First off, you might be able to easily narrow down the selection by some major factors. Going by the weight, size, and shape of the materials that you're working with, you'll need to decide if the hinge needs to be small and light or durably large?

The next factor to consider is this; some hinges are reversible which means that either end can be mounted upwards); while others are made for either a right or left-handed door.

The loose-pin hinge is an example of this is. With this hinge, frequently used for hanging doors, the pin has to be removed from the top, therefore, you can't reverse this type of hinge hinge.

The best way to tell if you need a right or left-hand hinge is by checking from the outside of the door. Basically, if the door opens from you in the direction of your right-hand side, then you need right-hand hinges. If it opens from you to your left-hand side, you need to use left-hand hinges.

You'll want to consider how much of the hardware you want to be showing when the door's closed. If the hinge is showing, should it be decorative or simply functional in design? If you'd prefer most of the hinge to be hidden, will this have an effect on the ease of use in any way?

Below is some information on some of the most popular hinges and their normal uses. If you have questions you need answered, talk to a salesperson when you go to buy the hinges.

The main benefit of a ball bearing hinge is that it's permanently lubricated. It's therefore a more costly hinge and is typically used for heavy-duty door mountings, for instance doors that open to buildings outside. They're also useful for doors that get a lot of traffic.

Butt hinges are normally about 13 by 150mm in size. They come two ways the rigid pin (where the pin can't be removed) and the loose pin style (where the pin can be tapped out with a screwdriver fairly easily). They're used for hanging cabinet doors and regular doors. For doors that rest on shag carpeting, you can use a rising butt hinge.

The butterfly hinge, used on lightweight doors, has the benefit of having a variety of shapes and patterns available, as well as the fact that they're easy to fit.

The double acting hinge opens in both directions and is used most frequently for folding doors.

There are a great variety of hinges for you to choose from whether you're looking for functionality only or for looks and functionality. Very often simply looking around at other hinges in the home, or asking your salesperson is the easiest way to tell which one you'll need.