How to Fix a Stripped Screw Hole in Plastic? 6 Hidden Tips

Many in the DIY enthusiastic community wonder how to fix a stripped screw hole in plastic? Well, it’s a lot easier than you might imagine. It’s way less complex and easier to perform. 

In addition, fixing up the stripped hole will make your structure look more appealing. Plus, you could screw a new piece without any issues. 

Hence, learning it up will provide you with a significant boost on your DIY projects. Let’s get into the parts and pieces of the fixing process. It won’t take long to make it look like the stripped hole wasn’t there.

Why should we fix a Stripped Screw Hole?

There are some tricky situations when screws are unable to hold any joints. It is because you can tear the fiber away around the screw thread. Screws get gripped by the strength of the body itself. So, sudden stress or access load can cause the fiber to be tear-free. It might cause a failed joint connection.

There are plenty of reasons for striping screw holes. It is quite common for workers. When a screw gets heavy loads, then its capability to the holes can be easily stripped away. It can cause a severe problem if it is not fixed in time. You cannot join the parts ideally. It can cause the project to look unprofessional. Otherwise, it gives you an insecure connection.

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Tips On How to Fix A Stripped Screw Hole In Plastic

Stripping screw holes can prevent you from fulfilling your work. Here are some easy and basic techniques to fix stripe holes.

Try Using the Screw Hole Repair Kit

Screw repair can be a great solution if you don’t want to put in the extra effort. There are several kinds of repair kits available in shops and markets. But in general, the standard category consists of some simple plastic anchors and glue. These plastic anchors are like plugs used to grip the surface for screws.

First, glue should be applied to the anchor and the hole. Then put the plastic anchor on the hole. It provides a surface for screw thread while re-driving the screw. It can be fine for some situations, but it might be a little expensive.

Use A bit larger Screw

It is one of the easiest ways to solve the stripping problem. Just use a big screw instead of a regular one. In turn, screws can be more prominent in diameter, longer in length, or larger in both diameter and length. The wider screw can grip its total hole tightly. On the other hand, longer screws can grab those spaces where previous screws couldn’t. 

Make sure not to take too large or wide that won’t fit the whole. While driving, the screws take care of force and tightness. Too much force can strip the hole again, and the hole will be useless. It is less expensive, but it cannot look aesthetically pleasing. So hiding screw technique might be required.

Read: How To Screw Into End Grain: Full-on Guideline

Apply Things like Toothpicks and Matches

Applying toothpicks or matches to fix stripped holes is one kind of life hack. Quick fixing toothpicks and matches are helpful. These can give you an extra surface on the whole. In other words, these can fill those different crack areas.

Just pick some toothpicks or patches, then put them in the hole. Cut the extra heads. If you want, put some glue drops before putting them on. But glue isn’t necessarily that much. These sticks are wide enough to fill those stripped areas. Then simply drive the screw into it.

Try Wood Glue

You can use wood glue to solve this problem. Wood glue is available in every shop and market. There are two forms of wood glue. These are solid and liquid. The liquid form would be great for this problem. 

Just put wood glue in the stripped hole. Please wait until it becomes scorched. We all know wood glue is too powerful. Sometimes the joint formed by wood glue can be stronger than the wood itself. So, glue can give you extra grips around the hole. But this isn’t that good if you want a quick solution. The glue takes time to dry.

Use Automotive Filler

This technique is also familiar with using wood glue. Automotive filler is mainly used on vehicles. It is usually used to repair a dent on the vehicle’s outer surface. So it will work in the plastic and wood holes also.

Just put automotive filler as well as wood glue. Wait until it gets fully dry. When it comes to drying, the form will get too hard. So, this will give enough grip to hold the screw tightly and make a good joint. Automotive filler is also available in markets and shops. But this can be quite expensive.

Related: Deck Screws Vs Wood Screws: Side By Side Comparison

Use Plastic Wall Plugs

Plastic wall plugs are suitable for stripped screw holes. These plugs are available in every market. It also comes with a repair kit. But if you don’t want to spend too much money, this can be affordable. It is one plastic plug with some cuts on the outside to get extra strength. 

First, put the plug inside the hole. One plug is enough for one hole. After inserting the plug, drive the screw carefully. Those plugs can fill the area of the crack. Make sure to not give too much force or too much tightness. Drive it gently.

FAQs

Here are the questions to get into.

How to remove a stripped plastic screw?

There are lots of ways to remove stripped plastic screws. One of the easiest ways to remove it is to grab it with a drill machine. Just open a drill machine, and place it on the head of the screw. Secure it and turn it on in reverse. The screw will come out.

How To Fix a Stripped Screw Hole in A Vinyl Window?

 If you see any stripped or damaged holes use PVC pipe glue. If you want an extra-strong joint, use PVC pipe glue with glue.

How Fast Can I Fix Up a Stripped Screw Hole?

It depends on the skill of the worker. Every method is excellent and valuable. So, a great worker can make the result faster. Otherwise, it depends on the technique the worker adapts to.

Conclusion

We hope you got the solution for fixing a stripped screw hole in the plastic. It’s an important step to get into if you are working with plastic materials.

Fixing up the stripped screw hole will help you repair your structure for future use. Plus, the aesthetics would be much more compelling than ever before.

Many have learned how to fix up the stripped screw so they can minimize the hassle. In a nutshell, you must learn it ASAP.