How to Fit Rising Butt Hinges

Rising butt hinges lift the door as it opens so the bottom edge clears thick carpet. Fit the wrong hand and the leaf tries to climb the wrong way, or will not rise at all. They also need a little extra headroom because the door moves up on the cam.

If you only need ordinary non-rising butts, use how to fit door hinges correctly. Full hang context: how to hang an internal door.

Left-hand or right-hand

Rising butts are handed. Stand on the side the door opens toward you. If the hinges will be on your right, you typically need right-hand rising butts (check the pack diagram; brands label LH/RH clearly). Buy the hand that matches the opening; you cannot flip a rising butt to change hand the way some people try with loose-pin butts.

If the leaf is simply too tall, shorten it properly: how to cut a door to size.

Tools and ironmongery

Fitting sequence

1. Confirm rise and head clearance

Offer the door on wedges with the intended bottom clearance over the carpet. Open the door slowly in your mind: as it swings, the rising cam will lift the leaf. You need spare gap at the head at the closed position so the rise does not jam under the lining head. A tight head on ordinary butts becomes a scrape with rising butts.

2. Mark positions like a standard hang

Use the usual pattern unless the old recesses dictate otherwise: top hinge about 150 mm down, bottom about 225 mm up. Transfer to the jamb. Score outlines before chiselling veneered edges.

3. Cut recesses and fit the correct leaves

Chop recesses to leaf thickness so nothing sits proud on the hinge edge. Fit the rising pair as a set; do not mix one rising and one plain butt on the same door. Screw to the door first with pilots.

4. Hang and test the lift

Wedge the leaf, fix to the jamb, and open across the carpet. You should feel and see a slight rise as the door moves off the stop. If it digs into the pile, check hand, knuckle cleanliness, and whether the bottom edge still needs a light undercut or plane (how to plane a door that sticks).

5. Set latch and strike at the closed height

Mark the strike with the door fully closed (lowest position on the cam). A strike marked while the door is partly open will sit high and the latch will miss.

Mistakes with rising butts

• Buying the opposite hand and forcing the fit.
• Leaving a 2 mm head gap that disappears when the door rises.
• Painting over the knuckle so the cam cannot turn freely.
• Expecting rising butts to hide a door that is badly oversized for the frame (how to hang a new door in an old frame).

Call a joiner when

Stop for fire doors with specified hinge types, heavy oak leaves that need three special hinges, or frames that will not hold screws. Threshold and floor junctions are separate: how to fit an internal door threshold.

Same cluster: how to hang a door on existing hinges, how to fit an internal door, how to fix a sticking door.

FAQ

How do I choose left or right rising butts?

Stand on the side the door opens toward you and match the pack’s LH/RH diagram to the hinge side. Leave extra head clearance, cut flush recesses at standard positions, hang on wedges, then mark the strike with the door fully closed (lowest on the cam).

Will rising butts stop my door sticking on carpet?

They help with pile and underlay as the door opens. If the closed door still rubs, undercut or plane the bottom edge as well.

Can I reuse old rising butt recesses?

Yes if size and hand match. Deepen or pack carefully so the new leaves sit flush; proud leaves bind even if the rise works.