Home Handyman
Yesterday I put up a lovely ikea coat rack (as seen in the image) at our place. Before I go any further though I must warn you that if you visit it may not be a good idea to actually hang anything on it… this is what happened…
I got out the stud finder, a fantastic piece of equipment, and found that there was a piece of wood running horizontal in a fantastic spot behind the main door.
So I drilled the whole on the right, through the plasterboard and into the wood, fantastic, then I went to drill the one on the left, through the plaster board, and then into air, no wood!! Ok, so maybe there’s a bit of a gap for someone reason as the stud finder told me there was wood there, so I grabbed a longer screw, which took ages to find as I’m not stocked up on that sort of stuff, and then grabbed a drill bit to suite which was also longer. I drilled the whole and still nothing but air!! What the!!
I checked with the stud finder and found that it was still telling me there was wood there. Then someone said did you do the old fashioned knock test? No, of course not I have modern technology and therefore no need for that!!
But look I’ll do it…
Oh! no wood there, it stops just to the right of that, bummer!
I then grabbed, I don’t know what they’re called, but they have like a spring loaded V thing on the end of a screw that you drill a big hole for and put in the wall and it springs open so you can hold something up when there’s no wood behind the plasterboard.
So I grabbed my biggest drill bit and drilled, and for interest sake I pushed it all the way in, still nothing but air… anyway, I already had a solution…
Then I put the screw thingy with the V through the coat rack and into the wall only, I didn’t hear it click open but I wasn’t sure if I would, so I turned the screwed a little but then worked out it wasn’t working so I pulled it back out, and ripped a off a chunk of plasterboard about half the thickness of itself and twice the diameter of the whole. Oops! But there was still plasterboard there so I continued.
After quite a few attempts, and countersinking the head of the screw heaps into the coat rack I was able to get it to click open, I think, so I screwed it in and all seems fine.
Nat went to hang something on it, I gave her fair warning that I didn’t know if it would actually hold anything but now it’s main purpose was to hide a hole in the wall. She put a scarf on it, I was worried, but it is still up!
I even noticed a jacket on it this morning, she’s living on the edge I tell you!!
So if you need any handy man work done I’m more than happy to help.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Ha.
July 1st, 2009 at 8:51 am
I would just like to point out that there is still a coat on the coat rack AND a hockey stick bag holding, not just 1, but 2 hockey sticks & a hockey stick ball!!! They have all been there for 2 days and the thing doesn’t even look like it’s falling off!
I have faith in you my manly man man!
July 1st, 2009 at 11:10 am
Look, I’m not saying anything Nat (but rather implying it), but I’d like to share an observation I made this morning.
I noticed that the hockey stick bag, which you pointed out that there was quite a bit of weight to, was hung on the end that you know has the screw that made it into the solid bit of timber behind the plasterboard, and in fact is on the very hook that covers that screw. Therefore I believe the entire weight is supported on the ‘good’ screw.
And the coat is on the very next hook to that so I guess a lot of the weight again is on that screw and not the dodgy one that I’m not sure if it made it all the way through the wall…
So although I’m not sure you should but you’re not really showing me faith in the other end… none the less thanks for what faith you have shown.
July 1st, 2009 at 11:21 am
I was only following instructions so therefore I am a good & faithful wife am I not?
July 1st, 2009 at 11:40 am
My instructions were don’t hang anything on it!! When you wouldn’t listen to that I just gave in and said ok then hang it on the right… but a hockey bag?! You’re just asking for trouble!!
Also, I believe that if you had that much faith in it you would have ignored the instructions and hung it on the other end, therefore what I implied still stands…
PS. Why is the smile on your smiley face bigger than mine?? We both know I’m the one who has been blessed with the large smile in real life, so why not on my own blog too?!
July 1st, 2009 at 4:21 pm
oooo…way harsh…
How’s this for a smiley face then!
:p
July 1st, 2009 at 4:22 pm
damn, that one didn’t work
I’m trickier than you that’s why my smiley face is bigger…and maybe your smile in real life is bigger than mine because you’re married to me!
July 6th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Have you looked lately?