Loose screw repair in Exeter
Professional loose screw repair services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£60
Typical Duration
10-15 mins
Location
Exeter, Devon
Loose screw fixed properly - whether it's a door handle, hinge, shelf bracket, or anything else that's come loose. The right fix so it stays fixed.
When Screws Won't Stay Tight
That door handle wobbles. You tighten the screw. Two days later it's loose again.
Or that cabinet door's dropping at one corner because the hinge screw just spins.
Or the handrail's coming away from the wall.
Same problem: the screw hole's failed. The wood or wall plug has given up, so tightening the screw does nothing - it's just spinning in a worn-out hole.
This needs fixing properly, not just repeatedly tightening.
Why Screws Come Loose
| ✅ Proper Screw Fixing | ❌ Why They Fail |
|---|---|
| Screw length matches job | Screw too short, barely gripping |
| Wood in good condition | Split or crumbling wood |
| Appropriate wall plug for weight | Wrong plug type or no plug |
| Pilot hole correct size | Hole too big, screw spins |
The Proper Fix
🔧 What I Do
- Remove the loose screw and whatever it's holding
- Assess the hole damage
- Fix the hole (plug with dowel/glue, new wall plug, or drill fresh hole)
- Use appropriate screw for the job
- Reattach whatever was loose
- Test it's actually secure this time
💡 You Get
- Fixing that'll last
- No more wobbling
- Proper screw grip in solid material
Pricing
| Job | Time | You'll Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Single screw repair | 10-15 mins | £60 |
| Multiple screws same item (door hinge with 3 failed screws) | 15-20 mins | £60 |
£60 minimum covers the visit. Multiple separate items add time.
💡 Pro tip: If one screw on a hinge has failed, the others are probably not far behind. Worth doing them all while I'm there rather than calling me back in a month for the next one.
Why Choose Us for Loose screw repair in Exeter?
Secure fixing restored
Door handles, hinges, brackets solid again
Proper fix - not just retightening
10-minute job for most issues
What to Expect
Step 1: Diagnose The Problem
Remove screw, check the hole, work out why it failed. Can't fix it properly without knowing what went wrong.
Step 2: Fix The Hole
Might be filling with dowel and glue (wood), might be new wall plug (brick/plaster), might be drilling fresh hole nearby. Whatever's appropriate.
Step 3: Secure Properly
New or existing screw back in, properly gripping this time. Give it a test - should be solid.
🔧 DIY Tips
This is a good one to know how to fix yourself:
🔧 Tools you'll need
- Screwdriver or drill
- Wood glue
- Wooden dowels, golf tees, or matchsticks
- Drill bit matching dowel size (if using dowels)
- Saw or knife to trim dowels flush
📐 Fixing stripped screw holes in wood
- Remove screw and item it's holding
- For light duty (door handle):
- Push glue-covered matchsticks or golf tees into hole
- Let glue set (few hours)
- Trim flush with surface
- Re-drill pilot hole through the plug
- Screw back in
- For heavy duty (door hinge):
- Drill out old hole to size of dowel (6mm or 8mm usually)
- Cut dowel to length, coat in wood glue
- Tap dowel into hole firmly
- Let glue cure overnight
- Drill pilot hole through dowel
- Screw hinge back on
For stripped screw holes in plaster/brick:
- Remove old wall plug
- Fill hole with filler or mortar
- Let it cure (overnight minimum)
- Drill fresh hole and fit new plug
- Screw back in
⚠️ Common DIY mistakes
- Not using enough glue (plug doesn't hold)
- Not letting glue dry before screwing (pulls plug straight out)
- Using too-large dowel (splits the wood)
- Re-using worn screw holes without fixing them
- Drilling new hole too close to old one (wood splits)
💡 Pro trick: For kitchen cabinet hinges in particleboard, use special chipboard or confirmat screws - they have wider thread that grips the composite material better than standard screws.
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
🎨 Multiple things loose? Door handles, cabinet doors, towel rails, shelves - if you've got a list of wobbly things, tell me when booking. Much more efficient to do them all in one visit.
Kitchen cabinets? The particleboard/chipboard used in most cabinets doesn't hold screws as well as solid wood. When hinge screws fail, I use proper chipboard fixings or move the hinge position slightly to fresh material.
Old solid doors? The wood in Victorian and Edwardian doors is usually solid and repairable. Hinge screw holes can be doweled properly and will last another century.
uPVC doors? Different fixing method - can't just dowel the holes. Usually need metal reinforcement inside the door frame. I'll advise if that's what you've got.
Handles keep coming loose? Some cheap door furniture has undersized grub screws that don't grip properly. Sometimes worth upgrading to better quality handles rather than constantly fixing rubbish ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes screw holes to fail?
Usually the wood around the screw has worn away or split, so the screw just spins without gripping. Happens a lot on door hinges that get used hundreds of times a day. Also happens if someone used screws that are too short or thin for the job.
Can you just use a bigger screw?
Sometimes, if the hole's not too worn. But often it's better to plug the old hole properly and use a fresh screw of the right size. Lasts longer than bodging it with an oversized screw that might split the wood.
What's this matchstick trick I've heard about?
Classic quick fix - stuff broken matchsticks and wood glue into the stripped hole, let it set, then screw into that. Actually works pretty well for light-duty stuff. I use proper dowels and glue for heavier items like door hinges.
Will it hold as well as before?
If done properly with dowels or plugs, yeah - often better than the original. The fresh wood/plug grips the screw threads properly. Might even outlast the door at that point.
My kitchen cabinet door keeps dropping - is that the same fix?
Usually, yeah. The hinge screws have stripped out of the particleboard cabinet side. That needs slightly different treatment (special fixings for chipboard), but same idea - secure the hinge properly so the door hangs right.
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