Repair Door Handle Holes

Particle board is used in hollow core doors and its holding ability is limited too.

Repair door handle holes.

While the paper towels won t make the door stronger or repair it they are an easy and affordable way to hold the insulation foam in place while it dries. Most doors are made of pine which is soft and does not hold screws well or for long. Expose the set screws on the door handle. Door lock doesn t latch properly when a door latch doesn t click into position it usually means the latch and the strike plate are out of alignment.

If screws are already exposed proceed to next step. Drill out the hole to the size of a wooden dowel 1 4 inch 3 8 inch 1 2 inch. 15 to 30 minutes this video will guide you through the process of repairing replacing or tightening your door handles at your home. See below for a shopping list and tools subscribe to this.

Repairs range from making minor latch adjustments to repositioning the door. Pack the hole with paper towels. To depress the detent use the end of a metal paper clip or the point of an awl inserting it into the hole and pressing the detent down while twisting and removing the door handle shaft off the spindle. If the knob or rose plate itself is screwed on with threading on the hardware there will be no screws to expose.

For durability and structural integrity it s hard to beat real wood when filling a large hole in a door. This type is found commonly on lever style door handles. Bunch up a few paper towels and stuff them around the bottom and sides of the hole or crack you want to repair. Dip the end of the dowel into carpenter s glue then put it into the hole and let it dry overnight.

Tighten the hinge screws and then try adjusting the strike plate by loosening its screws and shifting it slightly. Take the handle off of the door. This old house general contractor tom silva installs an undetectable wood patch in an old door. If you or someone you live with has accidentally knocked a hole in a hollow door you can fix it with materials available at your local hardware store.

You ll need to fill the majority of the hole using an expanding liquid insulation and then pack the rest with spackle before sanding and painting.