Fixings, furniture and painting

A shelf or curtain rail is loose. Should I tighten the screw harder?

A rotating plug or crumbling hole will not regain strength through harder tightening.

NAPREMO guide · Updated: 4 November 2026.

What you can do

  1. Unload the item only if it is safe; keep clear of a loose heavy cabinet.
  2. Check without pulling whether the bracket, screw or surrounding wall is moving.
  3. For a light item, gently tighten only a loose bracket screw in a stable plug and wall. Stop if it spins or pulls out. Any replacement fixing must match the substrate and load.

How to tell whether it helped

An empty shelf feeling firm does not confirm its load capacity. Do not test it by hanging on it or adding heavy weights.

When to stop

Stop for a damaged hole, crumbling wall or unknown cable and pipe routes. Do not blindly fit a bigger plug or drill another hole.

How NAPREMO can help

NAPREMO can select a repair for the wall and load. Show the whole item and the damaged fixing in your photos.

Technical references

All advice and FAQ