Are Your Screws Loose?

I know that the title is a loaded question, but I am referring to wood screws. I'm sure your mental state is just fine. You've had your Starbucks and you are ready to go. I don't mean to the bathroom either.

The other day when I went to a job I ran into the old "While you are here, I have something else for you to look at. It will take just a minute." syndrome. This usually means they want something done for free. This lady had some loose screws in her cupboard door that she nor her husband could tighten. They had struggled with this for several weeks and now wanted a professional to look at it. The fix for this is actually quite simple. There are two ways to fix it. Possibly three.

Method #1 is to obtain some screws the same length but a little fatter. Take out the old screws, put a drop of glue on the new screws and install them being careful not to strip out the holes. Wallah! You are finished.

Method #2, which is what I needed to do in this lady's case is to install wooden plugs, then screw into them with the original screws. Here's what you do: Take wooden matchsticks and nip them off the depth of the screw holes. Put a drop of Elmer's glue on them and tap them into the screw holes with a small hammer. Even before the glue is dry you can now install the screws. You just became a pro, and you saved yourself some money.

Of course, there is a third method: You could wait until a home repair man comes to your home, then ask him to fix it for free. After all, he is just sitting around waiting for you to call and has nothing else to do with his time, and his little kids don't eat much anyway. Actually, I was happy to do it for the lady.

If you have other questions or comments, leave them in the comments box below.

Thanks for reading.