Hey everyone! I'm a total newbie when it comes to drilling, and I recently bought a Black and Decker 20V max drill kit to put up a curtain rod myself. I wasn't keen on spending $150 on a handyman! The curtain rod instructions said to use a 3/16" drill bit for the holes. While I was drilling into the drywall above my sliding door, I felt a bit unsure—sometimes I might have overdrilled or underdrilled things. One screw felt loose and I thought it was because I might have overdrilled. I avoided using anchors on some screws because I accidentally dented them. Now I'm worried I messed something up. Can you help me with a few questions? 1. What's usually behind drywall? I'm nervous I might have drilled into something important like a pipe. 2. Are anchors really necessary? I've dented some and didn't use them. Will my wall fall apart without them? Thanks for any advice—I'm really anxious since this is my first attempt at drilling!
3 Answers
For first-timers, screw-in anchors are pretty foolproof! Since you already have pilot holes, just grab some decent anchors to ensure your curtain rod stays up. The ones that come with kits are often not great, so it's worth investing in better ones, especially if you're inexperienced.
It sounds like you were trying to use wall anchors, but for heavier curtains, anchors in drywall alone might not cut it. If you hit a stud or the header above your window accidentally, that could be why the screws feel loose—overdrilling can mess up the hold. Instead of using bigger bits, you might want to try longer screws to really secure things.
Typically, what's behind drywall are wooden studs and sometimes electrical wiring. Since you're drilling in the living room, it’s likely there's no plumbing, but you could accidentally hit a stud or some electrical wires. If you drilled into the studs, you won't need anchors. If you just put screws in plain drywall, the curtain rod could eventually fall out. Just be cautious! And by the way, did you mean screws instead of nails? Because that clears things up!
Sorry, yes I meant screws!
Yeah, I can confirm there’s no recessed lighting or any wet bar features in the living room.
Oops, I accidentally said nails before, I really meant screws!