Loft Conversion

Repair bolt hole in wood?

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 2.58 PM

The house we've just bought has a converted loft room with pull down collapsible steps. Recently, we realised the steps weren't staying down on their own, and, have tracked it down to a bolt that has come out (and disappeared!) holding the steps to the loft opening. There are four bolts in total (two each side) so the steps are still pretty secure when down. The issue is that when the bolt has come out, it appears to have torn a bit of the wood it's attached into. Not too badly, but, the hole is now bigger than a replacement bolt would be. Is there any way to repair the hole in the wood to refit a bolt, without having to take the steps out and replace the whole beam? Thanks