DIY Network

Using the right tools for the right job can mean the difference between success and doing it over.

This one was sent in by Jennifer from Fayetteville, North Carolina.  She was trying to hang a small shelf on the wall to hold cell phones, keys and other light-weight items.  She decided to use molly bolts to hold the screws that secure the shelf to the wall.  To this point she had a well-thought-out plan.

So what went wrong?  She tried to push the molly bolt into the wall using a screw driver without first drilling a pilot hole.  Once the molly ground its way through the wall, it and the screwdriver continued through creating a big hole.

 To have completed the job properly, Jennifer first needed to drill a pilot hole the diameter of the molly bolt, then use a hammer to tap the molly in flush to the wall.  She could then hold the shelf up to the wall and use a screwdriver to secure it.

Do you have a similar story?  Share it with us and tell us how you resolved it.

Warren Seegers is the producer of the home improvement TV reality show The Edifice Venture, tool expert for DIYNetwork.com and was a finalist on DIY Network’s Stud Finder 2009.