Holes Are Loose In Door Hinge

Remove one loose hinge screw.

Holes are loose in door hinge. How you fix the steel door hinge depends on the amount of damage to the screw threads. Fix it the right way not the wrong way. There s not a lot of wood to grip on to so frequent or heavy use of the door will eventually in stripped or stretched the screw holes or split the stiles. If the hinge and jamb are painted cut the paint around the leaf with a utility knife swing the leaf away from the jamb.

Through use the screws securing the hinge become loose. You have a loose screw and a floppy door or hinge. Remove the screws that hold the loose hinge leaf to the door jamb. Most are only 1 3 8 in width.

The wrong way is a temporary fix not cool. Screw the hinge back into place after the glue is dry. You may need to purchase a tap set at a home improvement center if there is significant damage to the threads. How to fix a loose door hinge in 10 minutes leah from see jane drill demonstrates how to fix a loose door hinge.

Unscrew the loose screws and remove the hinge from on top of the stripped holes. Then bore out the stripped holes with a 3 8 inch diameter bit. A simple method of using golf tees to fix holes that have been stripped out and are to big so the screws will not tighten up the hinge to the door or jamb. Dip four or five wooden toothpicks into woodworking glue and then stuff them into the hole.

Squeeze a drop of carpenter s 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. The re tightening of these screws over and over cause the wood fibers in the hole to tear and the threads of the screw can no longer grab. But when hinge screws are left loose for a long time the constant movement of the hinge plate and screws enlarges the screw holes. Eventually the holes become so large that the screws can t stay tight.

A quick convenient cure can be found just inside one of the cabinets. When the door is swung open the loose screws pull out of the threaded mounting holes. Door stiles the wooden side frames inside the door aren t very deep which is part of the reason hinges become loose over time. If the hinge screws have been loose for only a short time you may need to tighten them with a screwdriver.

Unless they re tightened immediately the screws will enlarge and strip the holes until it s impossible to tighten them.