How to Fix a Stripped Screw Hole in a Door Hinge

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.

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Plugging Holes with Wooden Dowels

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1
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]XResearch 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.
2
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]XResearch 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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3
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]XResearch 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.
4
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]XResearch 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.
5
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]XResearch 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!
6
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]XResearch source}
- Make sure you flush all the dowels with the surrounding wood so the surface is flat.
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]XResearch source}
8
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]XResearch source}
- This will make it easier to reattach the hinge and get the screws in perfectly straight.
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]XResearch source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Using Golf Tees to Fix Loose Holes

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1
Plug holes with golf tees if the holes are big enough. Remove the loose screws and the hinge. Dip the tip of a wooden golf tee into wood glue, tap it into an open hole using a hammer, then snap off the excess wood sticking out of the hole. Reattach the hinge by driving screws through its holes into the golf tees after the glue is dry.^{[10]XResearch source}
- The golf tees will provide extra wood inside the stripped holes for the screws to grab onto.
- This method is a quick alternative to wooden dowels that don't require you to bore the holes out.
Tip: To make the tee perfectly flush with the surrounding wood, you can score the side of it with a utility knife right against the wood surface. This will make it easier to snap off the excess more evenly.

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Repairing Holes with Toothpicks or Matches

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1
Fill holes with toothpicks or matches to provide added grip for screws. Unscrew the loose screws and remove the hinge from on top of the stripped holes. Squeeze a drop of wood glue into each loose hole, then push about 3 wooden matches or toothpicks into the hole, or enough to fill it, and snap the excess wood off. Screw the hinge back into place after the glue is dry.^{[11]XResearch source}
- Make sure to snap off the match heads if you use wooden matches.
- The extra wood from the matches or toothpicks helps the screws fit tightly into the stripped holes. You can use multiple matches or toothpicks in each hole if you need to fill the hole more.
- This method works well for smaller holes you don't want to drill out to fill and risk damaging the wood. For example, you could use this to fix stripped holes on thin cabinet doors.

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Using Wood Anchors to Fix Loose Holes

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1
Put wood anchors into stripped holes so the screws fit tightly. Buy some plastic, cone-shaped wood anchors that match the diameter of the hinge screws. Remove the hinge from on top of the loose holes. Screw a wood anchor into each open hole until it doesn't go any further, then bend it to snap it. Reattach the hinge by driving the original screws into the wood anchors and other holes.^{[12]XResearch source}
- Plastic, cone-shaped wood anchors work best because they fit into stripped holes of any diameter with no drilling required. There are also metal, cylindrical wood anchors available, but you would have to bore out each loose hole to the diameter of the anchors to use them.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Filling Holes with Super Glue

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1
Fill loose holes with cyanoacrylate glue and reinsert the screws for a quick fix. Remove the screws and hinge, then squeeze enough cyanoacrylate glue into each loose hole to fill it. Let the glue cure for about 2 minutes, then screw the hinge back into place.^{[13]XResearch source}
- Cyanoacrylate glue is a fast-drying, ultra-strong glue that basically turns into a polymer resin when cured. It will hold the screws securely in place in the stripped holes.
- Super glue is a common name that different brands give to cyanoacrylate glue.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Using Longer Screws to Fix Hinges

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1
Use longer screws to secure a hinge to loose holes. Remove any loose screws from the hinge using a screwdriver or drill. Replace them with a longer screw of the same diameter.^{[14]XResearch source}
- This works best for holes that are just starting to get stripped to prevent them from getting worse. The longer screw will bite into the deeper, unstrapped wood to hold the hinge more securely in place.
- Keep in mind that it may be difficult to find a longer screw that matches the original screws and the finish of the hinge. If this is important to you, you might be better off using a different method that allows you to keep the original screws.

Expert Q&A

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Question
What can I use if I don't have a wooden dowel?
Ryaan Tuttle
Home Improvement Specialist
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 How.com.vn 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.
Ryaan Tuttle
Home Improvement Specialist
Expert Answer
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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