One evening, I was getting my daughter ready for a bath. I walked her into the bathroom and put her in the tub. As I bent my knees to sit on the ground, I didn't check my clearance from the toilet paper holder, and my butt took it out, drywall anchors and all...
Sad day.
Mostly because of the lack of grace I demonstrated in that moment. It was quite stupid...
Anyways, I put it off for so long because I know how unpleasant it is to patch drywall and make it look seamless. It's one of those things that I hate to do and I have so much respect for the people who do it seamlessly day in and day out. It's a true art form...
So, while perusing through Pinterest one day, I came across a Pin that showed a piece of reclaimed wood on the wall with a toilet paper holder on it. It was a bit primitive, and my wife wasn't too fond of the idea. Then, I found a Pin with a reclaimed wood pattern on the holder; this gave it a little something extra that I loved. So, I decided to make one for myself!
So here's a look at the carnage beforehand. Not pretty...
When I fixed this the first time, I couldn't get a cross stud to work, so I used drywall anchors. Needless to say, that won't be happening again! I've got a better plan!
I started off with a frame, which was about 12"X10". This is a good size to cover up the damage and sizable enough for a nice design. I made it out of 1.5" wide 3/4" pine. I used wood glue and staples on the backside to connect each of the sides...
Then, I clamped the frame together and let the glue dry fully before handling.
The next day, I gathered up the reclaimed wood scraps I had...
I wanted a nice color scheme to compliment the colors in our guest bathroom, and these colors of wood fit perfectly. I cut them all to the appropriate length and placed them inside the frame. Some of the wood pieces were too thick, so they were shaved down a little bit before being mocked up.
I put the reclaimed wood design to the side and prepped the frame for stain...
I decided on Dark Walnut stain for the frame because we have mostly espresso finish in the guest bathroom right now, so it will look more cohesive...
I also cut a piece of 1/2" pressed plywood to the same basic shape as the frame, but left about 1/2" around the whole perimeter of the frame. My plan is to recess the frame into the wall so the frame sits flush against the wall surface...
Next up was to prepare the wall!
I took the backer board wood I just cut and set it against the wall over the damage. Then, I traced around the outside of the wood with a pencil.
After that, I ran a utility knife blade over the pencil lines to score the drywall...
Once the drywall was scored, I ran a serrated drywall knife all the way through the drywall.
Then, my favorite part!
Bye bye wall!
I evened out the edges of the hole a little bit. Then, I took the piece of plywood I planned on using for the frame to make sure it's going to fit...
Like a glove!
But before I move on, I want to make sure that this setup won't be coming off the wall anytime soon!
So, I pinned a 2X4 in between the wall studs and screwed it into the existing studs using pocket holes.
To make the pocket holes, I used my Kreg jig on the thickest setting and used 2.5" Kreg screws to attach it to the studs once in place.
Back to the frame!
I attached the plywood backer board to the frame with wood screws, making sure that equal space was left around the back of the frame to sit on the wall surface.
At this point, I gave the frame a thorough poly spray with water-based, semi-gloss spray-on polyurethane. The furniture in the bathroom is semi-gloss finish, so I thought it would match well.
After letting it dry fully, it's time to install!
I screwed the frame into the studs using 2" screws. I also put Liquid Nails on the backside of the frame before screwing it into place, just for added security. After all these measures, it doesn't look like it's going anywhere!
Now that the frame is in, it's time to place the inset reclaimed wood pieces!
I placed each piece of reclaimed wood using wood glue to secure it to the backer board and the frame.
I placed some painter's tape over the wood while it was drying to make sure the wood pieces stayed put. I checked on it the next day...
I really lucked out on this reclaimed wood! Because I definitely made a mistake!
Turns out, painter's tape takes off reclaimed wood surface finish! Luckily, I'm going for a rustic look, so it's no big deal. But it's definitely good to note!
For the final step before re-installing the toilet paper holder, I sprayed the reclaimed wood with the same poly that I used on the frame and let it fully dry...
I leveled out the toilet paper holder and made a couple discreet marks to give me an idea of where I had to drill the pilot holes. Then, I the drilled holes through the reclaimed wood, backerboard and the studs (when possible).
I used long screws to complete the installation of the holder on the reclaimed wood front.
A simple roll of toilet paper is all that's needed to finish her off!
Now, like I said, I really hate doing drywall work. It never works out well for me and it always looks bumpy.
I'm not saying that I'll never do drywall work again, but this convenient little project saved me some time and aggravation! And, it's really unique and decorative. It also feels so much more secure!
Sometimes, avoidance does pay off! I waited so long to get this fixed because I didn't want to deal with drywall again. So long, in fact, that another idea popped into my head! And, I think it looks so much better than it did before. My wife might disagree with my thinking, but sitting on a project isn't always a bad thing!
Home improvement projects that incorporate my new woodworking hobby are so rewarding! Can't wait to see what's in store for me next!
--Kevin
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