When shopping for hinges, you’ll need to choose the right mount type. Hinges are installed by mounting. You’ll need to mount a hinge to the two workpieces. Door hinges, for instance, are mounted on doors and doorframes. Different hinges, however, have different mount types. Below are five of the most common mount types for hinges.
#1) Top
Top-mount hinges are defined by their knuckles being set above the face. Knuckles are the interlocking components in a hinge. Each hinge has two leafs. When joined together, the two leafs form knuckles in the middle. In a top-mount hinge, the knuckles are higher than the hinge’s surface or face.
#2) Flush
Flush-mount hinges are essentially the opposite. Like top-mount hinges, they have knuckles and a face. Flush-mount hinges, though, have knuckles that are set below the face. In a top-mount hinge, the knuckles are above the face. In a flush-mount hinge, the knuckles are below the face. This is the only difference between top-mount and flush-mount hinges.
#3) Swaged
Another common mount type for hinges is swaged. Swaged-mount hinges are characterized by the use of a staggered design. In other words, the knuckles are evenly staggered both above and below the face. In this regard, swaged-mount hinges essentially feature characteristics of both top- and flush-mount hinges.
#4) 180
There’s also the 180 mount type for hinges. As the name suggests, 180-mount hinges allow for a 180-degree range of rotation. When installed, you can open them a complete 180 degrees — something that’s not possible with other hinges. 180-mount hinges are designed with dual knuckles. While most other hinges have a single knuckle, 180-mount hinges have two knuckles. The use of two knuckles allows them to swing open 180 degrees.
#5) Offset
Last but not least, some hinges feature an offset mount type. Offset-mount hinges are designed specifically for use with uneven workpieces. Most hinges can only be installed on flat and even workpieces. Offset-mount hinges offer a solution. They can be installed on uneven workpieces. In an offset hinge, the leafs are angled to accommodate uneven workpieces.
Although there are dozens of different hinges, most of them feature one of five mount types. Top and flush are the most common mount types for hinges. Additionally, though, there are the swaged, 180 and offset mount types. A hinge’s mount type will determine how it sits when mounted.