is full overlay hinge?
A full overlay hinge will “fully” overlay a 3/4″ panel and a half overlay hinge will cover half of a 3/4″ panel. There are 4 factors to look at in order to determine your final cabinet door overlay: Overall Door Size. Hinge Overlay (Full, Half or Inset)
How do you measure for partial overlay cabinet doors?
0:361:45How to Measure Cabinet Door Overlay for Face Frame CabinetryYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTo the sticky note or the tape. Normal overlays should be anywhere between one quarter of an inchMoreTo the sticky note or the tape. Normal overlays should be anywhere between one quarter of an inch all the way up to inch and a half so as long as you're in those parameters.
What is the difference between a full overlay and half overlay hinge?
Full overlay hinges are used for individual cabinets or cabinets on either end of a row of cabinets. Half or Partial overlay hinges are used for a pair of cabinet doors in the middle of a row of cabinets where two doors have their hinges mounted on opposite sides of a shared middle partition.
What size of door hinge do I need?
In general, you'll want to use one hinge for every 30 inches of door height. For example: Use two hinges for doors up to 60 inches tall. Use three hinges if the door is between 60 and 90 inches tall.
How do you measure for a replacement hinge?
Replacing Door Hinges Measure your door hinges from side to side & top to bottom with the leaves open. Most door hinges are the same measurement in height as they are from side to side when open.
How do you fit overlay hinges?
0:5914:57How to fit concealed (Euro-style) hinges for overlay & inset cabinet ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFrom the edge the hinge is secured to the door typically with two screws driven. Through the hingeMoreFrom the edge the hinge is secured to the door typically with two screws driven. Through the hinge boss 32 millimeters apart the hinge mounting plate is positioned at the same height as the hinge.
What size is an overlay?
Overlays come in many different sizes with the most popular sizes being 54”x54", 72”x72", 85”x85" and 90”x90". Each size serves a different purpose and looks best on certain sized tables as well as can be used to create different table styles and designs! We'll begin by going over our go-to overlay styles!
What Materials Do You Need To Measure Cabinet Door Openings?
You don’t need any special tools or materials to measure cabinet doors. All it takes to get an accurate measurement is a standard tape measure. Mak...
Do You Need to Remove Cabinet Doors to Measure for Openings?
We recommend you do. It’s generally easier to get accurate measurements when you don’t have to work around the existing doors. Removing doors is ty...
What is a Cabinet Overlay?
Most cabinet doors are not the same size as the cabinet opening they cover. They are actually a little bit bigger. They “lay over” the edge of the...
Can You Change a Cabinet Overlay?
It depends on the cabinets. If the edges of the existing doors don’t touch, you can increase the size of the overlay.
How Do You Measure a Cabinet Door Overlay?
Close the cabinet door you want to measure. Make a pencil mark along the outside edge of the door on the hinge side. Remove the cabinet door. Measu...
How Do You Measure for Single Cabinet Doors?
Remove the door you want to measure. Measure the opening from top to bottom, and then left to right, then write down the exact width and the exact...
How Do You Measure for Double Cabinet Doors?
To calculate the width of each door, begin by adding your overlay to the width of the opening. Next, subtract 1/8th of an inch from the width, then...
How Do You Order Custom Cabinet Doors?
Use a drop-down menu to pick the wood species. Then select whether you want us to drill hinge holes and whether you want to order hinges. Finally,...
What is a Cabinet Door Overlay?
As the name suggests, it refers to the amount a cabinet door “lays over” the cabinet face on all four sides. Without the overlay, the door would travel into the cabinet opening, but since the door is slightly larger than the opening it stops at the cabinet face. Though most doors have a 1/2-inch overlay, the size can be larger or smaller depending on the cabinets, doors, and your personal preferences. That means the door lays over the top, bottom, left, and right edges 1/2-inch on each side. Once you know how to measure your overlay, you can quickly figure out what size replacement cabinet doors you need.
How many sides should an overlay be on a double door?
The overlay should be identical on all four sides, except when you’re using double doors to cover a large opening. In that case, you will only have an overlay on three sides – top, bottom, and hinge side – because you won’t need an overlay where the doors meet in the middle. After you measure the overlay, measure the opening the door sits on top of.
