The original strike plate for the deadbolt is mounted with 2 screws on top and 2 screws on bottom. I'm replacing the whole deadbolt and the new strike plate only has 1 screw on top and 1 screw on bottom.
So if I were to screw in the new strike plate down the middle of the old holes, it will probably merge together into one big horizontal gap.
I want to fill up the holes, should I use Minwax Wood Filler for this?
I also heard of a method to use a bunch of toothpicks with wood glue to fill the hole. Which method would be stronger?
Best Answer
Wood filler alone may not fill the entire depth of the screw holes. I would use a piece of dowel, toothpicks, golf tee, or a carved piece of wood covered in wood glue and fitted tightly into the holes. Using the wood and glue method will give you a nice dense fill so the new screw will not split the remaining original casing.