Wood Filler Recommendation

[Eric Schniewind]

This is borderline off topic but in my 100 year old house, I've got hinges on a door that are barely hanging on because of screws that aren't biting into much on the jamb. Someone before me tried using larger diameter screws, and I've put 3 inchers in hoping to catch the framing. But no luck.

As I see it, I have two options:

1) Just take the door off and move the hinges down or up to a new spot; or

2) Use a wood filler that will hold a screw in it afterwards.

Thought I would try option 2 first as it seems like I've heard of products for this purpose. Anyone have a good experience with a particular product?

Thanks

Eric

p.s. now that I've written this, I might try option 3) which is to go for 4 inch screws, I just don't have those in my shop. Would still like to hear about filler.

[George Bregar]

Three inchers and you haven't hit framing? :confused: Pull the trim, drop some nailers behind the jamb

[Ben Hatcher]

Just fill in the holes with some kind of plug. You can drill the holes out and glue in a small section of dowel, or if the hole is just a little too big, just dip some tooth picks in wood glue and stick them in there.

[Prashun Patel]

Not sure how filler will help if you're not hitting the framing. Filler will 'help' only if yr stripping the hole. Even with that, IMHO, the better solution to fixing a stripped hole is bore a larger hole (1/4 or larger) glue in a suitable dowel, flush trim it, let it dry, then drill yr screw through that.

But if 3" screws aren't hitting the framing, I'd remove the trim and put support between the jamb and the frame.

[David DeCristoforo]

Pull the trim. See what's in there. I'm betting there isn't any "framing" and that your house is of "single wall" construction which was not uncommon a hundred years ago. Just a hunch...

[Jason White]

Forget the filler.

Either dutchman a new piece of wood into the door jamb or insert slivers of wood into the stripped screw holes to give the screws some bite. A very old carpenter's trick that works great.

If your door jamb material isn't very thick, however, you should fix the hollow spot between the wall framing and the door jamb. I'm with others who say to pull the trim and scab some 2x in there for your longer screws to bite into.

Jason


This is borderline off topic but in my 100 year old house, I've got hinges on a door that are barely hanging on because of screws that aren't biting into much on the jamb. Someone before me tried using larger diameter screws, and I've put 3 inchers in hoping to catch the framing. But no luck.

As I see it, I have two options:

1) Just take the door off and move the hinges down or up to a new spot; or

2) Use a wood filler that will hold a screw in it afterwards.

Thought I would try option 2 first as it seems like I've heard of products for this purpose. Anyone have a good experience with a particular product?

Thanks

Eric

p.s. now that I've written this, I might try option 3) which is to go for 4 inch screws, I just don't have those in my shop. Would still like to hear about filler.

[Jason White]

You could, but then you're driving screws into end-grain, which doesn't hold screws very well.

Jason


Not sure how filler will help if you're not hitting the framing. Filler will 'help' only if yr stripping the hole. Even with that, IMHO, the better solution to fixing a stripped hole is bore a larger hole (1/4 or larger) glue in a suitable dowel, flush trim it, let it dry, then drill yr screw through that.

But if 3" screws aren't hitting the framing, I'd remove the trim and put support between the jamb and the frame.

[Gary Lange]

The best and easiest way to repair this is like George suggested. Remove the trim work on the hinge side and glue some 2"X4" backer boards behind each hinge point and then with some nice 2" screws replace your hinges and replace the trim. With anything else you are plucking at straws and will not fix the problem. I am a big believer in do it once and do it right.

[Barry Vabeach]

The good people at Lee Valley have answered your prayer. http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32280&cat=1,180,42240,53317

Between now and the 19th, you get free shipping. I don't work for LV, but I bought one of these years ago and they work great - you drill the hole, insert the dowel ( which is already predrilled ) with some glue and hammer it home, cut off the excess, put in the screw and move on to the next hinge. You would think you might have to wait for the glue to dry but I have done this on numerous hinges and so long as you hit it in pretty deeply, it locks in very well. I also use it with my own dowels when I don't need a predrilled hole.

[harry strasil]

plastic cement anchors, or drill a dowel just deep enough so the hole is the depth of the material thickness the screw is going into and use a thin dovetail saw to slit the back of the dowel, drill and glue the dowel in, as the screw goes in and the dowel part that is slit expands, its almost as good as a moly screw. a little like fox wedging.

just make sure the dowel expand with the grain not across it, of you can split the board.