How to measure for cabinet overlay?
All you need is a pencil and tape measure or ruler. Start by closing the cabinet door. Go to the hinge side, and make a small pencil mark running down the side of the door onto the cabinet face. Now open the door, find the vertical line you made, and measure the distance between the line and the cabinet opening – that’s your overlay. It will likely be 1/2-inch, but like we said earlier, it could be different, so don’t assume you’ve done something wrong if the numbers vary. The overlay should be identical on all four sides, except when you’re using double doors to cover a large opening. In that case, you will only have an overlay on three sides – top, bottom, and hinge side – because you won’t need an overlay where the doors meet in the middle.
How wide should a replacement door be?
Here’s how the math works out: Therefore, your replacement doors need to be 14×16 for single doors. For double doors, begin by measuring the width of the cabinet opening and dividing by two.
How wide should a double door be?
Each door need to be this wide plus a 1/2-inch overlay, but there also needs to be a small 1/8-inch gap between the doors so they can close. If each double door needs to be 14-inches wide, use this math:
Can a cabinet door be larger than 1/2 inch?
Without the overlay, the door would travel into the cabinet opening, but since the door is slightly larger than the opening it stops at the cabinet face. Though most doors have a 1/2-inch overlay, the size can be larger or smaller depending on the cabinets, doors, and your personal preferences. That means the door lays over ...
Do cabinets have doors that sit flush with the cabinet face?
Most cabinets have doors that sit on top of the cabinet face, instead. People take this feature for granted, but it’s significant in terms of structure and style, and it becomes especially important when you replace your cabinet doors. Fortunately, it’s not hard to learn how to measure your overlay, especially with help from the experts at The Door Stop.
How Do You Measure for Single Cabinet Doors?
Follow these steps to get the initial measurements for each individual door and drawer front.
How Do You Order Custom Cabinet Doors?
Our order process is as simple and seamless as possible. Use a drop-down menu to pick the wood species. Then select whether you want us to drill hinge holes and whether you want to order hinges. Finally, enter the dimensions of each door as either a fraction or decimal point. At this point, you’re ready to submit your order. Note that many of our doors are available with finish options. If you want your doors to arrive with select paint colors already applied, that is possible as well.
Can All Cabinets Receive Replacement Doors?
Generally, the answer is yes. As long as the structure of the cabinet is still in good condition, it will continue to perform as needed long after you install replacement cabinet doors.
What Happens When the Doors Arrive?
Once your doors arrive, all you need is a power drill and a Phillip’s head screwdriver to complete your DIY upgrade. Please note that it helps to have an assistant during this process. The final step is to adjust the doors so that they fit your existing cabinets perfectly. We have created a helpful video tutorial to walk you through this entire process. You can also leave this up to a professional contractor.
Are You Replacing or Reusing your Hinges?
Unfortunately, this can create a few issues. If you plan on replacing your hinges they may not have the same overlay (a concept we will explain shortly) as your existing hinges, which can create sizing issues. Also, depending on the age and condition of the existing doors, there is a chance that they have warped or shrunk so much that measuring the old doors won’t provide you with accurate dimensions. Instead of measuring your old cabinet doors, we always advise measuring the inside opening of your cabinet, then determine what overlay you’d like to do, and find a hinge that will work for you! This method involves a little more math, but it leads to accurate dimensions.
What is an Overlay?
When people ask how to measure cabinet doors, understanding the overlay is the one area where things get tricky. Most cabinet doors are not the same size as the cabinet opening they cover. They are actually a little bit bigger. They “lay over” the edge of the opening and cover part - or more - of the cabinet’s face frame. The amount they cover beyond the opening is the size of the overlay. The reason you’ll want an overlay is so the doors are all uniform, and flush with one another instead of being inset into the frame. Understanding overlays is important because it means the size of the doors you order will be a little larger than the measurements you take. Typically, they will be the size of the opening plus the overlay. Later in this guide, we will break down the numbers to make things a little easier.
Why is it Important to Have Exact Measurements?
Correct sizing ensures your replacement doors look, feel, and perform exactly the way you expect. Even a deviation of 1/16th inch can cause sizing problems. For this reason, take as much time as you need to confirm all your measurements are correct.
