01
The assembly, not just the finish
Compare a complete hinge and mounting-plate combination for the actual door and cabinet construction. A large opening angle on a catalog page does not establish clearance beside an appliance, wall or adjacent pull. Soft-close controls the closing action; it does not correct a poorly aligned cabinet or establish load capacity. Drawer slides and door hinges are separate selections.
Blum · technical catalog02
Ownership and maintenance
Ask for adjustment access and the exact replacement part number. A concealed fitting can still require accessible screws and a service path. Finish care should follow the named hardware instructions; matching a metal color does not mean the coatings share cleaning requirements. Keep a small schedule of fitting codes rather than relying on a photograph of the handle.
03
What the proposal must include
The bid should identify handle spacing, hinge and plate models, drawer-slide model, installation, alignment and any drilling template or cabinet reinforcement. Distinguish owner-supplied decorative pulls from installer-supplied functional fittings. Count doors and drawers separately and resolve who replaces a damaged finish during installation.
04
Resolve before procurement
Test a representative door and drawer at the proposed dimensions with neighboring obstructions shown. Set the hardware before fabrication so later substitutions do not leave incompatible holes. Confirm model-specific sizing with the cabinetmaker; no universal hinge count is implied here.