We all have experienced the moment when we have drilled a hole that ends up being too big. Now your screw won’t fit into the hole. Your next option is to drill a new hole. But what if you need to hang your portrait exactly in that place? Moreover, when making a new hole, you need to find ways to seal the already existing hole. Drilling holes is always preferred over punching. But many people don’t know what to do if you drill a hole too big.
Our simple tips and tricks will help you figure out how to fix a screw hole that is too big in wood, drywall, or metal so that you can fix your curtain rail, coat rack, or picture hook. Therefore, the methods you use to fix large holes in wood, concrete, drywall, and metal will differ from each other.
So In this article, we have come up with different ways to solve this problem. We will go through each method and give you a wide knowledge of fixing a large hole.
What Causes A Big Hole When Drilling?
Doing DIYs or doing maintenance around the home requires drilling most of the time. But you need to be careful and take precautions so that you don’t end up making a hole too big.
Most people learn this the hard way only after they have damaged their walls. We don’t want you to repeat the same. So we have come up with essential tips to avoid disaster while drilling holes in your walls.
- Not Understanding The Surface Material: You shouldn’t drill into your walls before understanding the type of material of your wall. Walls are made up of concrete, wood, and drywall. You need to figure out your wall type and choose the drill bit according to your wall type.
- Using a Larger Drill Bit: Using a large drill bit is the reason for oversized holes in most cases. So, make sure the drill bit is slightly smaller than the screw.
- Vibration: When you are not able to hold your drill rigid enough, there will be vibration which can result in the hole becoming elliptical, tapered, and enlarging the size of the hole. So, hold your drill machine tight enough to avoid vibration.
- Drill runout: Drill runout is the condition where the drill bit does not rotate exactly in line with the main axis. Therefore when drilling the bit will rotate eccentrically and will result in a larger hole than the actual size of the drill bit.
What To Do If You Drill A Hole Too Big
Many a time, while drilling a hole it becomes much bigger than the actual required size. Now your screw won’t fit into the hole.
So, in this article, we will go through 10 methods that will give you a wide knowledge of fixing big holes. This will help you solve all your problems.
Method 1: Go For Larger Screws
If you can simply use a larger screw, why go through the hassle of filling the hole or trying to plug the gap to make the screw fit tightly. Just choose a screw thicker so that it will fit into the larger hole.
Make sure the screw is not larger than your hole. If this is the case, you need to increase the size of your hole.
Also, the thicker the screw, the longer it will be. So, before you choose a big screw, make sure it is not too long or too big for whatever you intend to use it
Method 2: Using Toothpicks Or Matchsticks
Filling toothpicks or matchsticks into a big hole is one of the most common and easiest methods used to adjust a hole too big.
Fill the existing hole with glue and insert the toothpicks. Here, the toothpicks will work as shims. Allow for the glue to dry out completely until the toothpicks are well stabilized and tightened in the hole.
Once dried, trim the edges to make the surface flat. Now your large hole is ready to be used again for drilling screws into it.
Method 3: Using Rawl Plugs
Rawl plugs are great to be used on concrete. They act as excellent filler items to be used on large holes in concrete.
Simply insert the rawl plug into the large hole such that it has a very good grip into the hole. Then you can easily drill the required screw into the hole without having to worry about the large hole.
Method 4: Using Wooden Dowels
If your screw will hold more weight, then a wooden dowel will be a better option as compared to toothpicks or rawl plugs.
You just need to find the right size of wooden dowel for the hole. Even if you don’t find the right size of the dowel, you can always increase the hole size such that the dowel fits perfectly.
Remember to insert the glue into the hole before you insert the wooden dowel so that you get a strong grip. Now you can easily drill the screw once the glue dries up.
Method 5: Using Toggle Bolts
Toggle bolts also known as butterfly anchors due to their shape are best suited to be used on hollow walls such as drywalls.
They are also capable of supporting a great amount of load and will be the best option for you if you have made a large hole in your drywall.
Method 6: Using A Hole Repair Kit
If you don’t want to try any of these methods and simply want a ready-made solution to your problem, you can go for a hole repair kit available online.
This type of hole repair kit will fill the hole to screw in again. The kit comes with wall putty, a putty knife, and a sanding pad to fine it down.
Apply the putty into the existing hole and fine it down with the help of the putty knife. Once the putty is completely dried, give it a good finish with the help of the sanding pad.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed all that you can do if you have drilled a large hole. Some of them are good for wood and some for concrete.
We have also discussed methods to fix a drill hole in the drywall and on metals. You can go through each of the methods and select the one that is good for you.
Try fixing the hole using these methods and save your time and money. Let me know in the comments below if any of these methods worked for you.
I have shared some amazon links of the products discussed. You can get them now to repair your hole.
- Rawl plugs: Leanking Plastic Wall Anchors 300 Pieces
- Wooden Dowels: Dowel Rods Wood Stick 25 Pieces
- Toggle Bolts: Swpeet Assorted 24 Pcs Toggle Bolt
- Hole Repair Kit: 3M SHR-SIOCKIT High Strength Small Hole Repair Kit
FAQ: What To Do If You Drill A Hole Too Big?
As a lot of people don’t know the right way to fix a large drilled hole, they have some common questions on their minds. Here we have tried to clear those doubts in the FAQ section of this article.
Q1. What Causes A Drilled Hole To Be Oversized?
Ans: There are many reasons for oversized drilled holes but the most common ones are because of the wrong drill bit, drill runout, and vibrations.
Q2. How Much Weight Can A Rawl Plug Hold?
Ans: The weight a rawl plug can hold depends on the size of the plug. However, rawl plug can hold weight up to 5-8 kgs. They are designed only for low-weight items like paintings, mirrors, clocks, etc.
Q3. How Do I Choose The Right Drill Bit Size?
Ans: When you want to drill a hole in your walls or on wooden furniture, the drill bit you choose should be slightly smaller in diameter than the screw diameter. For example: If your screw diameter is 5mm, you should a drill bit of size 4.5mm.
Q4. How Can You Repair A Hole In Metal Without Welding?
Ans: When you don’t want to weld, you can use epoxy to fill the hole and then secure the epoxy with the help of a primer. You can also use duct tape which is easily available. UV Repair patches are also great for fixing these holes.