Reno advice: Make the hole bigger!

I got out the drill this weekend. At first it didn't go so well. Let me explain. We picked up a 17" PBK magazine rack for the nursery. I opened the box (so far so good) and read the instructions. We needed to install two anchors and two screws. The rack even came with this paper template so that you didnt have to measure - idiot proof (or so I thought).

My first step was to call my dad and put him on speaker phone. Then I made two holes in the crumbly plaster wall - excellent progress! I hit the lathe when I drilled the first hole, but there was no push back from the second hole. Next I inserted a plug into the first hole and - snap! The plastic part broke. I still felt pretty confident so I enlarged the hole and tried again - snap! I tried a third time and you guessed it. So I put the tools away and left two holes in the wall and the shelf on the floor. Needless to say I felt like an idiot.  Dad was quite sympathetic "you never know what's behind a wall." 

Today I took another go at it. I grabbed the largest drill bit in my arsenal and made the holes bigger.  I figured that if I made a mistake, Dad could always patch up the holes and hide them behind the shelf when I got him to install it correctly, right?  But it didn't come to that. The plugs slid into the enlarged holes without much complaint. Two screws later and we now have one tiny bookshelf securely fastened to the wall.  

I mean its not like anyone ever tells you how big to make the holes.

 

  

To see more display bookshelves in kid's rooms, go see this blog here.