Shock absorbers and bump stops
Two types of dampers are popular: shock absorbers and pushrods. The shock absorber serves to soften the impact when closing the facade. The pusher ensures its correct opening. The store offers gas and oil plastic mechanisms with an elastic button as shock absorbers. She takes the blow of the door and smoothly brings it up. Another type is a thrust buffer or bump stop. The element is used for lightweight doors. It is equipped with a silicone gasket, which dampens the sound. According to the installation method, shock absorbers are either mortise or overhead. The first ones are pressed into the prepared hole, the second ones have an adhesive base on one side. Self-adhesive bumpers are often installed in kitchen cabinets and drawers. They are made of transparent, lightweight and durable polymer (EVA).
How to install a gas lift on a kitchen cabinet?
Gas lifts are shock-absorbing mechanisms designed for horizontal opening doors. The mechanism refers to brackets. The main essence of the gas lift is depreciation when opening and closing doors and holding them.
The mechanism helps you open and close cabinets effortlessly, and open the doors completely to see what is inside the cabinet.
The gas lift is completely sealed. Nitrogen is pumped during manufacture, so if it breaks during operation it cannot be repaired.
The list of advantages of an elevator can be compiled from the following properties:
- self-regulation of smooth running;
- reliable fixation when open;
- frictional and automatic opening;
- fastening to any furniture material;
- The door opens even without a handle.
How to properly install a gas lift on a kitchen cabinet?
At the beginning of work, you need to select a tool and make markings, purchase gas lifts and components. Gas lifts are characterized by different parameters and the force at which the spring is compressed. The device must match the size of the furniture. Typically, the dimensions of furniture are standard and there are three main options for gas lifts in size. You need to know the maximum extension of the rod and the length of the folded mechanism.
The compression force is needed when calculating the design for doors of different weights, taking into account the entire coating and fittings. The amount of compression of the spring is standardized and indicated in the technical data sheet of the mechanism, measured in newtons and can be 60, 80, 100 and up to 140 N. Based on the weight of the door, the gas lift is calculated based on a kilogram of door mass per 10 newtons of compression force.
There are many ways to attach. Flat platforms are often used, mounted on the sides of the cabinet with screws and self-tapping screws. Screw-in holders are used for wooden furniture.
What tools will be needed during installation?
You need a set of tools - one is not enough. If you want to install it yourself, you will need:
- Meter, ruler or tape measure.
- Hammer and pliers.
- Drill (preferably electric).
- Screwdriver or screwdriver (the latter is preferable).
Step 1. Marking before installation
Before installing the device, markings are made in the cabinet niche and calculations necessary for installation are made. The centers of the mounting points are also marked on both sides of the niche and on the door.
Step 2. Installation work
Installing a gas lift on a kitchen cabinet is carried out as follows:
1. First, the bases are fixed to the sides of the cabinet in the places marked earlier.
2. Plates and brackets with springs are installed. The bracket is screwed in and the gas lift head snaps directly onto it.
3. The center of the fastening must coincide with the marked one; the base is fastened in different versions with 3 or 4 screws or self-tapping screws. The head of the structure is fixed in the holes.
Important! If the plate is bent, the elevator does not work.
4. The same steps are taken to secure it to the furniture door. The hinge angle should be 8 degrees.
Tips for choosing
The cheapest and easiest option for installing furniture fittings is silicone adhesive shock absorbers. You just need to select a place to fix it, remove the protective film, apply it to the surface and press for a few seconds. Instant installation allows you to make the process of closing the doors virtually silent.
Loop dampers are much more difficult to install. They can confuse a person without experience. It is important to strictly follow the rules here. Installation of a shock absorber of this type is carried out after the furniture has been assembled with all the accompanying fittings. It is worth paying attention to the existing loops. If they do not have a groove for the shock absorber, installation will be impossible.
It is recommended to use dampers and hinges from the same manufacturer, as this will ensure a single, seamless design.
When choosing mortise or overhead structures, the hinge device will not play any role. On overhead products there is a special installation platform, but on mortise ones there is none.
The advantage of an overhead damper is the ability to replace it if it breaks, although this happens extremely rarely. A mortise shock absorber will be much more difficult to replace, but its advantage is that it does not take up space inside the cabinet.
