{"id":417,"date":"2019-03-18T12:14:06","date_gmt":"2019-03-18T12:14:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.modern-doors.co.uk\/blog\/?p=417"},"modified":"2019-03-20T09:17:22","modified_gmt":"2019-03-20T09:17:22","slug":"right-hardware-external-1-door-hinges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.modern-doors.co.uk\/blog\/right-hardware-external-1-door-hinges\/","title":{"rendered":"Door hinges – The right hardware for external door Part 1."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Door hardware otherwise known as ironmongery, is more than just handles and knobs, especially when looking at external doors. Apart from the aesthetics, the most important factors are security and durability, other desired factors are functionality and weather resistance. Let\u2019s look closer at the types of ironmongery being used and examples of available products, starting with door hinges<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Door Hinges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unless it\u2019s a pivot door, every external door must have\nhinges installed to swing open and close. There are literally hundreds of types\nof hinges available in the market. How to find the right one? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Types
small cabinet hinge for light loads – not suitable for normal\/heavy doors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

First of all, external doors require minimum 3 hinges per door leaf \u2013 there is a requirement for all escape route doors to have a minimum of 3 hinges. Also, external doors are usually heavy and actually require 3 hinges to take the weight, but on larger, heavier, thicker doors it may even require 4 hinges per leaf, it all depends on the quality of hinge and its maximum load against the weight of the door. On top of that, we should always allow for extra weight for unforeseen circumstances like external forces, uneven wear, additional ironmongery such as door closers (use of  door closers can add even up to 75% to the calculated door mass) etc. and it all becomes rather confusing and difficult to calculate, so let\u2019s simplify \u2013 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rule 1: use 3 good quality hinges per door leaf unless it\u2019s an oversized door<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

(54mm thick or more, 1100mm wide or more, 2400mm high or more), in which case it\u2019s best to get a door or hardware specialist to calculate if 3 hinges are enough or 4 are needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important factors is the material the hinges\nare made of. Cheaper hinges are usually made of brass with a polished chrome or\nsatin chrome coating \u2013 these should not be used on external doors as they are\nprone to corrosion and could snap under a heavy load. On exterior doors, only\nsolid stainless steel hinges should be used and stainless steel as a material comes\nin a variety of grades based on a number of physical properties like density,\ncorrosion resistance, thermal expansion etc. The most common grades of\nstainless steel used for hinges in the UK are grade 304 and grade 316.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinges however are also graded based on several different factors according to BS EN 1935:2002<\/a>, such as security, durability, category of use etc. The most commonly used within the industry is simply Hinge Grade varying between 1-14, see table below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinge Grade<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Hinge Grade<\/td>Usage<\/td>Test Cycles<\/td>Door Mass<\/td><\/tr>
1<\/td>Window<\/td>10,000<\/td>10kg<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>Window<\/td>10,000<\/td>20kg<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>Window\/Door<\/td>25,000<\/td>20kg<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>Door<\/td>200,000<\/td>20kg<\/td><\/tr>
5<\/td>Window<\/td>10,000<\/td>40kg<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>Window\/Door<\/td>25,000<\/td>40kg<\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>Door<\/td>200,000<\/td>40kg<\/td><\/tr>
8<\/td>Window<\/td>10,000<\/td>60kg<\/td><\/tr>
9<\/td>Door<\/td>200,000<\/td>60kg<\/td><\/tr>
10<\/td>Door
<\/td>		200,000<\/td>60kg<\/td><\/tr>
11<\/td>Door
<\/td>		200,000<\/td>80kg<\/td><\/tr>
12<\/td>Door<\/td>200,000<\/td>100kg<\/td><\/tr>
13<\/td>Door<\/td>200,000<\/td>120kg<\/td><\/tr>
14<\/td>Door<\/td>200,000<\/td>160kg<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

To confuse the matter even further, hinges come in different sizes and thicknesses (2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm) which means a smaller, thinner hinge made of higher grade of steel could be just as strong as a bigger, thicker hinge in a lower grade of steel. This is where the hinge grading helps comparing the actual strength of hinges. In the UK the most popular grade of hinges for external doors is grade 13, which we recommend as a default hinge grade. To conclude \u2013 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rule 2: for external doors use hinges minimum of grade 9 and grade 13 is recommended.<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hinge Mechanism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Apart from unusual circumstances the only 2 types of hinges\nto consider are butt hinges and concealed hinges. Butt hinges have 2 identical\nhalves connected by a round knuckle making a rotary movement. It looks and\nworks a little bit a like a butterfly. Butt hinges have a variety of sub types\neach having some subtle differences, the most common are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Types
washered hinge – not recommended for external\/heavy doors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n