Fixing Loose Hinge Screws | |
Do you have a loose screw? We're referring to a hinge screw on a cabinet that gets a daily workout or maybe it's the kitchen door that opens and closes more times than you care to count. If you ignore a loose hinge screw, it won't go away. As a matter of fact, it will get worse. Every time a hinge moves, the loose screws holding it in the wood work back and forth in their holes, enlarging them. Eventually, the door will fall off its hinges or be pulled out of alignment. In either case, rebuilding a cabinet is much more difficult and costly than repairing the loose hinge screw. This is not a repair requiring a high degree of formal education. The loose hinge screw can be easily tightened and repaired by even the neophyte handyman. We're not talking about the old matchstick or toothpick trick because that's only a temporary remedy. Here's a new and better way to make a lasting repair. To repair a loose hinge, use a two-part epoxy or polyester wood filler. You can find these fillers in hardware stores, lumberyards, and home centers. You add a catalyst to these products that starts a chemical reaction hardening the filler. These fillers don't shrink as they harden so you can fill large holes. They are also very strong and can be sanded, carved, or drilled just like wood. To fix a loose cabinet hinge, open the door and find the loose screws. Most of the time you can wiggle the hinge and the loose screws will move. If more than one screw is loose, repair all of them. Mix up the filler according the manufacturer's directions. You only need a little so don't mix up too much because it hardens in 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the loose screws one at a time and fill the hole with a small dab of wood filler. Reinsert the screw and tighten so it is flush with the hinge plate. Then wipe away any excess filler. Do this to all of the loose screws and then close the door and allow the filler to set. After the filler hardens, it will hold the screw permanently in position. To repair an entry door hinge, remove the door from the jamb by pulling out the hinge pin. Set the door on a sturdy work surface or saw horses. If one of the screws of a heavy door has worked loose, most of the time all the screws will be loose. The best repair is to remove the hinge from the door or door jamb, whichever has loose screws, and fill all the holes with filler. Start filling the hole with a small amount and work it into the screw holes with a toothpick. Try to get all the air bubbles out of the hole. Check often to make sure that you fill the cavity so there are no voids. Don't work overtime to get the filler even with the wood frame, just don't allow any filler to get into the hinge mortise. If there is filler in this area and the hinge does not lay flat, sand away the filler or trim it flat with a wood chisel. After the filler is hard, replace the hinge and use it as a template to guide you when you drill new pilot holes for the screws. Make these pilot holes slightly larger than you would if you were drilling in wood since the filler will not compress like wood. Then insert the screws in the pilot holes and tighten them snug. If the screw holes are severely worn, consider replacing the present hinge screws with longer ones. Use the same size but get them a 1/2-in. longer. This will allow the screws to penetrate deeper into the door and bite into sound wood. If the loose screws are in the door jamb get very long screws. The jamb is probably only 3/4-in. thick so you can drill a pilot hole completely through the jamb and into the wall framing. Then purchase screws that are at least a 1 1/2 to 2 in. longer than the original screws. These screws will penetrate through the jamb and screw into the wall framing. Replace the door on its hinges. You might have to temporarily loosen the screws to get the hinges in alignment. Once they are aligned, tighten the screws down tight. Written by the editors of HouseNet Copyright HouseNet, Inc. |