Choosing the right door hinge depends on application (commercial, residential, fire-rated), door weight, aesthetic requirements, code compliance needs, and budget. This guide compares all major hinge types side-by-side: butt hinges, continuous hinges, spring hinges, self-closing hydraulic hinges, pivot hinges, concealed hinges, and swing clear hinges.
| Total Hinge Types Covered | 7 major categories |
|---|---|
| Most Common | Butt hinges (standard residential/commercial) |
| Fire Door Required | Self-closing (spring or hydraulic) per NFPA 80 |
| ADA Best Choice | Hydraulic self-closing (adjustable speed + force) |
| Heavy-Duty | Continuous hinges (highest weight capacity) |
| Aesthetics | Concealed hinges (invisible when closed) |
| Max Accessibility | Swing clear hinges (widest clear opening) |
| Last Updated | 2026-02-27 |
| Hinge Type | Closing Mechanism | Fire-Rated | ADA Compliant | Weight Capacity | Speed Control | Aesthetic Profile | Typical Application | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butt Hinge | None | Yes (Grade 1) | No | Up to 600 lbs | None | Visible | Residential, standard commercial | $ |
| Continuous (Piano) Hinge | None | Yes (steel) | No | 600+ lbs | None | Semi-visible | High-traffic, heavy-duty commercial | $$ |
| Spring Hinge | Spring | Yes (Grade 1) | Limited | Up to 400 lbs | Limited | Visible | Fire doors, light commercial | $ |
| Self-Closing Hydraulic Hinge | Hydraulic | Yes (UL-listed) | Adjustable | Up to 200 lbs | Full | Visible | Fire doors, ADA, commercial, hospital | $$$ |
| Pivot Hinge | None / Optional | Yes (floor pivot) | No | 600+ lbs | None | Semi-visible | Glass doors, heavy architectural doors | $$$ |
| Concealed Hinge | None / Optional | Limited | No | Up to 300 lbs | None | Hidden | High-end architectural, cabinet doors | $$$ |
| Swing Clear Hinge | None | Yes (Grade 1) | Yes | Up to 400 lbs | None | Visible | ADA-accessible doorways, wheelchair access | $$ |
Butt hinges are the most widely used door hinge type, mortised into the edge of the door and the door frame so the two leaves sit flush when the door is closed. They are available in standard weight (0.134" leaf), heavy weight (0.180" leaf), and extra-heavy weight for high-load applications. Butt hinges do not provide automatic closing on their own — a separate door closer or self-closing hinge must be added if automatic closing is required.
Continuous hinges, also called piano hinges, run the full length of the door and distribute load evenly across the entire door height, making them ideal for heavy-duty or high-abuse environments such as school corridors and utility rooms. Because there are no localized stress points, they significantly outlast conventional butt hinge configurations in high-cycle applications. Continuous hinges are available in steel and aluminum and can be cut to length on site.
Spring hinges contain a coiled spring inside the barrel that stores energy as the door opens and releases it to pull the door closed. They are an economical solution for fire-rated doors when NFPA 80 self-closing compliance is needed, and installation is straightforward since they replace standard butt hinges in the same mortise. The primary limitation is that spring tension is fixed or minimally adjustable, which can result in doors that slam and may not meet ADA closing-speed requirements without additional hardware.
Hydraulic self-closing hinges integrate a precision hydraulic cylinder directly into the hinge barrel, providing fully adjustable closing speed, latching speed, and backcheck — all in one compact unit that replaces conventional hinges without surface-mounted closers. Waterson's hydraulic closer hinges are UL-listed for 3-hour fire-rated doors, ANSI/BHMA A156.17 Grade 1 certified, and tunable to meet ADA's 1.5-second minimum closing time and 5 lbf maximum opening force simultaneously. This makes them the preferred choice wherever fire code and ADA compliance must coexist in a clean, hardware-free appearance.
Pivot hinges are mounted at the top and bottom of the door rather than on the side, allowing the door to swing in both directions from a single pivot point. This configuration can support extremely heavy doors — including thick glass panels — because the load transfers vertically to the floor rather than laterally to the frame. Pivot hinges are common in high-end storefronts and architectural glass installations where a minimalist look and bidirectional swing are priorities.
