Decoding Door Hinges: Metal Installation and Terms

by Custom Service Hardware

Whether you’re installing new cabinet door hinges in your kitchen or need to replace old hinges on a bedroom door, the extensive options can sometimes feel overwhelming. Today we’re looking at some more specific aspects of installing hinges on metal doors instead of traditional wood, as well as what certain terms like “fire rated” mean.

decoding door hinges metal installation and terms, doors

Installing on Metal

You’re more likely to see metal doors in commercial uses, such as businesses, medical clean rooms, and exterior home doors. However, there are smaller scale uses for hinges on metal doors, such as a safe or metal cabinet. Metal doors, whether cabinet size or full size, are installed to offer greater security. That means that hinges must be equally strong and secure, and must be replace when they start to weaken. A large selection of hinges are designed to work on both wood and metal doors, while there are some specifically meant for metal doors. You’ll want to research the right hinge for your door based on the fire rating of the door as well as the application, such as concealed or soft closing. Stainless steel hinges are best for metal doors that are being installed on clean rooms or other areas that require hinges to minimize particles and have no metal-to-metal contact.

Fire Rated Hinges

Fire doors come in all different styles, and you wouldn’t know they were fire doors from looking at them. However they typically are doors that have a 20-minute to 3-hour ability to withstand fire based on testing. It’s important for these doors, often found in building stairwells or multi-family dwellings, to have fire rated hinges. Fire-rated hinges are installed in tandem with these doors to ensure success, because if the hinges go, it won’t matter how strong the door is. You’ll want to install one fire-rated hinge for every 20 inches of door height on average, or by weight of every 60 pounds. These hinges are often made from steel which can handle higher temperatures, however some fire-rated hinges are made from non-ferrous (without iron) metals depending on listing information on the hinge. SOSS Hinges carry a large selection of concealed hinges that are fire-rated, and they can be installed on wood or metal doors.