How To Install Cabinet Latches?

A cabinet latch is a useful accessory that instantly brushes off issues like the abrupt and unintended opening of a cabinet door by a little jerk or on its own. A cabinet latch is extensively used in earthquake-prone areas to keep the items inside the cabinet safe from minor tremors. If you are trying to install one and having issues, you’re at the right place; we got you a step-by-step guide to Install Cabinet Latches

How To Install Cabinet Latches

Quick Navigation

Description – A cabinet latch is a system of a floating magnetic base and a steel striker plate (and mounting screws too). The magnetic base is mounted on one side of the cabinet frame, depending on the design of the cabinet, and the striker plate is affixed to the door. The magnetic base keeps the door of the cabinet fastened until opened on purpose.
Tools – The tools that need to be assembled for the set-up are as follows:

A measuring tape.
An electric drill and drill bits.
A screwdriver.
An awl.
A pencil.

Time – Roughly 30 minutes or so.

Here’s how to install the cabinet latch:

1. Place The Latch Near The Door Handle

If you mount the latch near the handle of the cabinet door, then it would be convenient to apply the required thrust while opening it.

Having decided on the perfect location for your cabinet latch, place it in the marked location and use the pencil to mark the position of its mounting holes.

2. Remove The Latch And Indent the Pencil Marks

Now you can remove the latch and indent the pencil marking using a drill bit to get the perfect position for the latch and to keep its screws center-aligned.

And finally, you just need to realign the latch and drill the screw holes. After this, screw down the magnetic unit to the frame using a screwdriver.

3.Close The Cabinet Door

Here you have to close the cabinet door and mark where it meets the door to place the steel plate directly across the magnetic base.

Then mark the accurate location using a pencil. Here you should use the awl to indent the marked position of the striker steel place pencil.

Align it once more! (Well, this subsequent realigning and rechecking is only because the more accurately you place the latch, the more convenient and enduring it will be).Then, screw up the striker plate onto the door. Moreover, you can put a high-quality magnetic lock on your cabinet door the maximize the security.

4.Close the Door

The cabinet latch is now all set to be tested.Close the cabinet door and check if it gets fastened to the cabinet frame tightly.

This step needs to be followed only if the cabinet latch is not aligned properly or the cabinet door opens on applying weak force.

You can check which screw bits can correct the position of the latch, and then you need to slightly loosen them and then readjust till you find the perfect alignment of the magnetic unit and the steel striker plate.

Estimated Cost

The cost of your latch can be up to $5.
The cost of the latch mainly depends on its quality.
High-quality latches can cost you a handsome amount of money.
You will have to spend around 100 bucks for installing the latches in all your chests and cabinets if you plan to do it by yourself.
However, calling a professional to install the latches in your cabinets can cost you extra for the services provided by them, plus the cost of the latches.

Where Should Cabinet Latches Be Placed?

To make the cabinet door opening handy, the latch should be placed towards the bottom of the frame in case of upper cabinets, whereas the latch is good to operate when placed on the upper side of the frame in the lower cabinets.

How Do You Fix Cabinet Latches?

Fixing cabinet latches is simple as its installation. If you see that a component of the latch system has worn out, you can simply buy a new one and then install it, as we illustrated above. If the alignment is an issue, you can unscrew any one component and then fix it after proper marking.

Final Talk

From minimizing the risk of objects falling off the cabinets to discouraging the young ones from pulling out the cabinet door open just for fun. You can prefer the spring-loaded latches to maximize the safety of your cabinets. After all, these small handy accessories have made our lives even smarter!