Hinge Tip

A loose hinge can make a door difficult to operate or not operate at all. In the best case the hinge screws are loose and a screwdriver is all that is needed. Then there is the screw that has stripped the threads out of its hole; the screwdriver is not the answer here. There are numerous fixes for this situation; here is an elegant and effective one. A threaded insert can be installed in the offending screw hole. These little sleeves have a wood thread on the outside and machine threads on the inside. The insert is screwed into the doorjamb and the hinge screw is screwed into the insert. Threaded inserts are not real common and may or may not be available at the home center -- try a woodworker's catalogue if you can't find them.

- Stephen Corwin

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2001