Reusing Screw Holes

 When to replace rather than redrill

Sometimes you might need to replace the entire piece of wood if the screw hole is extremely worn, such as in the following circumstances:

 

l If the wood has already been redrilled or reused several times then it might not be as strong or as structurally sound and it would be better to replace it.

 

l If the wood has been damaged is cracked.  Even though you could use filler to repair it, the wood will be weakened from the damage.

 

l Wood such as particleboard often breaks down quite easily as it is made from compressed fibers.  The damaged area often spreads beyond the screw hole and so the entire piece should be replaced.

 

l Wood that has got rot in it - either wet or dry - should also be replaced.

 

Stripped or loose holes

As screws are usually placed at the joints of the wooden object, the strength of the joint, and therefore the whole object, is dependent on the screw being firmly seated into the wood.  Occasionally, you might find that the screw hole that you intend to use has become damaged or stripped, and if that happens then there are a few things you can do.

 

How to fix a damaged or stripped hole

There are quite a few ways that you can repair a damaged screw hole and they should all enable you to reuse the hole.  However, you will need to decide which is the best method for you to use, depending on what has caused the damage and what materials you have available to use.

 

If a screw was torn from the screw hole then it will probably have enlarged the hole.  If this has happened then there are a few easy ways that you can repair the hole.

 

Use a dowel

Particleboard or wood that is of poor quality often ends up with stripped or damaged screw holes, and most methods of repair are unable to be used with this type of wood.  However, you can use a dowel or hardwood plug to repair a screw hole in this sort of wood.

 

To do this you will need the following:

Drill

Drill bits

Wood glue

Wood dowel

Hammer

 

Now follow the steps below:

 

1. First of all you will need to drill a hole that is the size of the dowel in the same place as the stripped screw hole.

 

2. Next, you will need to use the wood glue to glue the dowel into the hole you have just drilled.

 

3. Allow the glue to dry for around 24 hours.

 

4. Now you should be able to drill a pilot hole into the wooden dowel for your screw to go into.

 

Bigger Screws

A quick and simple way of solving the problem is to use  a bigger screw - one that has a wider diameter.  The larger screw should have threads that are either the same as the old screw or are coarser.

 

It’s important to make sure that you don’t force the new screw into the hole or you could just end up damaging the hole even more, therefore you should only use a screw that has a slightly bigger gauge size - either one or two sizes bigger should be sufficient.  This is so that the screw will fit snugly in the hole without damaging the wood further.  If you need to then you can always drill a pilot hole that would fit the new screw.

 

Repair Kit

There are quite a few different repair kits that are available online and most of these use either plastic or an adhesive to create a firm base for the screw to bite into.  If you use this method then it’s a good idea to check the guidelines from the manufacturer and reviews of the product first to see if it would be suitable for your needs.

 

The good point of these kits is that they are quick and easy to use, which is good if you don’t have much experience with DIY, but the bad point is that they can be expensive compared to other methods.  However, some of the best ones are:

 

Screw It Again

Screw Glue Repair Gel

Grip Screw Repair Kit

 

How to prevent issues with screw holes

If you take the appropriate measures then it is possible to make sure that screws will last for many years without any issues, which would mean that you never have to worry about having to try and reuse or repair a screw hole.

 

Secure the joint

If the wood joint is not properly secured then it is always going to be put under pressure, which can cause the screw hole to become stripped as the wood around it breaks.

 

You can prevent this by adding some wood glue to help secure the pieces of wood, and also by using some thread locking glue in the screw hole.

 

No sudden pressure

Sometimes, the wood fibers in a screw hole become torn and damaged when the joint comes under sudden pressure, either by pressure on the screw or on the wood surrounding it.  It’s best to avoid this happening if possible and you could prevent it by making sure that nothing too heavy is hung on things such as window frames, doors, or handrails.

 

Always use the correct screws

Indoors - It’s always best to make sure that you are using the correct screws for the job, and it’s important to always use screws that are long enough for the project you are doing as you want to have as many screw threads in the wood as possible.  A good tip for working out the length you need is to remember that the length of the screws should be twice the thickness of the wood that you are using.

 

Outdoors -  if the project you are doing is something that is going to be located outside then you should make sure that your wood has protective coatings on it to protect it against the bad weather and issues such as rot.  You should also ensure that you are using screws that are suitable for outdoor use so that they don’t rust or corrode, which could affect the strength of your project.  Stainless steel screws the best ones to use outdoors as they are weather-resistant, which should help to prevent rusting and other issues caused by the weather.