Stopgap solution for unhinged door
April 13, 2014 3:41 PM Subscribe
The top hinge of our front door just fell off. What can we do to keep the door securely closed until the contractor arrives in a few days?
Our house is generally in decent shape, but it's from the 1880s, so things can sometimes get complicated.
The last time I tried to open it, the screws for the top hinge pulled out (the wood is somewhat soft right there, although not terribly rotten) and now the door is loose.
What should we do to fix the door, at least temporarily as a stopgap solution? Could I use some slightly longer screws, or maybe one of those thingies that burrow into the wood to secure the screw?
It could be up to week before the contractor can come to reframe our front door.
Our house is generally in decent shape, but it's from the 1880s, so things can sometimes get complicated.
The last time I tried to open it, the screws for the top hinge pulled out (the wood is somewhat soft right there, although not terribly rotten) and now the door is loose.
What should we do to fix the door, at least temporarily as a stopgap solution? Could I use some slightly longer screws, or maybe one of those thingies that burrow into the wood to secure the screw?
It could be up to week before the contractor can come to reframe our front door.
Take one of the screws to the hardware store and get some more that are the same diameter but one inch longer. See if they can get some bite.
posted by gnossos at 4:01 PM on April 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by gnossos at 4:01 PM on April 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Toothpicks and wood glue:
Fill the hole with woodglue then shove as many toothpicks as you can in to the stripped screw holes. When it is dried use a chisel or utility knife to cut away the excess woodglue and toothpicks. You should be able to then reuse the screws and get the hinge hung again properly. This should last you until a contractor is out to see if the frame needs to be rebuilt due to dryrot/etc.
posted by iamabot at 4:29 PM on April 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Fill the hole with woodglue then shove as many toothpicks as you can in to the stripped screw holes. When it is dried use a chisel or utility knife to cut away the excess woodglue and toothpicks. You should be able to then reuse the screws and get the hinge hung again properly. This should last you until a contractor is out to see if the frame needs to be rebuilt due to dryrot/etc.
posted by iamabot at 4:29 PM on April 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Not the exact same issue, but I had a portion of an interior door jamb crack recently. After gluing and clamping it, I went out and bought a couple of 3" wood screws to replace the roughly 1.25" screws holding the compromised hinge in place (they only went as deep as the door frame itself, which is normally fine). Pre-drilled holes all the way into the stud adjacent to the door frame itself, and screwed the hinge in place with the new, longer screws: solid as a rock.
posted by bennett being thrown at 9:16 PM on April 13, 2014
posted by bennett being thrown at 9:16 PM on April 13, 2014
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posted by 2N2222 at 3:46 PM on April 13, 2014