How to measure for inset cabinet doors?
To properly measure for an inset cabinet door (doors that fit inside the cabinet frame), measure the opening as instructed above and then subtract 1/8" from both the width and height of the frame to make sure the doors have the proper gap. Follow the same steps as above.
How does lazy Susan work?
Lazy Susans include the measurements for two doors that create a Butt Joint. A Butt Joint style allows for the doors to create a 90 degree angle by having one of the doors on top of the other when they intersect. To do this one door’s width needs to be slightly longer than the other. Take the rough opening measurements for both sides like you would for any other door. With a Lazy Susan keep in mind the following items:
Can you change your measurements after you submit an order?
Ensure your measurements are correct before submitting your order, as changes to your order cannot be made after it is submitted. This is a measuring guide that uses sample measurement. We do not take responsibility for any errors in measurements based on these recommendations.
How to measure overlay on door?
Another way to look at door overlay: If your door is 30″ wide and the opening is 28″ wide then then you could calculate your overlay as 30 minus 28 divided by 2 equals 1″. Divided by two because the overlay is measured on one edge, the hinged edge of the door. This method is not recommended as a way to measure your overlay because it is not as accurate as the tape method.
What is face frame cabinet?
A face-frame cabinet is a cabinet which has a front panel into which an opening has been cut. An overlay door is a door which, when closed, lays “on top” of the cabinet opening (no part of the door goes into the opening since the door is larger than the opening). The overlay dimension is simply how much bigger the door is than the opening of the cabinet (as measured on the hinged side of the door).
How to measure for double doors?
For cabinets with double doors, the measurements are a bit different since double doors will meet in the middle. As such, they only overlay the face frame on three sides, instead of all four sides, as with single doors. To account for this, the formula for double doors with a ½ inch overlay on 3 sides is: 1 Door width = (Opening width ÷ 2) - 1/16 inch + ½ inch 2 Door height = Opening height + ½ inch + ½ inch
What is the size of an overlay on a cabinet?
In the most common cabinet design, the doors are slightly larger than the opening. This is called the overlay, and the most common overlay is ½ inch. ½ inch overlay means the door is larger, or overlays the cabinet box’s opening at the top, bottom, left, and right, by ½ inch.
How many sides does a double door cabinet have?
To account for this, the formula for double doors with a ½ inch overlay on 3 sides is:
How much space between double doors?
You might be surprised to notice that the double door formula subtracts 1/16 inch from the calculated width of each double door. This is necessary to prevent double doors from touching in the center when high humidity conditions cause the door to slightly expand. This will allow a ⅛” gap between the doors, which is the most ideal.
Why do retailers charge a percentage over factory prices?
When retail stores buy from the manufacturer, they increase the price for the customer. A retailer charges a certain percentage over the factory price—usually 30-50%—in order to cover their own costs like store rent, salaries, utilities, accounting, taxes, and profit. However, when you buy factory-direct, you get to skip these retail store costs. You also won’t be paying sales taxes because out-of-state internet sales aren’t taxed.
Can you measure kitchen cabinets yourself?
If you thought you couldn’t learn how to measure kitchen cabinets yourself, you can see now how easy it really is to determine the exact sizes of each of your new cabinet doors. You won’t need to pay to have the big-box store take the measurements for you and knowing how to measure cabinets correctly yourself will save you time. It’ll also save you money, because you also won’t have to pay the big-box prices for your replacement cabinet doors.
Do concealed hinges have different models?
Keep in mind that concealed hinges have different models for different overlays and the correct hinge must be ordered for the cabinet door overlay. At Cabinetdoors.com, we carry top quality, self-closing Blum Hinges, and we’re also able to drill the hinge pockets in your new doors for you to help ensure that everything fits together exactly as it should.
What is cabinet door overlay?
Cabinet door overlay is the distance your door overlaps the frame of the cabinet.
How to measure the edge of a cabinet door?
1) With the cabinet door in the closed position locate the hinge d side of the door. Once you have located the hinged side of the door, place a piece of tape on the face of the cabinet and flush to the door in a vertical. position. (Fig. 2) Open the door so you can see the edge of the tape. Now, measure the distance from the inside edge ...
