I've been living in my house for about a year now, and I've started noticing that some of the doors are sagging and not closing properly. After watching tons of YouTube tutorials, I realized that the screws in the top hinge were just spinning when I tried to tighten them. I went out and bought a 3-inch replacement screw to try to get it into the stud, but I just couldn't make it work. To make matters worse, one of the screws in the middle broke off.
I've attempted various fixes, like the toothpick trick for better grip, but even that didn't help—those screws keep spinning. I then learned that using a wooden golf tee with wood glue might help, and I tried that with the original screw, but again it's just spinning.
Right now, I'm at a loss and seriously considering sanding down the door just to regain my sanity. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do next?
2 Answers
Before you go all the way to sanding, definitely take a picture of the hinge area so others can help you better. It might give more insight into what the issue really is.
It sounds like the wood behind the hinge isn’t holding up well. I’d suggest removing the hinge and checking the wood—give it a poke to see if it’s solid. If it sounds hollow or if you notice any damage, it might be rotting or split. That could definitely be the culprit behind your sagging door!
If it's hollowed out, you might want to use wood filler to patch it up. Just make sure to let it dry completely before reattaching the hinge.
I’ll try to post a pic! I tried attaching one to this post, but it seems this place doesn’t allow images. I'll share a link if I can!