How to mount correctly
Before purchasing a shock absorber, you need to find out the specifics of its installation and understand whether you can install such an element on furniture yourself.
Features of installation of various types of dampers:
- silicone - glued to the end of the cabinet with the adhesive side;
- products on a loop - fastening is done on a loop;
- mortise - cuts into the surface of the shelf;
- invoice - installed on the end of the shelf.
Silicone products are the cheapest and most accessible type of shock absorbers, which are very easy to stick to the surface of the cabinet. Within a couple of seconds after installation, the furniture can be used, and the process of closing the door will be almost silent.
Installing fittings on a hinge for furniture doors can cause some difficulties for a person without experience in such matters, since the fastening process must be carried out strictly according to the rules. Dampers are installed after installing the furniture structure, for which the hinges must be equipped with a special groove for the shock absorber. If you select these components from one manufacturer at once, you can be sure that the products will be reliably connected into a single structure.
Installation of overhead and mortise products is not as simple as it might seem at first glance.
The overhead damper must be fixed on the inside of the surface of the furniture box, for which you will need the appropriate fasteners.
For a mortise shock absorber design, it is worth making a hole with a diameter of 10 mm and a depth of 55 mm on the end side of the wall of the box, into which you need to install a shock absorber, and then fix it using hardware.
There are no restrictions on the installation location of shock absorbers. The efficiency of their operation depends on many factors, such as installation location, door weight, closing force. However, it is still advisable to maintain a distance of 150-200 mm from the wall on which the hinges are installed.
Advantages of this system for fastening furniture in the kitchen
Now let’s look at the advantages of this type of product so that you make the right decision and appreciate all the benefits that you get when using specialized hangers:
- Wide range of adjustments. The height of the structure can be varied up to 15 mm in order to perfectly match all parts of the kitchen set. As for the distance from the wall, it can be up to 25 mm; even if you have a protruding tile apron in the kitchen, you can place the cabinets flush with the surface without losing reliability;
All adjustments can be made without assistance. They are manufactured on a hanging cabinet, so you only need the correct screwdriver configuration to get the job done.
Adjustment in two planes is possible when using only this fastening option for suspended structures
- Possibility of installing kitchen cabinets alone. Since the work consists of several stages, you can do everything yourself, because you don’t need to hold the structure to get onto the hooks or screws. The hooks on the modules very easily and reliably cling to the metal strip on the wall; there is no need to align anything, and this greatly simplifies the work;
The cabinets can be hung on the wall very easily and very quickly
- High reliability of the design. The cabinets hold up much better on such a system, even if one or more fasteners of the metal strip become loose or become loose, the rest will not allow the structure to fall, which is very important. It turns out that the furniture is not held on by two screws, as is the case with eyelets, but by 3-4 or even ten; if you wish, you can screw a lot of fasteners into the wall;
- Short terms of work. Even if you are installing it for the first time, it will take you no more than a few hours for the entire kitchen. Moreover, all the work is quite simple, the main thing is to perform them in the correct sequence and be careful;
No special knowledge is required for installation
Installation technology
How to install a gas lift system on a cabinet? Before installation you must:
- determine the method of fastening the fittings;
- prepare tools to do the job;
- familiarize yourself with the diagram for attaching the lift to the cabinet door.
Mounting methods
The gas lift can be installed on a furniture cabinet:
- using fixing pads secured with self-tapping screws. This option is easy to install, but can only be used for products made of wood, chipboard, MDF and analogues;
- using screws with a locking function. The primary area of use is metal and plastic surfaces.
Types of fasteners
As a rule, self-installation of a furniture lift is carried out on plates, since the installation of screws must be carried out at the furniture manufacturing stage.
Tools and materials
To perform installation work you will need to prepare the following kit:
- tape measure, square, marker (pencil) for applying preliminary markings;
- drill for preparing holes for fastenings;
- screwdriver and screwdriver for fixing the lift.
A gas lift is exclusively an additional device that facilitates the process of using a cabinet or other piece of furniture. The main fittings of a cabinet door are furniture hinges.
