Diagnose why a kitchen cupboard door has dropped, then adjust or repair the hinge so it sits square again.
KD-01Clear the cupboard and set upTake everything out of the cupboard so nothing gets knocked or broken while you work. Open the door fully and wipe the hinge area with a dry cloth so you can see it clearly. Get a cross-head screwdriver, a torch, and a cloth to hand.
KD-02Work out what's actually wrongMost kitchen doors use concealed cup hinges — a round barrel sunk into the door, joined to a metal plate screwed to the cupboard side. Open and close the door slowly and watch the hinge: if the door drops as it swings, the adjustment screws have probably worked loose. If the whole hinge plate wobbles away from the cupboard, the fixing screws are loose or the holes are stripped.
KD-03Try the adjustment screws firstConcealed hinges usually have two or three small adjustment screws on the hinge arm: one moves the door up and down, one moves it side to side, and one moves it in and out. Turn each a little at a time, closing the door between adjustments to check the fit. This fixes most dropped doors without any repair needed.
KD-04Check for loose or stripped screwsIf adjusting the hinge doesn't help, grip the hinge plate and gently wobble it. If the fixing screws turn freely without gripping, or the plate lifts away from the cupboard, the screw holes in the chipboard are stripped. This is very common on older kitchen units.
KD-05Repair stripped screw holesUndo the hinge plate fully and remove it from the cupboard side. Squeeze a little PVA wood glue into each stripped hole, push in two or three wooden cocktail sticks or a matchstick, snap them off level with the surface, and leave the glue to go off fully — check the tube for timing, usually at least 30 minutes. This gives the screws fresh wood to bite into.
KD-06Refit and re-adjust the hingeOnce the glue has fully hardened, hold the hinge plate back in position and drive the screws in slowly and straight, so they bite into the new wood rather than skidding off. If a hole still feels soft, use a slightly longer or fatter screw instead. Close the door and run through the adjustment screws again from step KD-03 to level it up.
KD-07Test and tidy upOpen and close the door ten or so times to check it swings smoothly and sits flush with its neighbours. If it's still dropping or won't hold adjustment, the hinge itself is likely worn out and needs replacing rather than repairing. Put the cupboard contents back and wipe down the door and shelf.