My attempt to build a floating shelf in my old Austin apartment ended with a hole in the wall

I was so sure I'd found the studs with my cheap stud finder, but after I drilled in the last bracket and put a single book on the shelf, the whole thing ripped out of the drywall. Turns out I was just hitting old pipes, and the left side bracket left a fist-sized hole. I had to patch it with a cereal box and spackle before my lease was up. Anyone else have a wall repair story that was way more work than the original project?

3 comments

3 Comments

black.margaret11d ago

Tbh I had to learn the hard way too. A small drywall patch kit and a can of matching paint saved me next time.

craig.reese11d ago

Oh man, that's the real pro tip right there. I went from a huge ugly hole to a tiny barely-there spot in like an hour. The key is getting that putty smooth before it dries. I used an old gift card as a scraper and it worked perfect. Now I keep a kit under the sink for all my clumsy moments.

leo2381d ago

I read a home repair column that said to dampen the area around the hole first. It helps the spackle bond better and stops the drywall paper from bubbling up. That little step made a huge difference the last time I patched a doorknob dent.

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