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How to Choose Door Hinges
A hinge is the one piece of hardware a door leans on thousands of times a year, and the wrong choice shows up fast — a sagging slab, a door that won’t stay shut, rust streaks down a fresh paint job, or screws that pull loose from the jamb. Get the size, the finish, and the mounting right the first time and the door swings true for decades. Get it wrong and you’re back at the jamb every season with a shim and a screwdriver.
The short answer
For most interior doors, buy a 3.5-inch square-corner butt hinge; for heavier exterior and entry doors, step up to a 4-inch hinge and match the finish to your other door hardware. Measure your existing hinge (height, corner radius, and pin type) before you buy, count on three hinges per standard door, and pick a finish rated for the environment — stainless or coated for anything that sees weather.
Start by measuring what you already have
Replacing a hinge is almost always easier than it looks, but only if the new one drops into the existing mortise. Pull one screw and lift a hinge leaf to read three things: overall height (3.5″ and 4″ are the common household sizes), corner style (square corners, or a rounded 1/4″ or 5/8″ radius), and pin type. Match all three and you skip chiseling a new mortise entirely.
If you’re hanging a brand-new door, size the hinge to the door’s weight and thickness rather than guessing. A hollow-core interior door is happy on 3.5″ hinges; a solid-core or exterior slab needs 4″ hinges to carry the load without sagging. When in doubt, the crew at your neighborhood hardware store will size it against the slab in about ten seconds — and stock the matching hinges on the spot.
The hinge types you’ll actually meet
“Hinge” covers a wider family than most people expect, and picking the right style matters as much as the size. Here’s what shows up on residential doors and where each one belongs.
| Hinge type | Where it goes | Why you’d choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Butt hinge (square or radius corner) | Interior & exterior swinging doors | The standard; two leaves mortised into door and jamb |
| Ball-bearing butt hinge | Heavy or high-traffic doors | Bearings carry weight and swing silently under load |
| Spring / self-closing hinge | Garage-to-house, code-required fire doors | Pulls the door shut on its own |
| Strap & T-hinge | Gates, sheds, barn doors | Long leaf spreads load across wide, heavy panels |
| Concealed / European hinge | Cabinet doors | Hidden, adjustable, soft-close options |
| Continuous (piano) hinge | Toolboxes, benches, long lids | One hinge runs the full length for even support |
Tip: For an exterior door that swings outward, look for hinges with a non-removable pin (NRP) or a security stud. An out-swing door exposes the hinge pins to the outside — a removable pin is an easy way for someone to lift the door right off its hinges.
Finish: match the room and beat the weather
Finish is half looks, half survival. Indoors it’s about matching your knobs, deadbolts, and pulls so the room reads as one set. Outdoors it’s about corrosion — a builder-grade zinc hinge that’s fine on a closet will streak rust down an entry door within a couple of wet seasons. Brands like Stanley, Hager, and Emtek offer the same hinge across a range of finishes so you can carry one look through the whole house.
| Finish | Looks like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Satin nickel | Warm brushed silver | The all-purpose interior default |
| Oil-rubbed bronze | Dark brown-black | Traditional and craftsman interiors |
| Matte black | Flat black | Modern and farmhouse looks |
| Polished/satin brass | Gold tone | Classic and warm palettes |
| Stainless steel | Bright silver, corrosion-proof | Exterior, coastal, and high-humidity doors |
For anything exposed to weather — entry doors, storm and screen doors, and gates — specify stainless steel or a coated hinge rather than plain steel. It costs a couple dollars more per hinge and saves you a rust-streaked door and a re-do down the road.
Screws, count, and the details that prevent sag
Most door sag traces back to two fixable things: too few hinges, or screws too short to bite the framing. Use three hinges on a standard 80″ door (a fourth on tall or heavy slabs), and don’t trust the little 3/4″ screws that come in the box for the jamb side of an entry door.
- Three hinges for a standard door; a top hinge carries the most load, so start there.
- Swap one long screw (2.5″–3″) into each jamb-side hinge to reach the stud behind the frame — this alone cures most sag. Grab a handful of matching screws in the right finish.
- Match the mortise depth so the door sits flush — too shallow and it binds, too deep and it won’t latch.
- Add weatherstripping on exterior doors while the door’s off; browse weatherstrip and thresholds and do both jobs at once.
A #2 square or Phillips screwdriver and a sharp chisel are all the tools most hinge swaps need. If you’re cutting fresh mortises, a hinge template and a router make it repeatable, but a chisel and patience work fine for one door.
Pick by the door in front of you
INTERIOR SWAP
Tired closet or bedroom door? A 3.5″ radius-corner butt hinge in satin nickel or matte black, three per door, matched to your knobs. Cheapest room refresh there is.
FRONT ENTRY
Heavy solid or steel door? 4″ ball-bearing hinges with a non-removable pin, in stainless or a weather-rated finish, plus one long screw per jamb hinge to kill sag.
GATE OR SHED
Wide, heavy, outdoor panel? Coated strap or T-hinges spread the load, and a self-closing spring hinge keeps a yard gate from swinging open on its own.
Shop the whole project
Everything to hang a door that swings true
Every hinge and fastener here comes through authorized manufacturer channels — the trusted brands your neighborhood hardware store carries, backed in writing. See our guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
What size hinge do I need for my door?
Most interior doors use a 3.5-inch butt hinge, and heavier solid-core or exterior doors use a 4-inch hinge. The easiest way to be sure is to remove one existing hinge and measure its height, corner radius, and pin type, then buy an exact match so it drops into the current mortise. For a new door, size up to 4 inches for anything solid or exterior to prevent sagging.
How many hinges does a door need?
A standard 80-inch residential door needs three hinges. Add a fourth for doors taller than 80 inches or for especially heavy solid and steel doors. The top hinge carries the most weight, so if a door is sagging, that hinge and its screws are the first place to check.
Why does my door sag or not close properly?
The two most common causes are loose or short hinge screws and worn hinges. Replace one screw in each jamb-side hinge with a 2.5 to 3 inch screw so it reaches the wall stud behind the frame, which pulls the door back into alignment. If the hinges themselves are worn or bent, swapping in fresh ones of the same size usually fixes the swing.
What finish should I use for an exterior door hinge?
Choose stainless steel or a weather-rated coated finish for any door exposed to rain and humidity, including entry, storm, and gate doors. Plain steel or builder-grade zinc hinges will rust and streak the door within a couple of wet seasons. Indoors, finish is mostly about matching your knobs and deadbolts, so pick satin nickel, matte black, bronze, or brass to suit the room.
Can I replace a door hinge without removing the whole door?
Yes. Replace hinges one at a time, leaving the other two attached to hold the door in place. Unscrew the old hinge from both the door and the jamb, set the new hinge into the same mortise, and drive the screws. Matching the new hinge to the old one in size and corner style means you will not have to cut a new mortise.
A door that swings clean and latches on the first try is one of the small satisfactions of a well-kept home — and the fastest way there is to bring your old hinge to your local independent hardware store, where someone will match it exactly and hand you the right screws to go with it. Not sure which hinge or finish fits your project? Ask us here and we’ll point you to the right one.
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