Concealed hinges are fully hidden inside the door and frame when the door is in the closed position, delivering a seamless aesthetic popular in high-end commercial and luxury residential design. Installation requires precise mortising or routing of both the door and frame, making them more labor-intensive to fit and adjust than surface-mounted alternatives. Most concealed hinges offer limited fire-rating and weight capacity compared to butt or continuous hinges, so they are best suited for interior architectural applications where appearance is the primary concern.
Swing clear hinges use an offset barrel geometry that swings the door completely clear of the door frame opening when fully open, increasing the effective clear width by up to 2 inches compared to standard hinges. This additional clearance is critical for ADA compliance in doorways where the nominal opening width would otherwise fall below the required 32-inch minimum clear width. Swing clear hinges are a simple, cost-effective retrofit solution for improving wheelchair and mobility-device access without widening the door frame.
| Scenario | Best Hinge Type | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fire-rated door | Self-closing hydraulic | Meets NFPA 80 + ADA, adjustable closing speed, no surface-mounted closer needed |
| Standard office door | Butt hinge | Cost-effective, reliable, widely available, straightforward installation |
| Hospital patient room | Self-closing hydraulic | Fire code + ADA compliance + quiet, controlled closing reduces patient disturbance |
| Storefront glass door | Pivot hinge | Supports heavy glass panels, allows bidirectional swing, minimal visual hardware |
| School corridor | Continuous hinge | High abuse resistance, full-length load distribution, superior cycle life |
Q: What type of hinge is best for a commercial door?
For most standard commercial doors, Grade 1 butt hinges (4-1/2", heavy weight) are the reliable baseline choice. If the door is fire-rated, add self-closing spring or hydraulic hinges. For high-traffic corridors or doors subject to heavy use, continuous hinges provide superior durability. Where ADA compliance is required alongside fire rating, hydraulic self-closing hinges are the optimal single solution.
Q: Which hinges are required for fire-rated doors?
NFPA 80 mandates that fire-rated door assemblies include a self-closing device. For hinges, this means either listed spring hinges or listed hydraulic self-closing hinges meeting ANSI/BHMA A156.17 Grade 1. The hinges must be steel (not aluminum), and NFPA 80 requires a minimum of two self-closing hinges per door leaf. All hinges used on fire doors must be listed by a recognized testing laboratory such as UL or Intertek.
Q: What is the most durable hinge type?
Continuous hinges offer the highest durability in high-cycle, high-abuse environments because load is distributed along the full door height rather than concentrated at two or three hinge points. For standard butt hinge configurations, Grade 1 heavy-weight stainless steel hinges with ball bearings provide the longest service life. Hydraulic self-closing hinges from quality manufacturers are rated for 1,000,000+ cycles at Grade 1 and are among the most durable self-closing solutions available.
Q: Can I use butt hinges on fire doors?
Standard butt hinges alone cannot satisfy fire door requirements because they provide no self-closing function. NFPA 80 requires fire doors to be self-closing. You can use butt hinges on a fire door assembly only if a listed door closer is also installed. Alternatively, replacing standard butt hinges with listed self-closing spring or hydraulic hinges eliminates the need for a separate surface-mounted closer while meeting NFPA 80 requirements.
Q: What hinge provides the widest door opening?
Swing clear hinges provide the maximum usable clear opening width. Their offset barrel geometry swings the door completely out of the frame opening, adding approximately 1-3/4" to 2" of effective clear width compared to standard butt hinges on the same door. This is particularly valuable in ADA retrofit situations where the existing opening is at or just below the required 32-inch minimum clear width.
Q: What is the difference between spring hinges and hydraulic self-closing hinges?
Spring hinges use a mechanical coiled spring to generate closing force — they are simple, cost-effective, and meet NFPA 80 self-closing requirements, but closing speed is not independently adjustable and doors can slam. Hydraulic self-closing hinges use a fluid-filled cylinder to control the rate of closing, providing separate adjustment for closing speed, latching speed, and backcheck force. This makes hydraulic hinges quieter, gentler, and far easier to tune for ADA compliance. Spring hinges are the budget choice for fire compliance; hydraulic hinges are the premium choice where ADA, quiet operation, and precise control are required.
Full range of hinge types — self-closing, butt, continuous, and specialty hinges