How to fix a stripped screw hole in wood

A stripped screw hole in wood spins freely and no longer holds a screw, but you can rebuild the material so it grips again. This covers the classic wooden-toothpick fix and sturdier options for larger, worn-out, or load-bearing holes like a loose cabinet hinge.

Step by step

1. Remove the screw and clear the holeTake out the loose screw and clean any debris or old wood fragments from the hole so new material seats cleanly.
2. Coat filler pieces with glueDip wooden toothpicks, matchsticks, or a golf tee in wood glue so the whole hole will be lined with fresh, gluable wood.
3. Pack the holePush the glued pieces into the hole until it is snugly filled. Use enough to make it tight but not so much that the wood splits.
4. Trim flush and let it dryCut off the excess even with the surface using a utility knife, wipe away squeezed-out glue, and let the glue cure fully as the label directs.
5. Drill a pilot holeOnce dry, drill a small pilot hole in the center of the repair so the screw threads bite without splitting the new wood.
6. Drive the screw back inReinstall the original screw. It should now grip firmly in the rebuilt hole. For heavy loads, consider a slightly longer or thicker screw or a wall anchor.

The toothpick and wood glue method

This is the go-to fix for a screw hole that's a little too big. Coat a few wooden toothpicks or matchsticks in wood glue, pack them into the hole until it's snug, snap or trim them flush, and wipe off the excess glue.

Let the glue cure fully — usually several hours — before doing anything else. The dried glue and wood become new material for the screw threads to bite into. Drill a small pilot hole in the center, then drive the original screw back in.

Bigger holes: golf tees and dowels

When the hole is really worn or oversized, toothpicks may not be enough. A wooden golf tee, coated in glue and tapped in, fills more space and works well for things like door hinges.

For the strongest repair, glue a hardwood dowel sized to the hole, let it dry, cut it flush, then drill a fresh pilot hole and screw into solid new wood.

Using wood filler, epoxy, a larger screw, or an anchor

Plain wood filler alone is weak for holding screws, but a two-part epoxy or a dedicated screw-hole repair putty can work — let it cure, then drill a pilot hole before driving the screw.

Sometimes a slightly longer or thicker screw catches fresh wood and solves it outright. In hollow or crumbly spots, a wall or plastic anchor sized for the screw gives a reliable grip.

Fixing a loose cabinet hinge or door screw

A cabinet door that sags or a hinge screw that won't tighten is the most common version of this problem. The toothpick-and-glue or golf-tee fix works perfectly here — repair the hole, let it dry, then re-hang the hinge.

If the screw sits near an edge where wood has broken away, a longer screw that reaches into the cabinet frame or wall stud behind it often adds the holding power the stripped hole lost.

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