The Screws For All My Carpentry Work Can't Be Tightened

[kamalbensra 0]

Dear All,

I'd like to ask for some help/advice. The renovation for my house has ended, and just the other day, a few days after the renovation works ended, one of the hinges of my cabinet doors

started coming off, to my horror. I then checked it and realised the screw was loose, and so I tightened it. But while tightening it, I realise when the screw was screwed all the way in, it

could not be tightened anymore. The screw would turn but not perpetually not become tight. Hence, I realised, the reason why the hinge came off. The screws were not holding the

hinges strongly as the screws could not be tightened. The would go in all the way but could not be tightened. I then told my designer. The contractor then came and changed the screw

to a bigger sized one. This problem occured for all my doors by the way. So after the contractor left, i checked all the screws, and even the bigger ones could not be tightened. They would

go round and round into the wood but could not be tightened. True enough, another few days later, another hinge started to come off.

I told my designer and again the contractor came and told me this is as tight as it can go. "Then why does the hinge come off?", I asked him. He said let's wait and see a few more days.

My suspicion is that the hole that he drilled for all the screws must have been too deep. hence, when the screws are drove in, they can never be fully tightened as there is still space at the

back of the screw because the hole is deeper than the length of the screw. I'm meeting my designer next week. The contractor has offered advice saying they will put a sponge or plastic

cap into the hole to make it smaller and then screw the screw in. Should I accept this? Or should I ask them to re-do everything? I dont want my doors to fall off in the next few months.

Regards,

Bensra

[xyz 3]

Dear All,

I'd like to ask for some help/advice. The renovation for my house has ended, and just the other day, a few days after the renovation works ended, one of the hinges of my cabinet doors

started coming off, to my horror. I then checked it and realised the screw was loose, and so I tightened it. But while tightening it, I realise when the screw was screwed all the way in, it

could not be tightened anymore. The screw would turn but not perpetually not become tight. Hence, I realised, the reason why the hinge came off. The screws were not holding the

hinges strongly as the screws could not be tightened. The would go in all the way but could not be tightened. I then told my designer. The contractor then came and changed the screw

to a bigger sized one. This problem occured for all my doors by the way. So after the contractor left, i checked all the screws, and even the bigger ones could not be tightened. They would

go round and round into the wood but could not be tightened. True enough, another few days later, another hinge started to come off.

I told my designer and again the contractor came and told me this is as tight as it can go. "Then why does the hinge come off?", I asked him. He said let's wait and see a few more days.

My suspicion is that the hole that he drilled for all the screws must have been too deep. hence, when the screws are drove in, they can never be fully tightened as there is still space at the

back of the screw because the hole is deeper than the length of the screw. I'm meeting my designer next week. The contractor has offered advice saying they will put a sponge or plastic

cap into the hole to make it smaller and then screw the screw in. Should I accept this? Or should I ask them to re-do everything? I dont want my doors to fall off in the next few months.

Regards,

Bensra

don't accept such nonsense from your designer. They should change the whole thing else don't pay them.

Obviously when they installed the hinges, they used a wrong sized/type of screw..or the wood they use is super low quality.

[kamalbensra 0]

Hi Xyz,

Thank you for your reply. What if they say must pay them a small amount for doing up everything all over again?

I shouldn't pay anything extra right?

Edited January 20, 2013 by kamalbensra

[xyz 3]

no way. there is no reason why you should pay for their mistake. don't be shortchanged.

have you paid up 100%?

[kamalbensra 0]

Paid up about 85% already. Very disappointed with this type of work from them. The contractor some more can tell me 'if you use too much strength, definitely the screw will get loosened'. Really felt

he was giving very stupid excuses. But I didn't want to argue, so nicely told him I disagree.

[kamalbensra 0]

I'll be going down to a few screw shops these two weeks and check if these shops got slightly bigger and longer screws than the one the contractor using. When I ask the contractor

to use a bigger size, he said this is the biggest already. I somehow don't agree. If really my wood is lousy quality, I will tell them to change everything, but I think they won't do, and

may just forfeit the remaining money.

[PuffDog 0]

The screws should have bigger threads to cut and grip onto the cabinet panel, not longer.

It should be easy for your contractor to rectify unless the drilled holes are really oversize, such that the thickest screw that can be fitted through the recess of the hinge mounting plate or cup is still too small for the drilled holes.

[kamalbensra 0]

Yes, if the screw that fits has to be one that's larger than the size of the recess or inlet of the hinge, then that will be a bigger problem. i don't know if they have hinges with bigger inlets. Anyways, will wait for my designer's reply. Just a tip that I just found out (and you guys might know this already) - For wood, the most suitable screws are the ones in black.

[gettome 0]

Yes, if the screw that fits has to be one that's larger than the size of the recess or inlet of the hinge, then that will be a bigger problem. i don't know if they have hinges with bigger inlets. Anyways, will wait for my designer's reply. Just a tip that I just found out (and you guys might know this already) - For wood, the most suitable screws are the ones in black.

Not necessarily the case.

Any self-tapping wood screw will do the job, unless they are using a drilling jig to bore the holes.