Why your screw keeps spinning and won't bite

Learn why screws spin without gripping, and how to fix wall plugs, pilot holes and stripped fixings so screws bite properly.

SB-01Diagnose before you force itA screw that spins without tightening means its threads have nothing solid to bite into. Stop and work out why before you keep turning it - forcing a spinning screw just chews up the hole and makes things worse. The usual causes are: the drilled hole is too big for the screw or plug, there's no pilot hole in wood, or a wall plug is spinning freely inside its hole.

SB-02Understand what a wall plug doesA wall plug (also called a rawlplug, after the brand) is a small plastic sleeve pushed into a hole drilled in masonry - brick, block or concrete. On its own, a screw can't grip solid masonry, so the plug expands against the sides of the hole as the screw drives in, and the screw grips the plug instead. Skip the plug, or mismatch it with the hole size, and the screw will just spin.

1 pack · Wall plugs (assorted pack)

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SB-03Match drill bit, plug and screw sizesCheck the packet - wall plugs are colour-coded and sized to a matching drill bit and screw gauge, usually printed on the back. Drilling with too big a bit is the most common reason plugs spin: the hole becomes too loose to grip, so the whole plug turns with the screw instead of gripping the wall. For wood, the same idea applies with a pilot hole - it should be slightly narrower than the screw's core, never the same size or bigger.

SB-04Drill the hole safelyBefore drilling into any wall, floor or ceiling, treat it as if a cable or pipe is hiding there until you prove otherwise. A cable and pipe detector reduces risk, but it does not guarantee safety - it can miss cables that run deep, sit in metal conduit, hide behind metal-backed plasterboard, or ignore the usual 'safe zones' altogether, especially in older or amateur wiring. If you have any doubt at all, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit (your fuse box) before drilling, and turn off the water at the stopcock (the valve controlling your water supply) before cutting into anything that could carry a pipe.

SB-05Feel the difference: plug gripping vs spinningPush the plug into the hole until it sits flush with the surface, tapping it gently with a hammer if it's stiff - it shouldn't need real force. Start the screw by hand or on a low drill speed, and expect resistance to build steadily as it goes in. If the screw turns freely with no increasing resistance, or you can feel the whole plug moving, stop - it isn't gripping.

SB-06Fix a hole that's already strippedIf a hole has worn too big - the plug spins, or a screw in wood just turns without tightening - don't jam in a bigger screw and hope. In masonry, remove the plug, then step up one size of drill bit and plug, or pack the hole with filler and re-drill once it's dry. In wood, glue a wooden matchstick or cocktail stick into the hole, snap it off flush, let it dry fully, then drill a fresh pilot hole through the middle.

1 small tub · General-purpose filler

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1 small bottle · Wood glue

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SB-07Check you've actually got a solid fixOnce the screw is fully driven, grip whatever you've fixed - a bracket, a socket faceplate, a batten - and give it a firm wiggle and pull. It should feel solid with no movement or grinding. If the screw spun on its last few turns instead of tightening, or the fixing rocks under light pressure, it hasn't bitten properly - take it out and fix the hole rather than trusting a weak fixing.

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