How To Fix A Broken Kitchen Cupboard Door | Home Repair Playbook

Cabinet doors take daily hits: slamming, weighty packs of plates, steamy air, and the odd tug from a kid. When one gives out, the good news is this: most repairs are simple, low-cost, and doable with basic tools. This guide walks you through fast diagnosis, the right repair for each failure, and smart tweaks that keep the door swinging true.

Quick Diagnosis And First Moves

Start with a short check. Open and close the door a few times. Watch where things rub or sag. Then follow this order: tighten, test, adjust, and only then replace parts. Keep a #2 Phillips, a square-drive bit if your hinges use it, a small level, wood glue, toothpicks or 6–8 mm dowels, painter’s tape, and a pencil close by.

Symptom	Likely Cause	Fast Fix
Door scrapes face frame or neighbor	Misaligned hinge cams or plate	Tweak side and depth screws; retest
Door sags at handle side	Loose hinge screws or stripped holes	Tighten; if spinning, plug and re-screw
Door won’t close flush	Depth set wrong or bumper missing	Turn depth cam; add new bumpers
Door pops open	Magnet weak or soft-close doing the push	Move strike; swap magnet or add catch
Door fell off	Hinge clip released or plate screws failed	Clip back on; replace failed screws
Cracked frame around screws	Over-tightening or thin material	Back off, glue and clamp, add pilot holes

Fixing A Broken Kitchen Cupboard Door: Step-By-Step

1) Tighten All Hardware First

Loose screws are the number one cause of wobble and scrape. Snug every hinge screw on the door and on the cabinet plate. Use a hand driver to feel resistance and avoid chewing heads. If the door perks right up after this, you’re done.

2) Re-set Hinge Adjustments

Most modern cupboards use concealed “Euro” hinges with three micro-adjustments: side-to-side, in-and-out, and up-down. The side screw shifts the gap to stop rubbing. The depth cam moves the door toward or away from the box. Height set lives at the mounting plate slots. Make tiny moves, test after each, and aim for even gaps.

Need a diagram? See the manufacturer’s hinge adjustment ranges for common settings and cam functions.

3) Fix Stripped Screw Holes

When a screw spins without biting, the wood fibers are worn. The quick fix: pack the hole with hardwood toothpicks dipped in PVA glue, snap flush, and drive the screw back in once tacky. For long-lasting strength on particleboard, drill a clean 6–8 mm hole, glue in a dowel, let it cure, then pre-drill a pilot and re-install the screw. See this clear guide on how to fix a stripped screw hole. This repair is fast and durable.

4) Re-mount A Door That Fell Off

If the door slipped free, check whether the hinge clip lever released or the plate screws let go. Clip the hinge back onto the plate, then tighten the plate screws into solid material. If the plate sits on oval slots, set height during this step so the top and bottom gaps match.

5) Repair Split Wood Around The Hinge

Hairline splits near screws often come from over-tightening. Back the screw out, wick thin glue into the crack, clamp gently with scrap pads, and let it cure. Add a pilot hole sized for the screw core. Drive the screw in by hand to avoid a repeat.

Tools And Materials You’ll Use

You won’t need a workshop. Most fixes happen with a hand driver, a drill with 2 mm and 3 mm bits, a countersink, PVA wood glue, dowels or toothpicks, clamps, a level, a square, felt bumpers, and spare 16 mm or 19 mm cabinet screws. Keep a couple of hinge plates and a matching hinge on hand if one is bent or cracked.

Door Alignment That Stays True

Perfect gaps stop chips and keep latches working. Set the door so the reveal is even on all sides. On a pair, match the reveal between doors and check that handles land at the same height. If the box is out of square, split the difference so the eye reads it straight.

Dial In Side, Depth, And Height

Side adjustment closes rubs at the vertical edges. Depth brings the face flush with neighbors. Height sets the top and bottom lines. Work in this sequence. Small turns are enough. If a plate has elongated slots, lock height last after you’re happy with side and depth.

When To Replace Hinges

Bent arms, broken springs, or leaky dampers won’t tune out. Swap like-for-like so the cup and plate geometry stays the same. Match overlay, cup size (35 mm is standard), and opening angle. If you want soft-close, buy the version that includes it or add clip-on dampers.

Reinforcement For Weak Materials

Older particleboard or MDF can crumble. Don’t keep driving bigger screws. Use the dowel insert method for a solid core. On face-frame cabinets, switch to longer screws that reach solid frame stock. For heavy doors such as solid oak or glass, add a third hinge centered between the factory hinges to spread the load.

Keep It Safe And Clean

Wear eye protection when drilling, and vacuum dust at the source. Keep fingers clear when testing swing paths. If you remove the door, label each hinge and plate with tape so pairs go back together. Lay the door on a blanket to avoid scratches. Gloves help with splinters too.

Method Choices For Different Failures

Loose Door With No Visible Damage

Tighten, then tweak side and depth. Add fresh bumpers at the corners so the door lands softly and stays aligned.

Rubbing Pair Of Pantry Doors

Open both, loosen the top plate screws a touch, lift or nudge the door, and retighten. Then use side cams to create an even center gap from top to bottom. Check that handles meet in a straight line.

Cratered Screw Holes In The Case

Drill clean to round, glue in dowels, flush cut, pilot, then re-install plates. A 6–8 mm hardwood dowel gives repeatable bite and resists blow-out.

Door Won’t Latch On A Magnetic Catch

Slide the strike plate to meet the magnet squarely. If the magnet is weak, swap for a fresh one. Add felt bumpers to stop bounce.

Reference Specs That Help You Tune

Concealed hinges offer a few millimeters of adjustment in each direction. Side shift is often a few millimeters, depth is about the same, and height at the plate slots covers fine tuning. When you feel lost, reset every cam to the middle, then sneak up on the gap you want.

Adjustment	Typical Range	What It Changes
Side (cam screw)	≈ ±3–5 mm	Left/right reveal
Depth (cam or screw)	≈ −0.5 to +3 mm	Flush with face frame
Height (plate slots)	≈ ±2–3 mm	Top/bottom alignment

Walkthrough: From Wobbly To Solid In Under An Hour

Step 1: Inspect

Open the door. Lift at the handle side. If it clicks up, the plate screws are loose. If the hinge arm flexes, it may be bent. Note any rub marks on paint or finish.

Step 2: Tighten

Snug plate and arm screws. Don’t crank down; a steady hand wins here.

Step 3: Adjust

Set side first to clear rubs. Next, set depth so faces sit flush. Last, set height so the top line is clean.

Step 4: Repair Holes

If any screw still spins, do the toothpick-and-glue trick or the dowel insert. Give glue time to grab before loading the hinge.

Step 5: Final Touches

Add bumpers, clean smudges, and run the door ten times to be sure the fix holds.

When To Call A Pro

If the cabinet box is racked from a leak, if a glass insert is loose, or if you’re dealing with a heritage finish you want to protect, hire a carpenter. The time and finish risk can outweigh DIY savings.