Hardware is an integral part of the door. Without it, normal functioning, opening and closing of the door leaf is impossible. Technical achievements make it possible to produce loops of various designs, including overhead ones in the form of a butterfly.
Butterfly loops are classified as card loops. Outwardly, they resemble the wings of a butterfly, for which they got their name.
Butterfly hinges are designed so that when the door is closed, one part of them is built into the other. In the closed position, both parts of the fittings can be in the same plane or moved apart by 1 mm relative to each other. Experts recommend choosing the second type of design, since they are more convenient to use and install.
Butterfly loops can be of two types: for and without it. In the first case, they have an additional bend.
When purchasing hinges, pay attention to the manufacturer. It is better to give preference to those brands that have proven themselves in the door hardware market. Cheap hinges can be made from poor quality materials. This will lead to their deformation during installation and operation.
Butterfly hinges are easier to install than any other types of hinges. This is their main advantage. Under them, you do not need to make recesses, cutting off the material with a chisel. In addition, low cost, attractive appearance and the ability to install on interior doors that open both to the right and to the left speak in their favor.
But, despite the ease of installation and other advantages, they have a number of disadvantages. The following are worth highlighting:
After installation, the gap between the canvas and the box may be slightly larger than required. This is due to the fact that they are superimposed on the canvas, and do not crash into it.
Proper installation minimizes imperfections and preserves the advantages of the hinges. It must be perfectly straight. Defects made during markup are difficult to correct. It is necessary to fix the hinges securely, without peeking out the heads of the self-tapping screws and tilting when fastening.
To install the hinges, you do not need to make recesses in the canvas and box. This greatly simplifies the installation process and significantly saves time. Therefore, this work is within the power of even those who have no experience. Otherwise, the installation does not differ from the fastening of conventional hinges.
To install accessories, you will need a minimum set of tools that is available in any home:
A loop is applied to the end of the canvas from below and above at a distance of 20 cm from the edge, and places for holes for screws are marked. With a drill and a drill, recesses are made on the marks. They are necessary in order to avoid cracking of the material when screwing in the screws. In addition, the recesses will set the direction for their movement so that the screws are screwed in exactly at an angle of 90 degrees. It is desirable to attach the inside of the butterfly loop to the canvas, otherwise it will then be difficult to mark the location of the fittings on the box beam.
On the box, the required distance is also measured with a ruler and marks are made with a pencil for recesses for self-tapping screws. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the width of the gap between the canvas and the box, the canvas and the floor or threshold.
Butterfly loops have a non-separable design. Therefore, they are mounted on the canvas and the box, after which the finished structure is installed in place.
When installing butterfly hinges, such a problem often arises when the bar does not fully lie on the door. If you leave them in this state, then as a result, during operation, the loops will not fully fold, and the canvas will spring, or, as experts say, play. You can correct the deficiency by placing thin strips of cardboard or an elastic band under the bar.
You need to lay cardboard where the hinge fits snugly against the door. In this way, it will rise a little on one side and lie flat on the other.
If you have no experience with door hinges, but want to do your own fastening, then butterfly hinges are great for a first acquaintance with the process of installing fittings. But it is worth paying attention that experienced craftsmen prefer mortise loops to them.
