What Causes Cabinet Hinges to Bind?

Open the door and look carefully at the hinges. Check to make sure the screws are screwed down flat against the hinge. Tighten them with a screwdriver if necessary. Wiggle the door a little to see if it moves up and down instead of smoothly swinging open and closed.

Check one of the hinges to see how it is seated inside of the mortise, if there is one. The mortise is the area cut out of the wood in the cabinet surrounding the hinge. Slightly loosen the screws by turning each of them a quarter turn or two counterclockwise. Swing the door open and closed, adjusting the screws as needed.

Loosen the hinge screws and insert a wood shim or piece of sturdy cardboard between the mortise and the hinge if the mortise is too deep. If there is no mortise, place the shim or cardboard between the cabinet and the hinge. Retighten the screws and retest the door.

Alternatively, deepen the mortise if your testing shows that the hinge was inset incorrectly inside the cutout. Remove the hinge. The wood surrounding the hinge will show a depression where the correct placement should be. Use a utility knife to score the wood. Then, use a chisel to chisel away the wood to deepen the mortise.

Replace the hinge and tighten all screws. Swing the door open and closed to check the repairs.