Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
Cabinet doors that get a lot of use can, over time, go out of adjustment for a variety of reasons. If your cabinet doors droop or shut poorly, take the following steps in the following order:
1) Tighten the hinge mounting screws. If this only helps for a while, or the holes are so worn that the screws no longer hold, remove the screws one at a time, squirt a little white glue into each hole, and then insert wood slivers or matchsticks into the holes.
Wipe off any excess glue, and after the glue dries, cut the toothpicks flush with the surface using a utility knife. Then drive new screws into the refurbished holes (you may have to drill small pilot holes first).
2) Replace the hinge screws with longer or larger screws. This usually requires drilling deeper pilot holes, which may not be possible on some cabinets, and larger diameter screws may not fit the hinges as well as the originals, so entertain this option carefully.
3) Move the hinges. If the screw holes or mounting locations are badly worn, try shifting each hinge to a new spot where the wood is stronger. This works best if the hardware is hidden because the old locations will be visible, especially where the hinge leaves mount to the face of the doors.
If you do decide to go with this option, you might also want to consider self-closing hinges, which eliminate the need for catches.
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