Do you need to know how to fill hinge holes because you've taken off doors and the hinge slots are visible? I'm sharing a step-by-step tutorial for just that!

Just a quick heads up if you are a regular follower here, this project was done a few years ago so some of the photos of our son's room will represent that. We were in the process of building the built-in reading loft then and that's how we came to needing a way to fill empty hinge slots.

How To Fill Hinge Holes or hinge slots in a doorframe

After taking off the doors of the closet in our son's room, were were left with hinge holes that needed to be filled. We had never done this type of thing before but figured we could get the hinge slots filled with scrap wood instead of replacing the trim.

So, if you are wondering...

Can you fill in door hinge holes?

Yes, you can. It's relatively easy to cut a piece of wood to fill the hinge slot in a doorframe.

Before Filling Hinge Slots

Step by Step Tutorial for How to Fill Hinge Holes

Pretty unattractive, right? In our bathroom, a few years ago, we took the shortcut and just painted in the holes. It doesn't look pretty, but what do you expect when you take the shortcut, right?

Because of that project and others recently, we are trying not to take the shortcuts; or at least not to when it matters. This project is visible and it's going to be such a cute area, so we didn't want a "bad" DIY to detract from that.

Alright, let's get to the project!

DIY Tutorial for Filling Hinge Holes In Doors by Bigger Than The Three Of Us (6 of 7)

Supplies Needed for Filling Old Hinge Positions

Piece of Scrap Wood of choice (more on that below!)
Pencil
Hinge from mortises to use as a guide
Miter Saw
Box Knife
Sandpaper
Wood Glue
Brad Gun and Nail
Orbital Sander
Wood caulk
Paint

Cutting wood to put in a mortise in a doorframe

Selecting Wood for Filling Hinge Mortise

After measuring the hinge and playing around with scrap wood for the sizing, Luke realized that the hole was almost EXACTLY the same size as the end of a 2x4. Because our woodworking skills and tools at the time of this project were beginner, he thought it would be best to use the end of a 2x4 to fit in the hinge mortise.

One thing to note about this choice is the pattern of the grain. Because we decided to cut down the 2x4, the grain of the 2x4 was very visible. If you want to elevate this project more (and we would do this today as our skills have developed since then), we would use the face of a piece of wood to fill the hinge hole instead of the butt cut of a 2x4 piece of wood. You'll see more of what I'm talking about below.

Tutorial for filling in hinge holes and screws

How to Fill Hinge Holes or Hinge Slots

Using the hinge as a template for depth, trace across the 2x4.
Using a miter saw, cut the 2x4 at the depth of the trace.
Check for fit on door frame before continuing.
Trim with a box knife and sand to get a perfect fit.
Apply wood glue and use a brad nailer to tack in to place.
Let dry.
Sand (we used an orbital sander for this).
Apply a good primer.
Caulk if needed.
Finish with top coat of paint.

They turned out really well for how we did the project. In person, the grain isn't very noticeable at all. If you are looking for them then you can find them, but I don't think most people will be looking for our hinge holes. LOL.

As I was updating this post, I did see that you can buy hinge filler plates. If you don't feel confident enough to try this project at home, measure your hinge slot and then purchase plates like these.

Closet Reading Loft with Wood Trim

Like I mentioned earlier, the need to fill the hinge slots came about because we created a reading loft in our son's room. Here's how the whole loft area with the filled hinge holes turned out!

Loft closet in kids room — Boy Room Reveal | Wood Floors

I hope you feel like you can tackle a project like this! The more you try things, the better you'll get. You can do it!

Yield: 1

How to Fill Hinge Holes

Do you need to know how to fill hinge holes because you’ve taken off doors and the hinge slots are visible? I’m sharing a step-by-step tutorial for just that!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Active Time 1 hour

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes

Materials

Piece of Scrap Wood of choice (more on that below!)
Hinge from mortises to use as a guide
Wood Glue
Wood caulk
Paint

Tools

Pencil
Brad Gun and Nail
Orbital Sander
Miter Saw
Box Knife
Sandpaper

Instructions

Using the hinge as a template for depth, trace across the 2x4.
Using a miter saw, cut the 2x4 at the depth of the trace.
Check for fit on door frame before continuing.
Trim with a box knife and sand to get a perfect fit.
Apply wood glue and use a brad nailer to tack in to place.
Let dry.
Sand (we used an orbital sander for this).
Apply a good primer.
Caulk if needed.
Finish with top coat of paint.

Notes

SELECTING WOOD FOR FILLING HINGE MORTISE

After measuring the hinge and playing around with scrap wood for the sizing, Luke realized that the hole was almost EXACTLY the same size as the end of a 2×4. Because our woodworking skills and tools at the time of this project were beginner, he thought it would be best to use the end of a 2×4 to fit in the hinge mortise.

One thing to note about this choice is the pattern of the grain. Because we decided to cut down the 2×4, the grain of the 2×4 was very visible. If you want to elevate this project more (and we would do this today as our skills have become better), we would use the face of a piece of wood to fill the hinge hole with instead of the butt cut of a 2×4 piece of wood. You’ll see more of what I’m talking about below.

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