Fixing door handle securely to MDF door

[Klaus_K]

Hi folks, this is probably a dumb question with no possible answer, but the people on this site have helped me so often in the past, I thought I'd give it a try.

I have a MDF type door, where the wood around the handle area is little more than simple hardboard. I have a decorative door handle that is fixed to this surface, using three brass screws in each corner.

Unfortunately, after a few years of use, I find that the screws start pulling out from the 'wood' - one day soon it's going to come off completely.

So, what I'm looking for is some suggestion for strengthening the hole into which the screws are screwed (or any other approach that people can think of ).

In an ideal world, I'd have four bolts going through the entire thickness of the door, but this would not look very attractive and would probably be overkill. Rawlplugs of some kind might help, but the door isn't thick enough to take most of the common sorts. Even then, the plug can't be *that* much stronger than the wood into which it is drilled, so that might not be the solution.

OK, I think I've described the problem as best I can - any advice will be most gratefully received

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Do you have a door handle on the other side? Or is this a cupboard door?

 

[Klaus_K]

It's an interior door, with handles on both side.

 

[Burnerman]

I use long series electrical screws and nuts.....3.5mm, drill right through - or at least from each side
The nut is a bit ugly, but so is a multi holed door! The remaining thread is cut off and filed flush when all is tightened up.
John

 

[OwainDIYer]

Drill in from the edge of the door and insert a dowel, at the level of the handle fixing screw, so the handle screw goes into dowel not MDF.

 

[Klaus_K]

I finally solved this using a variant of the dowel approach - I drilled through the depth of the door and glued a dowel in place. The hardest part was drilling a 16mm hole. After that, the rest of it was easy - thanks for the suggestions diynot rools!!

 

[RyanJone34]

Hi Klaus, sounds like you resolved it now, but going fwds if you ever face this problem again then using a filler made up from wood glue, saw dust, match sticks and cocktail sticks you can fill the holes, leave to set then screw into them again, with lasting results. I found this solution and many others to DIY issues here ************