how do I repair a stripped out screw hole in the wall

Took me awhile to find my post again because I was searching the wrong rv forum. . .arghhh!
A piece of three quarter inch diameter dowel rod glued into the hole with gorilla glue did the trick. Drilled a pilot hole and screwed the spool back in - it's holding the tension from the shade cord nicely!

TO AO hitech: yes, I definitely will drill a pilot. Thanks!!!

For larger holes I have used several tooth picks, as many as six. However, using a dowel is basically the same thing. I would drill a small pilot hole in the dowel prior to replacing the screw.

To Mocoondo: I suspect the tension spool must have taken several direct sideways hits when people swiveled the chair around. When the chair is in it's "locked for travel" position, the back of the chair sits VERY close to the wall/window. The chair is supposed to be slid away from the wall BEFORE it gets swiveled! I guess I need to put a warning sign on that chair for future guests??? Before it got knocked out of the wall the tension spool was screwed into a standard plastic anchor. I suppose the multiple hits jarred the anchor/screw back and forth in the hole enough times that it enlarged the hole in the wall.
TO AO hitech: hole too large for the toothpick trick. I'll post again after I can get a piece of dowel glued in. Hopefully that will hold.
In case anyone is wondering, why not just attach it in a new location, there's not enough extra cord on either side of the shade to allow for moving the tension spools down. I don't want to have to re-string the dang shade unless it's a last resort.

rk911 wrote:

donn0128 wrote:
Down and dirty simple fix? Take a tooth pick and some Elmer's glue. Apply a small amount of glue to the tooth pick and shove it in the hole. Once the glue is dry, replace the screw. Good for nearly ever. BTW this is a great fix for particle board holes too.

been using this trick for a while now and donn's right...the repaired hole will hold for a long, long time. but, depending on the size of the hole, you may need more than one toothpick.

I can't tell you how many stripped holes I've fixed that way. I don't think I have ever had to do the repair twice. :)

Sarah-in-Montana wrote:
And the self screwing anchor wouldn't work either because the hole in the wall is larger than the head on the anchor so it comes right back out of the hole.

What the heck was holding your shade spool down to leave that big a hole in the first place?

Don't know why my update shows a 3.4" dowel; I thought I typed 3 quarter inch which is what I meant. Arghhh

Update - brought home 3 options from the hardware store and none worked. What appears to be foam insulation in the wall is preventing the anchor wings from opening in the wall. And the self screwing anchor wouldn't work either because the hole in the wall is larger than the head on the anchor so it comes right back out of the hole. At this point I'm thinking the only hopeful solution is to glue a slice of 3.4" diameter wood dowel in the hole, let it dry, then drill a pilot hole and hope it will hold the cord tensioner spool in place. Good news was I didn't need to restring the shade; when I removed the bottom rail I was lucky enough to find the missing cord end was inside the rail and not broken!

Depending on the application, I will use toggle bolts or these:



The toggle bolt is great for a permanent item such as a towel bar. The screw in wall anchors are great if you ever think you will have to remove the item.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I'll go to the hardware and big box store today and see what I can bring home to give it a go. I'll let you know how we do.