How can you repair stripped screw holes with dowels?

29th February 2020


	How to repair stripped screw holes with dowels


	Shop for Dowels


			If a screw is somehow pulled out of a screw hole, for example in the case of a door being pulled off its hinges, it can often ‘strip’ the hole.

			This means that the screw rips out the wood within its thread, leaving a smooth hole that is too big for another screw to bite into. The new screw will fit, but there will be nothing for it to grip onto and it will just come back out again.

			These can easily be repaired by using dowels.

			Step 1 – Drill out dowel holes Using a drill bit that’s the same width as the holes you are trying to repair, drill out any remaining screw thread and debris.

			Step 2 – Select dowels Choose dowels that will fit relatively snugly into the holes and are long enough so that they stick out a little way. You can check whether or not the dowels will be long enough by comparing them to the screws from the door.

			Step 3 – Plug holes with dowels Take the pieces of dowel that you have chosen and push them into the holes.

			Step 4 – Chisel dowels flush Chisel the dowels so that they are flush with the surface of the wood you’re working on, i.e. they do not stick out.

			Step 5 – Put screws back in You can now screw replacement screws into the holes. The screws will make holes in the dowels and force them outwards so that they grip firmly onto the inside of the hole.

			Your newly repaired screw holes should now be as good as new!