Smart Ways to Remove a Screw with a Stripped Head

Any DIYer must have encountered a screw with a stripped head, tried to work it further, just to have it get more stripped. How frustrating!  Here are some solutions you can try next time - and tell us what works for you.

Rubber band to the rescue

(Image by Michael Walter, hosted on and licensed from Unsplash.com) 

Find a small strip of rubber band, a wider one is better.  Place the rubber band on the tip of the driver bit (or screwdriver) and stretch it to avoid slack.  The rubber band should be able to fill in the striped areas of the screw head, and hopefully it will catch when you turn.

Nick a notch

(Image by WikimediaImages, hosted on and licensed from Pixabay)

You can also cut a notch or slot in the screw head using a hacksaw.  Once you have it deep enough, use a slotted screwdriver to bring out the screw.

(Image by saulhm, hosted on and licensed from Pixabay)

Pull it with pliers

This pair of pliers is available on Tools Warehouse, a partner merchant of Renovator Store.

Pick up your pair of vice-grip pliers (or maybe regular pliers could work too) and clamp it around the screw head.  Start turning until you free the screw.  (Warning: Be careful not to scratch the surface where the screw is buried.)

Drill in to draw it out

Special extractor bits are available on Tools Warehouse, a partner merchant of Renovator Store.

Get a tapered screw extractor bit, one that is smaller than the screw and turns the opposite way of the screw.  Use the special bit to carefully pull the screw out.

Extract it with an electric drill

(Image by Sidney Pierce, hosted on and licensed from Unsplash.com) 

If the screw is not all the way in, you can take a drill, widen the chuck, and tighten it around the screw head.  Switch your drill to reverse then gently extract the screw out.

So which one works/worked for you?