Key Takeaways
- Most sagging cabinet doors aren’t broken. Usually the hinge screws have worked loose or the screw holes in the board no longer grip.
- A concealed hinge has 3 adjustments: left-right, in-out and up-down. Turning them a quarter turn at a time fixes most droops in about 10 minutes.
- A screw that spins needs a glued wooden plug, not a bigger screw.
- HDB counts hinges among the fittings owners must maintain. In a new flat, report defects within the 1-year Defects Liability Period.
- Cabinet hinge replacement costs S$35 in Singapore and takes about 30 minutes with Urban Company.
It’s Sunday morning in Punggol, and the door under the sink now drops a finger’s width and scrapes its neighbour. Here’s how to fix it with a screwdriver, and when it needs more.
Why Does a Cabinet Door Start to Sag?
A cabinet door sags when the hinge loosens its grip on the door or the cabinet. Most kitchen carpentry is particleboard or MDF, and every swing works the screws slightly. The common causes:
- Loose mounting screws. The easiest fix. Tighten them and the door lifts.
- Stripped screw holes. The board around the screw has crumbled, so the screw spins without tightening.
- A hinge knocked out of adjustment, often by a heavy door that hangs open, or a child swinging on it.
- A worn or bent hinge. The arm flexes, or the soft-close damper has failed.
- Swollen board. Steam from cooking and leaks under the sink make particleboard swell around the hinge cup.
HDB’s guide to minor repairs lists hinges alongside taps, cisterns and switches as fittings that naturally wear out over time and need repairs.
What Do the Screws on a Cabinet Hinge Do?
Most modern kitchen cabinets use concealed hinges, with a round cup set into the door and an arm clipped onto a mounting plate inside the cabinet. Open the door and look at the arm.
| Screw or part | What it moves | Turn it when |
|---|---|---|
| Mounting plate screws (on the cabinet side) | Hold the hinge to the cabinet | The whole door wobbles |
| Side screw (closest to the door) | Door left or right | The gap between doors is uneven, or doors rub |
| Depth screw (further back on the arm) | Door in or out | The door sticks out or won’t sit flush |
| Height cam or slotted plate | Door up or down | The door drops or sits higher than its neighbour |
| Cup screws (on the door) | Hold the hinge to the door | The hinge cup is lifting out of the door |
How Do You Fix a Sagging Cabinet Door, Step by Step?
Tighten first, then adjust, a quarter turn at a time. Use a Phillips screwdriver, not a power drill, which can strip the holes.
- Support the door on a book, or have someone hold it.
- Tighten every screw on the cup and the mounting plate. If the door now sits right, you’re done.
- Fix the height. Loosen the mounting plate screws slightly, or turn the height cam, lift the door into line, then retighten.
- Fix the side gap. Turn the side screw a quarter turn on the top hinge, close the door and check. Then match the bottom hinge.
- Fix the depth so the door sits flush with the cabinet frame.
- Open and close it 10 times. If it drifts back, a hole is stripped.
What If the Screw Just Keeps Spinning?
The hole is stripped, and the screw needs fresh material to bite into. Take the screw out. Push a wooden dowel, or 2 or 3 wooden toothpicks dipped in wood glue, into the hole. Let it dry for the time on the glue, trim it flush with a blade, then drive the screw back in by hand.
Don’t use a longer screw on the door side, as it can come through the front face. If the hinge cup is tearing out of the door, the board has failed and the cup needs moving to fresh board, or the door needs replacing.
When Should You Replace the Hinge?
Replace the hinge when it is bent, cracked, rusted or won’t hold an adjustment. Take the old hinge with you when buying a new one, and match 3 things: the cup diameter (35mm is the most common), the overlay (how far the door covers the frame) and the opening angle. A mismatch means the door won’t close straight.
Why won’t a soft-close door close properly?
Check the adjustment first, because a door that rubs stops short. Many soft-close hinges have a switch that turns the damper on or off. If the door slams or stalls with the damper on, replace the hinge.
Is the Cabinet Itself Coming Off the Wall?
If the whole wall-hung cabinet tilts, empty it. Re-fixing it means drilling into concrete. HDB’s electrical works guidelines cap nails and screws at 6mm in diameter and 40mm deep, and warn owners of flats with concealed wiring to avoid the conduits. Kitchen walls also hide pipes, so if unsure, leave it to a professional. Our guide covers how to drill safely into an HDB wall.
Who Is Responsible If the Cabinet Is New?
It depends on who installed it. HDB’s page on rectifying defects in new flats says every newly completed flat has a 1-year Defects Liability Period from key collection. It advises reporting items within 1 month, before renovation starts. Carpentry fitted by your own contractor falls under your agreement with that contractor instead.
For a freestanding wardrobe or flat-pack cabinet you bought, the Lemon Law presumes a defect found within 6 months of delivery existed at delivery, so you can ask the retailer to repair or replace it. It doesn’t cover fixtures, so built-in carpentry isn’t included.
When Should You Call a Handyman?
Do it yourself for a loose screw or a quick adjustment. Call a handyman when several doors sag, holes keep stripping or a wall cabinet is loose. Here’s what a handyman does in Singapore.
With Urban Company, cabinet hinge replacement is S$35 and takes about 30 minutes, and a wardrobe or drawer track repair is S$35. The handyman brings the tools, but some jobs need you to supply the hardware, such as a matching hinge, so check the listing when you book. Bookings are by the hour, not by task, so 1 visit can clear the sticking drawer too.
Read how handyman pricing works in Singapore, what to check before you hire a handyman and what an affordable handyman quote should include. When you’re ready, see the full handyman price list and book a handyman in Singapore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my kitchen cabinet door sagging?
Usually the hinge screws have worked loose, or the screw holes in the particleboard have worn out and no longer grip. Heavy use, a door that is often left hanging open and Singapore’s kitchen humidity all speed this up. Less often, the hinge itself is bent or broken.
How do I adjust a concealed cabinet hinge?
Most concealed hinges have 3 adjustments. The screw nearest the door moves it left or right. A second screw moves it in or out, and on many hinges a cam or slotted plate on the mounting base moves it up or down. Turn each a quarter turn at a time and close the door to check.
What do I do if the hinge screw just keeps spinning?
The hole is stripped. Remove the screw, push a wooden dowel or a few wooden toothpicks coated in wood glue into the hole, let it dry, trim them flush, then drive the screw back in. A longer screw is a risk, because it can come through the front of a thin door.
Why won’t my soft close cabinet door close properly?
Check the hinge adjustment first, since a door that rubs will stop short. Many soft-close hinges also have a small switch or lever that turns the damper on or off, and some let you set the closing strength. If the damper leaks or no longer slows the door, replace the hinge.
Who is responsible for repairing kitchen cabinet hinges in an HDB flat?
You are. HDB lists hinges among the fittings that wear out over time and says owners maintain their flat’s interior fittings under the Lease Agreement. In a new flat, report defects to HDB within the 1-year Defects Liability Period, ideally within 1 month of key collection.
How much does it cost to replace a cabinet hinge in Singapore?
With Urban Company, cabinet hinge replacement is S$35 and takes about 30 minutes. Some jobs may need you to supply the hinge, so check the listing when you book. Bookings are by the hour, so 1 visit can also cover a loose drawer track or another door.
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