How to Fix a Loose Cabinet Door
If your cabinet door is sagging, the solution may be as simple as tightening some screws. As long as you can wield a screwdriver, you're well on your way to fixing the sag yourself. Read the following tips about resuscitating your old cabinet doors. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Wooden dowel
- Wood glue
- Hammer or mallet
- Handsaw or sharp chisel
- Pen or pencil
- Electric drill and drill bit
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Instructions
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Determine which hinge or hinges are loose by jiggling the door slightly. Then look at the screws on the hinge to see if they are flat head, Phillips head, square head or some other shape. Find a screwdriver or electric drill bit to match the screws on the hinge.
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Tighten the screws on the loose hinge. When the screw feels tight in the wood, close the cabinet door and see if this fixed the problem. If the screw seems to be turning without biting into the wood, you'll have to dowel the screw hole.
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Glue a dowel into any stripped out screw holes by first removing the cabinet door from the cabinet. If the loose screw hole is in the cabinet door, go on to the next step. If the stripped hole or holes are in the cabinet frame, set the door aside and remove the loose hinge from the cabinet frame.
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Measure the diameter of the stripped screw hole and buy or make a wooden dowel to this dimension. If it's an odd size, buy a larger rather than smaller dowel, and drill the screw hole to match the size of the dowel. Ideally, the dowel should fit so snugly in the hole that you have to tap it in with a hammer or mallet. When testing the fit of your dowel, only insert it as far as you can push it with your fingers, or you might not be able to get it back out without widening the hole.
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Coat the dowel with wood glue and insert it into the hole. Tap it with a hammer or mallet until the dowel bottoms out in the hole. Allow it to dry according to the directions on the glue's label. Once the dowel is dry, trim it flush to the surrounding wood on the cabinet or cabinet door with a handsaw or sharp chisel. Use a sanding block to take down any high spots your cutting tool won't reach, but don't go overboard with sanding. Most of this dowel will get drilled out later.
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Put the cabinet door back in position. If you have a hinge still left on the cabinet frame, reattach the door to that hinge to help you reposition the door. Just be sure to have someone support the door, since one hinge won't hold it safely. Then, with a pen or sharp pencil, mark the center of the screw holes on the surface that needs to be re-drilled.
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Drill pilot holes through all the marks, then reattach the hinges to the cabinet frame. Lastly, attach the cabinet door to the hinges.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a hardwood dowel, such as oak or birch. Softer woods won't be as effective at holding the screw.
