Screws loose?
Q: The screws that hold my bathroom door into the frame (through the
hinges) keep coming loose. I’ve tried longer screws and wood putty
with no luck. Fatter screws won’t fit through the hinges. What can I
do?
A: So, you’ve got a screw loose. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, it happens to all of us. Typically, sizing up your screw will solve the problem, but as you’ve learned this is not always an option. So what do you do when upgrading your screws length and girth is not doing the trick? Read on and find out!
First, a few words on the more common solutions to this problem. When a screw loosens over time and has lost its grip, ideally you can just use a longer and/or thicker screw that will grab tight and hold in place. When that doesn’t do the trick, filling the holes with wood putty can work just fine, BUT, you must be sure to choose wood putty that is designed to handle the stress of being screwed into.
Most wood putties on the market are intended to fill blemishes and are primarily aesthetic in nature. They look nice and can take a paint or stain, maybe even handle the stress of being walked on, but try screwing into it and it crumbles to pieces. There are a couple of super strong, epoxy based wood putties that will hold a screw quite well (my favorite is PC Woody) but if your not ready to start mixing putty, or have just one or two problem holes, there is a much easier solution that you likely have right at your finger tips.
Toothpicks and wooden matches can be lifesavers, and not just when you’ve got some food in your teeth or are dying for a smoke (you really should quit you know). Take a toothpick or wooden match, stick it into the problem hole and snap it off at the surface (if you use matches, be sure to snap off the head). Continue this process with additional toothpicks or matches until you can’t fit any more in. Now that the entire hole is crammed with them, you’ll find that your original loose screw can be put back in place and will hold perfectly. Problem solved. Sometimes it really is that easy.
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Posted by Nathaniel Garber Schoen | Categories: Ask an Expert | Permalink
(5) Comments
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This was the handiest little home repair tip I have ever found! Thank you for not sending me to the hardware store to fix my loose cabinet door. This worked so easily and quickly with the least amount of inconvenience. Why can't I ever think of things like this?!
Awesome little fix. Three toothpicks is all it took for me...worked great!
Really? I thought I'd have to use wood glue and a dowel, then redrill the holes. One bedroom door just came off it's upper hinge when the screws pulled out of the frame. I'll try this suggestion first and send in an update. I thought I would need to drill out the holes, put in a dowel and redrill.
Well, I didn't have matches, but I did have bamboo skewers that I used instead, along with a few toothpicks. So far, it's worked like a charm! So easy, I can't believe that I waited a week and ran to the store for dowels of the wrong size.