Is the gap between your kitchen cabinet doors too small or too large? Maybe just one door is out of whack and needs to be leveled. It might be time for you to realign your cabinet doors.

At Deslaurier, we specialize in ensuring your custom cabinets are in pristine condition the moment we finalize our installation. With our extensive experience as cabinet professionals, we also know that cabinet doors can begin to shift and become misaligned, especially as the years go by. 

Whether it’s routine, seasonal alignments, or just one finicky door that needs releveling, knowing how to adjust your own cabinet doors yourself is sure to come in handy for every homeowner. 

That’s why we wanted to provide you with the necessary knowledge so you can adjust and level your cabinets whenever you need to. 

The best part is, you don’t have to be a DIY aficionado! You’ll be amazed at how simple it is. 

Follow along for our guide on how to adjust your own kitchen cabinet doors. 

Why Should You Adjust Your Cabinet Doors

There are a number of reasons that your kitchen cabinet doors would require adjustment.  

Over time, doors can become loose and misaligned from general daily use. Repeated opening and closing of your cabinets will cause slight movement in your doors or loosen the screws. These issues will cause a noticeable difference in the visual congruity of your cabinet doors, or cause operational issues with your cabinets.

If you live in a climate that has relatively drastic temperature or humidity changes, you'll notice natural movement in your doors. Doing routine, seasonal adjustments is a great way to be proactive about these natural temperature-related door movements. 

Misaligned doors can begin to rub against one another, or rub against the cabinet box. This can cause functional issues with your cabinets, as well as chip away or scratch the finish of your doors. 

It's important to realign your doors to ensure any and all of these issues are resolved. 

Let's get started! 

What You’ll Need

The only tool you’ll need for this job is a Phillips-head screwdriver. 

You may also need a stepladder to make adjusting upper cabinets easier. 

And of course, some patience!

We know from experience, if you’re adjusting all of your kitchen cabinet doors at once, it can be a tedious process. But after you see your doors perfectly aligned, you’ll be glad you took the time to adjust them! 

Adjust The Door Height 

If one door hangs a bit lower or higher than the other, you will want to adjust the height. 

Open your cabinet door and locate the hinge on the inside of the cabinet. There will be two vertical screws that mount the hinge to the cabinet box. 

Loosen the two mounting screws on both of the cabinet door’s hinges, adjust the cabinet to your desired height, then tighten the screws to secure the door in place. 

Sometimes both doors will need vertical adjustments. Slightly lower or raise one door, while conversely raising or lowering the other. 

Close the doors to examine the alignment, then continue adjusting until you are satisfied with how your cabinets look. 

Is your current kitchen due for an upgrade? Consult with a Deslaurier expert today! 

Adjust The Door Direction

If your doors are out of whack and need to be centred, you’ll want to be able to move them left and right. Use the side-to-side adjustment to align the doors.

The horizontal adjustment screw will be located closest to the cabinet front.  

Turning the screw clockwise will move the door closer to the middle of the cabinet. While turning the screw counterclockwise will result in the door moving further from the middle.

Both top and bottom hinges on the cabinet door can be adjusted for side-to-side movement. So if both need to be adjusted, move both. If only the top or bottom needs to shift to one side, then only alter the corresponding hinge. 

It's important to remember these adjustments do not need to be drastic. You will not have to rotate the screw very much to see a significant difference. Always be sure to close the door and check the alignment during the readjustment process. 

Adjust The Door Depth

There’s a lot of subtle movement that can alter your cabinet doors over the years. One key thing to look out for is if the depth of your cabinet doors have changed. 

The depth of alignment will determine how the door sits while closed. Natural movement can result in the door slightly separating away from the cabinet, which causes the door to bounce when it closes

Rotating clockwise will move the door further from the cabinet box, while counterclockwise will pull the door closer to the cabinet. 

Tighten Loose Doors

If you notice your door hinges seem to have a little extra movement, it’s important to give them a quick tighten. 

Doors can loosen from both the cabinet mounting screws we have already discussed, or the hinge screws that are directly attached to the door itself. 

Tighten these mounting screws (both attached to the cabinet box and attached to the door itself) clockwise, to ensure your door is firmly in place.

Doing this whenever you notice a slightly loose door will help prevent a more drastic realignment in the future. 

Discover Deslaurier

After reading this article, you're ready to align and adjust your kitchen cabinet doors whenever they need it! 

Looking to upgrade your kitchen? We can help you there, too!

Our design specialists provide over 60 years of industry expertise, ensuring your new kitchen design comes out to perfection! Book a free consultation with a Deslaurier expert in our Jupiter, Florida showroom!