How to: Repair Stripped Screw Holes in Wood

created at: 10/30/2012

If you'll recall from your grade school science lessons, a screw is a simple automobile. It's a continuous helix-shaped thread that cuts a groove into the surrounding cloth, thereby keeping the screw in place and, ordinarily, holding 2 things together.

And, they work great…except when that "surrounding textile" they're supposed to cut into gets worn away, and the screw just spins and spins inside the hole, holding absolutely zilch together.

Luckily, at that place's a super piece of cake solution to fix it, and it costs well-nigh four cents and takes less than five minutes.

This is the screen door on my back entrance. Since I rent, that ways it's a slice of junk that my landlords bought xx years ago cause information technology was the cheapest, and information technology breaks all the fourth dimension. Usually, I can fix things like this with a tighten (or a kick), but terminal week, the aqueduct that sits on the latch side of the door and creates a seal with the frame (anyone know what this part is called?) pulled abroad entirely, because the fiberboard effectually the screws stripped out.

Here's how I fixed it in nearly four minutes for five spiral holes. Since it's crummy and no one cares how its looks, I could have just drilled a new hole and started all over again, but there are plenty of other occassions when that won't work: DIY and furniture projects where the hardware needs to be evenly spaced; whatsoever fourth dimension you'll be able to see the original hole; or where symmetry is important, such every bit a kitchenb chiffonier pull or knob that needs to match the others.

created at: 10/30/2012

Note: sometimes, this can be stock-still with a longer screw, where the additional threads can cut into the wood at the back of the pigsty. Other times, a drywall ballast volition work. I didn't have matching hardware around, then I went with this, my favorite method, which replaces the stripped out hole with actual wood for the screw to screw into.

created at: 10/30/2012

Measure the bore of the screw threads, and cutting a small plug from a similarly sized dowel rod. Your local hardware shop will have them in increments of one/32 of an inch, so you'll certainly exist able to notice one that volition fit snugly. If the hole is quite pocket-sized, yous might also be able to use a few wooden toothpicks.

created at: 10/30/2012

Dip the dowel in lots of forest glue, and insert into the hole. The forest mucilage volition not simply help the dowel to stick, but also causes the wood fibers to swell and fill the stripped pigsty perfectly. Besides, since your door will interact with the elements, be sure to utilise a waterproof wood glue. My favorite is Titebond III.

Allow the mucilage to dry out for a few hours, then sand the dowel, or cut with a affluent cutting trim saw.

created at: 10/30/2012

And so, afterward the glue has dried, drill a tiny pilot pigsty with your smallest drill chip, and replace the screw. I was able to just utilise the same hardware, which was helpful, since I don't have tons of white, hex-headed sheet metal screws in my fastener box. But, dissimilar the big home centers in my town, most smaller, neighborhood hardware stores have lots of odd, more than specific fasteners, plus knowledgeable staff that tin can assistance you lot find exactly what you're looking for…just take the one-time one in as an example.

That's it! If you have dowels lying around (you should, they're all kinds of useful; be sure to continue any scraps from other projects), this is a free prepare, and can be completed in no fourth dimension.

Thanks to Truthful Value for sponsoring this post and letting u.s.a. be a office of the 2012 True Value blog squad.