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Follow this DIY to tighten stripped screws for a leveled door
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Have you ever had a door that wouldn't stay closed or was difficult to close? That's likely a result of a loose hinge, which causes a door to hang crooked or stick. Fortunately, this minor inconvenience is an easy DIY you can accomplish in as little as 20 minutes. You only need a drill, wood glue, and some wooden dowels (or toothpicks) to get the job done. Refer to this step-by-step guide to keep your doors properly hinged!
How to Repair Loose Door Hinges
- To fix a loose door hinge, remove the existing screws and drill out ⅜-inch holes. Fill the new holes with 1-inch wooden dowels with wood glue.
- Wait 1 hour for the glue to dry before drilling new ⅛-inch pilot holes and replacing the screws.
- Alternatively, use golf tees, matchsticks, toothpicks, wood anchors, or super glue to fill the hole and reattach the screws and hinges.
Steps
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Remove the loose screws and the hinge plate with a drill or screwdriver. Use a screwdriver or electric drill to unscrew the loose screws all the way. Set the screws aside and swing the hinge plate away so it's not covering the loose holes. [1] X Research source
- If you are fixing just a few loose screw holes for something that has multiple hinges, like a door, you can put a wedge underneath it to support it while you unscrew the loose hinge and fix the stripped holes.
- If all the hinges have loose screws, remove the door.
- If there's paint over the hinge, you can slice around it carefully with a utility knife or box cutter to free it so you can swing the plate away.
Tip : This method works best for hinges that are attached to a thick, solid piece of wood, such as a solid wooden door or door frame.
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Drill out the loose holes with a 3 ⁄ 8 in (0.95 cm) drill bit. Attach a 3 ⁄ 8 in (0.95 cm) drill bit to an electric drill. Drill straight into each of the stripped holes, going at least 1 in (2.5 cm) deep, to bore them out. [2] X Research source
- This will make all the stripped holes a uniform size that you can fit a piece of wooden dowel into perfectly.
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Saw a 3 ⁄ 8 in (0.95 cm) diameter wooden dowel into 1 in (2.5 cm) long pieces. Measure and mark 1 in (2.5 cm) long sections along the dowel. Use a hand saw or any power saw you have available to cut the pieces. [3] X Research source
- You will need a 1 in (2.5 cm) piece of dowel for each hole you need to fix.
- If you use a handheld saw, clamp the wooden dowel to a workbench or put it in a vise to hold it steady while you cut the pieces.
- A wooden dowel is a round piece of wood that comes in rods of varying diameters and lengths. It is available at home improvement centers, woodworking supply and craft shops, or online.
- If you don't have the tools to cut the dowel yourself, you can purchase pre-cut wooden dowels.
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Coat a 1 in (2.5 cm) long, 3 ⁄ 8 in (0.95 cm) diameter dowel in wood glue. Squeeze a drop of wood glue (also known as carpenter's glue) on the side of the piece of wooden dowel. Use your fingers or a scrap piece of dowel to spread the glue up and down the sides. [4] X Research source
- The carpenter's glue will hold the dowel inside the stripped hole.
- You could dip the dowel about halfway into a bottle of wood glue, then spread the glue along the sides.
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Tap the wooden dowel gently into one of the holes using a hammer. Push one end of the wooden dowel into one of the stripped holes. Carefully tap it in with a hammer until it is flush with the surrounding wood. [5] X Research source
- The wooden dowel will plug the stripped hole, giving you a fresh surface to reattach the hinge.
- If the dowel isn't flush with the surface, that's okay. Use a handsaw, chisel, or a similar flush turn saw. You can also use sandpaper, though this may require more elbow grease!
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Repeat the process for the rest of the stripped holes. Coat 1-inch-long, 3/8-inch-diameter pieces of wooden dowel in wood glue, one at a time, for each stripped hole. Use your hammer to tap each wooden dowel into each loose hole. [6] X Research source
- Make sure you flush all the dowels with the surrounding wood so the surface is flat.