Even after installing the gas lift, the main load is taken by the hinges
Gas lift installation
Direct installation is carried out after installing all the cabinet door fittings according to the following scheme:
- determination of mounting locations for furniture lifts. The location of fasteners is determined in accordance with the planned opening angle of the cabinet door. As a rule, installation dimensions for all situations are indicated in the attached instructions;
Determining lift mounting locations
- in the marked places holes are drilled, the diameter matching the size of the fastening bolts;
- fasteners are fixed;
- The gas lift is fixed on the fasteners. Fixation is considered complete only after a click. In some situations, fixation requires some effort.
Gas lift mounting
You can watch the video for more information about the process of installing the lift yourself.
It is recommended to carry out work on installing a gas elevator before the final installation (hanging) of the cabinet. This will allow you to apply markings more accurately and avoid distortions. It should be remembered that in order to ensure the correct operation of the fittings, it is recommended to install two lifts on cabinets, beds and sofas.
The nuances of installing soft-closing furniture hinges
Often in articles you can find “life hacks” for saving money when purchasing and installing accessories, which are very controversial. And even harmful.
Myth 1. You can’t install door closers on all kitchen doors, but only on those that you use most often . Dubious recommendation. From my own experience I can say that you quickly get used to good things. And if you are used to a certain opening of the facade, knowing that it will close smoothly and silently, you will close all the others in the same way, with the go-ahead. Wincing every time from the knock. It's annoying. As practice shows, if you install furniture hinges with closers only in the kitchen, then you will want to install them on all the cabinets in the house. Moreover, the costs are not that high.
Myth 2. You can install one hinge with a closer on each door, combining it with conventional ones . You shouldn't do this either. The hinges on each facade must be of the same type, from the same manufacturer and preferably from the same series. The shape of the shoulder and, in general, the principle of operation of furniture hinges with and without a closer/shock absorber are different, and the rigidity is also different. If there are no problems initially with adjusting the gaps, they will definitely make themselves known later, warping and deforming the door when opening.
The only savings that are justified are the installation of conventional hinges on facades with upward opening and fixation with a lifting mechanism. The gas lift will still not allow the loop with the closer to work as it should. Therefore, standard furniture hinges can be installed on facades with such an opening.
Otherwise, the installation of furniture hinges is completely ordinary, just like on the others; you can read about it here.
How to choose furniture hinges with closers?
Furniture hinges with closers, just like regular ones, can be overhead, semi-overhead, internal, etc. You can read more about the types of furniture hinges here.
Regarding the quality control of furniture hinges with closers, no global tests have been carried out. Therefore, it is impossible to say unequivocally which brand and which model is trustworthy and which is not. The mark of compliance with GOST requirements for the quality of furniture hinges (as well as guides for drawers) begins with a resource of 20,000 opening and closing cycles. But this is just a number. Which varies depending on the experimental loads (weight and size of the facade).
Manufacturers of furniture hinges provide a much longer service life for their products, on average from 80,000 cycles. Therefore, there is no particular point in focusing on GOST.
With an abundance of offers, it is better to pay attention to furniture hinges from well-known brands such as Blum, Hettich, Grass, FGV, Ferrari, Hafele, Boyard and others. You shouldn’t buy obviously Chinese counterfeits; there are budget brands that are quite good in quality. Ideally, when choosing, it is better to focus on the premium segment - Blum, Hettich, Grass, if funds allow. The hinges of other brands are no worse and, most likely, at the first comparison you will not notice the difference. But if you have been using a kitchen or any other cabinet for a long time on which Bloom closers were installed, you will feel the difference immediately.
When choosing a hinge with a closer, experienced furniture makers advise comparing the weight and markings of the steel. The thicker the metal on a product, the more it weighs. Thin metal, even with precise calibration of the canopy and a presentable, solid appearance, will not be able to provide the hinge with the required quality characteristics. After all, no one has canceled the law of gravity. And over a long period of service, a heavy facade deforms a canopy with thin metal much faster than with thick one.
When choosing furniture hinges with closers, it is reasonable to rely on the seller’s recommendations. There are furniture fittings stores in almost every city and they are focused on sales to essentially the same people - manufacturers of cabinet furniture. You can sell outright slag once, but no one will come for it the second time. After all, the quality of any fittings is checked during the first installation. Therefore, the assortment of more or less large hardware stores and wholesale suppliers can be completely trusted. And also listen to the recommendations of consultants (they know exactly which products are popular and which are not).
