Why does nobody talk about Blum soft-close hinges losing tension after a couple years?

I was swapping out some kitchen doors last week for a client in Arlington and noticed their 3 year old Blum hinges just weren't closing the same as new ones. The homeowner said they've had to adjust them twice already and they still sag. Meanwhile I've got 20 year old Amerock hinges in my own house that work fine. Is it just me or do these premium hinges actually wear out faster than standard ones? Anyone else notice a drop in performance after like 2 years of daily use on your own builds?

2 comments

2 Comments

miller.eva19d ago

You know, I actually noticed the same thing on a buddies kitchen he put in maybe 4 years ago. Those Blum hinges just didn't hold their tension like the old ones did, and he was constantly messing with the adjustment screws to keep doors from sagging. I think part of it might be the soft-close mechanism wearing out faster than regular hinges, because I've got standard hinges on my laundry cabinets that are ancient and still slam shut just fine. It's a real bummer when you pay for the fancy stuff and it doesn't last like the basic hardware does.

anna_craig19d ago

Swapped out the soft-close hinges on my own cabinets after two years of fighting with them. Took them back to the hardware store and got the standard non-soft-close Blum hinges instead, been three years now and they still hold tight without any sagging. Had to put those little rubber bumpers on the doors so they dont slam, but its way less annoying than tweaking adjustment screws every couple months. Sometimes basic really is better.