When new furniture has just been installed, everything looks shiny and fresh. A few months later, though, a sagging door, a drawer that sticks or a lift-up flap that drifts down causes more annoyance than any cosmetic detail. Most of these problems come down to hardware, and many can be spotted at handover with a few simple checks.
Hinges: sound, gaps and adjustment
Hinges are the hardest-working part of any cabinet. On handover, open and close each door several times and look out for the following:
- With soft-close, the door should slow down in the last centimetres and settle silently. Slamming, or not closing fully, means the mechanism is not working properly.
- Gaps between closed doors should be even, and neighbouring fronts should sit in one line.
- There should be no creaking or metal-on-metal sound from the hinge as the door opens.
- The hinge cup should sit tightly in the front with no chipped board around it, and the screws should be fully tightened.
Good hinges can usually be adjusted in three directions: up and down, side to side and depth. It is worth asking the installer to show you the adjustment screws so that you can correct a slight sag yourself later.
Drawers and runners
Pull a drawer all the way out and let go: on a good runner there is little side-to-side play, and the drawer slows at the end and closes by itself. Testing a loaded drawer gives a truer result — put a few heavy dishes inside and check that the movement stays just as smooth.
The type of runner matters too. Full-extension runners give access to the back of the drawer; with partial extension part of the depth stays inside the cabinet. On runners from well-known manufacturers such as Blum, the brand and model are usually marked on the metal, which makes finding spare parts easier later.
Drawer fronts should have gaps as even as hinged doors. A crooked front can usually be corrected with the front adjustment screw.
Lift mechanisms and gas struts
For wall cabinet flaps that open upwards, the mechanism must match the flap's weight. The simplest test is to let go of the flap at different positions: a well-matched mechanism holds it at any height, without drifting down or springing up. With simple gas strut systems the flap is often held only when fully open; even then, it should come down slowly and under control.
For lift-up storage beds, put the mattress on, raise the frame and let go halfway. If it rises too forcefully or drops heavily, the struts do not suit the mattress weight.
Sliding doors and handles
Sliding wardrobe doors should move evenly along the whole track, without catching in the middle or noise from the top rail. A soft stop should work at the end of travel. The gap between the bottom of the door and the carcass should be the same from one end to the other — a difference means the door is hanging crooked. Systems such as Aristo and RaumPlus have adjustable rollers, so small misalignments can be fixed on site.
On handles, check that the screws are fully tight, the handle does not rotate and the finish is not peeling at the edges. With push-to-open systems a door should open with a light press but not spring open from an accidental touch.
The first weeks after installation
Some hardware issues appear not on handover day but after the furniture is loaded. As cabinets fill with dishes and the wardrobe with clothes, the load on hinges and runners increases, doors may drop slightly and gaps may change. In most cases this is not a defect but a normal process that calls for adjustment. In the first weeks it is worth rechecking the door alignment and drawer movement, correcting any difference with the adjustment screws or calling the installer. Overtightening screws can weaken the hole in the board, so adjust gently and step by step. Lubricating hardware is usually unnecessary; good mechanisms are designed by the manufacturer to run without it, and excess grease only collects dust.
Short handover checklist
- Do all doors close quietly, slowly and fully?
- Are gaps even and fronts aligned?
- Do drawers run smoothly when loaded?
- Do lift-up flaps stay where you leave them?
- Do sliding doors move without catching?
- Have you been shown where the adjustment screws are?
- Are warranty terms and hardware brands recorded in writing?
Zaferoglu Mebel fits Blum, Aristo and RaumPlus hardware and installs with its own crew. If something needs a tweak at handover, point it out while the fitters are still in the room.
