Door Hinges

Choosing a door hinge by weight and bearing type

Door hinges are cabinet hardware that split mainly by how they carry load: plain bearing versions cover the standard residential case, while a heavier barrel build handles a door that stays in constant motion or simply weighs more than average. One heavy duty hinge in this group ranks among the sturdiest options carried here, and the plain bearing hinges come in steel, stainless, and solid brass for everyday interior doors.

What material changes about capacity

Solid brass carries more weight per hinge than a similarly sized plated steel piece, useful on a heavier solid-core door where three hinges instead of two might otherwise be needed to keep it from sagging over time. Stainless splits the difference, resisting corrosion better than plain steel without matching brass for sheer load-bearing capacity, a reasonable middle ground for a bathroom or a mudroom carrying extra moisture in the air.

Spring hinges that close on their own

A UL listed spring hinge in plated steel pulls a door shut automatically once released, built to a fire-rating standard that applies most often between a garage and living space, where local code frequently calls for self-closing hardware. Plain bearing hinges skip that mechanism entirely; they hold a door wherever it happens to be left instead of pulling it shut for anyone.

Small parts that finish the job

A cap at each barrel end closes off the hinge once it's hung, cut in a fine knurl, a pointed shape, or a faceted pattern so the barrel doesn't stay a bare cut edge once mounted. One piece in this line isn't a hinge at all: it's a stop that keeps a door from swinging past a set point, sized and selected independently of whatever hinge carries the door itself.