6 Best Wood Fillers For Screw Holes

If you've ever stripped a screw in a hole, you know the importance of a good wood filler. What fillers can serve several different purposes and can be used on almost any type of wood surface. But which brands are the best? We've researched some of the best wood fillers on the market today, and we'll talk about them in this post.

Here are a few highly recommended wood fillers that are best used for screw holes:

Abatron WoodEpox Replacement Compound
Minwax 12-ounce High-Performance Wood Filler
Elmer’s Carpenter’s Wood Filler Tube
FamoWood Latex Wood Filler
J-B Weld Wood Epoxy Adhesive
3M Bondo Home Solutions Wood Filler

It's always good to know the type of wood filler you'll need before starting a repair project. All fillers aren't created equal, and some types work better for specific applications. Continue reading to learn more.

Choosing The Right Wood Filler

There are different types of wood filler solutions for you to choose from. Fillers can be made from various materials such as water, oil, latex, and epoxy. If you have a job where you're looking to repair a wood surface to sand and paint, an epoxy-based solution may be best for you.

Or, if you're working with older or weathered wood, an oil-based solution may be better at filling the cracks and coating the wood. Also, water-based wood filler works best for interior or exterior smooth surfaces that will be painted.

Highly Recommended Wood Fillers

1. Abatron WoodEpox Replacement Compound

This wood filler compound comes in a 2-quart repair kit and is perfect for larger home renovation jobs. It comes with a hardener and a resin paste that can be combined for superior wood repair. Surprisingly it's a lightweight filler and worked great for painting, trimming, and molding. The filler hardens relatively fast and can be ready to go in about 1 to 2 hours.

This is also a non-shrinking formula that can withstand almost any type of weather condition. You can also use this formula for outdoor and indoor wood repair solutions. It's perfect for rebuilding large sections of wood frames such as furniture, doors, window frames, and other structural elements.

2. Minwax 12-ounce High-Performance Wood Filler

Here is another high-performance epoxy-based formula that can work on both professional and DIY wood repairs. If you have damaged wood and need restoration or a minor repair, here's the wood filler for you. This filler can be easily drilled into, sanded, plain, or nailed once it dries. Not only does it offer superb security, but it's also weather-resistant.

This is a two-part formula that can be used to repair gouges, holes, or large cracks. So whether you have holes in your deck from birds and other animals or damaged wooden trim from a water pipe burst, this solution can get the job done. You can also use this formula to bond two non-wood materials: concrete, ceramic, fiberglass, and metal.

Learn more about this wood filler on Amazon.

3. Elmer’s Carpenter’s Wood Filler Tube

If you have a minor repair job to perform, this glue will work perfectly for it. This filler is great for repairing small holes, gaps, dents, and surface scratches on floorboards, walls, trim, and other wood surfaces. One of its biggest benefits is that it dries hard and fast, meaning you won't have to hold any pieces in place for extended periods of time.

It's also resistant to cracking and shrinking and can securely hold your anchors and screws in place. You'll be happy to know that you can also sand this filler after it's dried so that you can apply a paint or stain. This solvent is a water-based formula, meaning it is very easy to clean up and re-wet if it gets dry during the application process.

4. FamoWood Latex Wood Filler

If you are a cabinet maker or Furniture restore, this fast-drying sealer can give you the professional results that you are looking for. Or, if you're an at-home DIYer who needs a quality wood repair solution, your search may come to an end once you try this would be a filler solution. This water-based formula contains wood flour, making it consistent with the texture of real would want to drive.

After this formula cure is within 20 to 30 minutes, it can be nailed, planed, sanded, drilled, painted, or stained. You'll also be happy to learn that this formula comes in 10 different colors to match a variety of different wood grains and textures. The solution goes on evenly and dries smoothly without cracking, shrinking, or crumbling.

Find out more details about this wood filler on Amazon.

5. J-B Weld Wood Epoxy Adhesive

If you need a fast-setting epoxy formula for heavy wood repair jobs, the solution is it. Here is a wood filler that will set in about 5 to 7 minutes and cure entirely within approximately 1 to 3 hours. As the sealer dries, it will not shrink or crack but form a hard rock surface with a tensile strength of about 1700 PSI.

After the wood filler cures, it can be filed, solid, nailed, stained, and painted. It works perfectly on both large and small surfaces, making it versatile for various wood repair applications. Whether you have a small hole in your desk or large areas of rotting wood in a column or beam, this solution can repair the wood.

Learn more about it on Amazon.

6. 3M Bondo Home Solutions Wood Filler

This high-quality wood filler by Bondo is one of the best formulas on the market. If you are a professional looking for a solid wood filler that can work on various types of repairs, here is one to consider. This professional wood filler is ready to go in less than 30 minutes. Once it dries, it can be painted, sawed, nailed, and sanded.

This permanent filler can also be stained and has a low viscosity index--meaning that it can penetrate fairly deeply to ensure a solid stain. This wood filler comes in a pack of one or four. This formula is also non-shrinking, exceptionally durable, and works well to replace damaged or worn wood sections in most jobs.

Check out this wood filler on Amazon.

How do you fix a stripped screw hole in wood?

If you have stripped a screw inside the hole, you'll first need to remove the screw to continue to use it. Depending on the surface, you can typically remove the screw using a pair of needle-nose pliers. When it comes to filling the hole, there are a few options that you can choose from. You can use a wood filler and insert it in the hole to replace the missing wood.

Once it dries, you'll be able to screw into it again. You can also use small pieces of scrap wood, depending on the size of the hole. Lastly, you can also use small wooden sticks to help fill up the gap in the hole. Again, it depends on the size of the hole. If you use wood sticks or scrapped wood, be sure to push the wood deep inside the hole to have a tight fit and adequately secure the screw when it's installed.

Can you reuse screw holes in wood?

You can re-use screw holes in wood as long as they are small enough for the screw placed inside the hole. If the holes are jagged or too loose, the screw will not be secured once it is screwed into place. If you don't have enough room to place another hole, you can always fill the hole with a quality wood filler, let it cure, and use it with a different screw.

Will epoxy wood filler hold a screw?

Yes. Epoxy wood filler is the hardest type of wood filler available on the market. When this type of wood filler dries, it hardens to the surface of real wood, making it easy to sand, paint, nail, and screw. If you're looking for a wood filler with the structural capacity to hold screws and heavy objects, epoxy wood filler is the best way to go.

Can wood filler be painted?

Yes. You can paint wood filler, though it's best to find a solvent or water-based wood filler as they tend to be more sustainable than oil-based wood fillers. Depending on the size of the area that you're looking to paint, it may be best to first sand and prime the area before applying the coat of paint.

Wrapping Things Up

We hope this post has been helpful and illustrating the different types of wood filler available. Remember, all wood floors aren't created equal, so it's best to look at the features that come with a specific wood filler before deciding to use it on your next project.