TIL you can fix stripped screw holes in drywall with a simple trick

I had a towel rack that kept falling off the wall because the screw holes got all loose and crumbled after maybe 2 years. Instead of patching and redrilling, I just stuffed the holes with a bit of steel wool and some wood glue, then screwed back in. Has anyone tried this method or got a better fix for stripped anchors?

2 comments

2 Comments

lee.cole4d ago

Stick a toothpick or two in there with the glue before you put the screw in. The wood fibers grip way better than steel wool over time because steel wool can rust and actually make the hole worse. I did this with a bathroom cabinet pull that kept spinning around and it's been solid for like 4 years now. Just break the toothpicks off flush with the wall and you're good to go.

juliam403d ago

Oh man, I actually saw this play out with my friend Dave last year. He had this kitchen cabinet knob that kept falling off no matter what he tried, even after stuffing it with steel wool. Finally he did the toothpick trick with wood glue and that thing hasn't budged since, even with his kids yanking on it every day. The best part was when he went to tighten it later and the screw actually bit into the wood instead of just spinning free. I don't know why more people don't try this before giving up and buying new hardware.