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Wait for 1 hour to let the glue dry. This will ensure the dowels are secure when you reattach the hinge. If there is any excess glue that oozed out of the holes, wipe it away with a rag so it doesn't dry and make the surface uneven. [7] X Research source
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Drill a 1 ⁄ 8 in (0.32 cm) pilot hole into each wooden dowel using an electric drill. Attach a 1 ⁄ 8 in (0.32 cm) drill bit to your electric drill. Drill straight into each wooden dowel that you plugged a loose hole with to create pilot holes for the hinge's screws. [8] X Research source
- This will make it easier to reattach the hinge and get the screws in perfectly straight.
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Reattach the hinge using its screws. Position the hinge plate back over the reinforced holes. Put the screws back in through the holes in the hinge into the pilot holes in the dowel. [9] X Research source
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhat can I use if I don't have a wooden dowel?Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Improvement Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 17 years of experience, he specializes in building home service businesses, focusing on creating scalable and efficient brands. With the help of his global team, the companies have achieved over 10+ million in sales and received recognition through magazine features, and enjoy partnerships with wikiHow and Jobber field service software. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named Best Handyman Boston the Best Handyman in Boston. Ryaan holds Construction Supervisor and Home Improvement Contractor Licenses.Use a golf tee and some wood glue. Squeeze a little bit of wood glue into the screw hole and onto the end of the golf tee. Then, hammer the golf tee into the screw so it's nice and tight. Snap off the part of the golf tee that's still sticking out, and let the wood glue dry. In a few hours, you can reinstall your screw.
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Things You’ll Need
Plugging Holes with Wooden Dowels
- Electric drill
- Wooden dowels or pre-cut wooden dowels
- Hand saw
- Clamp or vise , optional
- Wood glue
- Chisel or
- Hammer sandpaper , optional
Using Golf Tees to Fix Loose Holes
- [ Golf tees
- Wood glue
- Hammer
Repairing Holes with Toothpicks or Matches
- Wood glue
- Hammer
- Wooden toothpicks or matches
Using Wood Anchors to Fix Loose Holes
Filling Holes with Super Glue
- Cyanoacrylate glue
- Screwdriver
Using Longer Screws to Fix Hinges
- Long wood screws
References
- ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/@jmg8tor/video/7150299274323037483?lang=en
- ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/@jmg8tor/video/7150299274323037483?lang=en
- ↑ https://www.manmadediy.com/2194-how-to-repair-stripped-screw-holes-in-wood
- ↑ https://www.manmadediy.com/2194-how-to-repair-stripped-screw-holes-in-wood
- ↑ https://www.hardwaresource.com/resources/common-door-hinge-issues/
- ↑ https://www.hardwaresource.com/resources/common-door-hinge-issues/
- ↑ https://www.hardwaresource.com/resources/common-door-hinge-issues/
- ↑ https://www.manmadediy.com/2194-how-to-repair-stripped-screw-holes-in-wood
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfX_hAgFf3Y&feature=youtu.be&t=248
- ↑ https://todayshomeowner.com/video/loose-hinge-repair/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZKEu9YsED8&feature=youtu.be&t=51
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXecNkni4r4&feature=youtu.be&t=33
- ↑ https://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-how-to/shop-tips/super-quick-fix-for-stripped-screw-holes
- ↑ https://youtu.be/7QiSD2UlbZQ?t=11
About This Article
Article Summary
X
You can repair a loose wood screw hole for a hinge by inserting a dowel to reinstall the screw or by relocating the hinge so it holds stronger. To remove the loose wood screw, drill out the stripped hole and glue in a dowel the same diameter as your drill bit. Then, glue and cut the dowel so it’s flush with the edge of the door or hinge. You can then drive the screw into the dowel to secure it. To relocate the hinge, remove the screws from the hinge and slide it up or down a few inches. You may need to re-chisel a pock in the frame so the hinge sits flush. Then, you can drive the screws into the screw holes on the hinge to secure it. To learn how to use a shim to repair a loose wood screw hole for a hinge, keep reading!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I drilled my door latch strike plate holes too large, so I tried caulk to make new holes. That was a very bad trick. I used the "angle" trick on my new holes, and it worked like a charm." ..." more
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"I drilled my door latch strike plate holes too large, so I tried caulk to make new holes. That was a very bad trick. I used the "angle" trick on my new holes, and it worked like a charm."
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"Thank you helping me for showing how to fill previous screw holes. I must replace old hinges with new ones, but holes of new hinges are slightly different from the old ones."
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