Step by Step Guide to Fixing Broken Wood Screws & Stripped Heads - DIY Construction

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There is one of many major mistakes that novice and/or impatient do it your selfer's make. That's forgetting to make the hole for the screw. Cutting corners time wise can lead to a whole lot more work. Fortunately, in this circumstance though this is fixable.

If you are putting your screws, into something like softwood and you are using drywall or decking screws, which you can sometimes get away with, but if they break then you are going to have a problem on your hands. If you are not really adept at using an electric drill to insert your screws, you need to be careful at what you are doing. For example if you just happen to angle that drill a little to the side the wrong way then you will most likely strip the head of the screw. So now what? Well there is a solution.

If you are having a good day and this happens hopefully, it's above the surface that you were screwing into. Then it is easily enough rectified by using a pair or vice grips to grab the end of the screw and wind it out of the hold. If on the other hand it has broken beneath the surface chances are you would be better to just leave it there. Patch over the hole and start a new hole in a fresh spot.

If you have no choice but to remove the screw then there are few things you can do. If you have done this in the past then you may have discovered after you went to great lengths to fix it that you can actually buy a broken screw extractor at the hardware store just for this reason. Let's face it there really isn't much you can't buy nowadays is there. This handy little gadget is just a little metal tube that teeth have been cut out of in one end. You just have to attach the extractor into the drill. Then what it will do is take a core sample from around the broken screw.

Then you glue a wood dowel into place and simple put in a new screw over the repair.

Perhaps if you really haven't got the time or energy to run out to the hardware store for an extractor then you can do the repair the old-fashioned way. Just cut around the screw until you are able to grab the head of it with a pair of pliers. Then one you have removed the broken screw you need to repair the damage you created when digging it out. Just drill this area out and insert a plug according to the size of the hole.

If it's a hinge screw that broke then you can simply epoxy the head into the hole.

In the end, though the best fix is the preventative one. Learn how to drill and insert your screws correctly and take your time. You will find in the end that you have saved yourself a whole of time by not having to do the repairs.

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