How To Get Screws Out Of Door Hinges

You unscrew the hinge screws from both the door jam and door.

How to get screws out of door hinges. Depending on how stripped the holes are the screws may easily pull out. If the hinge and jamb are painted cut the paint around the leaf with a utility knife swing the leaf away from the jamb. If the door has a large hinge with four screw holes just drive 3 in. You can leave the hinge attached to the door if those holes are in good condition.

Screws straight through the two holes toward the center of the door. Remove the screws that hold the loose hinge leaf to the door jamb. Diameter hole centered on the screw hole. If not remove those too.

Put your back against the door frame. Then drill a 1 2 in. Trick 3 break out the hammer if the screw is being especially stubborn try using a hammer. If you re removing the screws from a door hinge it s a little easier to produce a lot of force on the screwdriver by getting your back against the opposite door jamb.

Strip out the old screws from the door hinge. They need to be flush so your hinge sits in the opening right and the screws have plenty of wood to hold onto once you reattach them. You don t want them to be inset or sticking out too far. You test out the new hinges everyone is happy well it s usually not that easy especially when it comes to a door that has been removed from the door jam and hinges multiple times.

Use the tip of a utility knife with a sharp blade to cut away just enough wood around the shank for the locking pliers to gain a firm grip and back out the screw. Push your dowels in just until they are flush with the surface of the wood. This seems to work better than any other way i ve found. After pushing in you ll have a gluey mess left over.

Fill that hole with a dowel if the wood won t show or for a seamless match a wood plug cut from matching stock. You put on the new hinges with the screws that came with them. However if the hinge has only three holes add a 3 in. Let it sit for a few minutes and give it a try again.

Wd 40 liquid wrench whatever you want to use give the screws a good dousing in a spray lubricant that is designed to break up rust and get things moving again. Open the door wide and insert a wedge under the bottom outside corner to level it.