Pro Handyman Blog

If you’ve ever worked with wood, particularly hardwood, you know how easy it is to split a piece of wood when twisting a screw into it. Here are a few handyman tricks to avoid splitting that nice piece of hardwood.

Softwoods, like pine, will easily accept a screw into it without splitting. The wood fibers compress enough to allow the screw to penetrate the wood without damaging it. Hardwoods, like oak, will split if you don’t take a few steps first.

The easiest way to avoid splitting hardwood is to pre-drill the hole. The diameter of the hole should be about the same size as the shank of the screw or slightly smaller. You can hold up a drill bit next to the screw to determine the sizing.

Another trick is to lubricate the screw before you install it. Use a bar of soap and rub the screw threads on the bar of soap. The soap will flake off on the screw and as the screw passes into the wood, the soap will act as a lubricant. It really makes a huge difference. Just don’t use liquid soap! Bar soap will dramatically lessen the chances of snapping off a screw will trying to bulldoze it into the wood.