Butt hinge
A butt hinge is the standard recessed hinge for swinging doors in residential construction. Internal doors use two or three 100mm butt hinges per leaf.
Ask Chalkline about this →A butt hinge is the standard hinge type for swinging doors in residential construction, consisting of two rectangular leaves joined by a knuckle pin. One leaf is mortised (recessed) into the door jamb and the other into the edge of the door leaf, so that when closed the hinge is flush with both surfaces and nearly invisible. The hinge pin is exposed at the face of the door edge.
Internal hollow core doors typically use two 100 mm butt hinges per leaf. Solid core doors require three 100 mm hinges per leaf to distribute the additional mass and prevent jamb-side sag. Fire doors to garages also require three hinges and must use a spring hinge or have a separate overhead closer to achieve the NCC self-closing requirement. Hinge sizing must match the door mass: undersized hinges cause the leaf to sag over time, compressing the hinge-side reveal and binding the latch side.
Also known as: butt hinge, mortise hinge
Category: Door hardware
Related
- Internal doors: hollow core vs solid core, door types, hardware and install sequence
- External doors: selection, installation and tolerances
See also
Last updated: 2026-05-10. Verified: 2026-05-10.