The Cardboard Box Hack You Need To Know Before You Drill Drywall

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Gypsum has been a staple construction material for centuries, with as much as 7 tons featured throughout modern American homes in the form of plaster and drywall, according to the University of Minnesota. Also called wallboard or sheetrock, drywall is notable for being fire resistant and soundproof, but most homeowners (or renters) who work with the stuff will also know it to be a very messy material. Drywall is created by mixing dry gypsum powder with water and then setting the mixture between two pieces of paper — often between ¼ and ⅝ of an inch thick – and so any time you drill into drywall, you're going to let loose a lot of powder. If you don't want to follow your projects with extra sweeping or carpet vacuuming, consider using a small cardboard delivery box and some tape to catch any excess drywall residue.

This quick and (not-so) dirty tip will save you a lot of time on the backend, whether you're using or removing wall anchor screws for wall-mounted decorations or drilling larger holes to run wires where they won't be visible. It's truly as simple as picking up a wide style of tape that you might use for a painting project, such as Scotch General Purpose Masking Tape, and attaching one side of your cardboard box to the wall beneath your work site. The box will catch any excess drywall residue so you can dispose of it without having to deal with nearly as much powder scattering about. In fact, this cardboard box hack is so simple that you can try it in a variety of ways without spending anything.

In the original TikTok showing off this hack, uploaded by emyludesigns as part of a video about hiding TV wiring, the DIYer removes the lid of the cardboard box that delivered their cords using a box cutter so it can be taped flush against the wall. After drilling holes, they tap any excess drywall residue on their power tool into the box before pulling it off the wall with no remaining marks. 

@emyludesigns

The EASIEST way to hide the cords! ➡️DM us for the supplies! #diy #howto

♬ original sound – Emily and Lucas / DIY

If you aren't working with freshly delivered items, it would be easy enough to substitute the box with any old Amazon delivery package you have, or you can pick up some free priority mail boxes from your local U.S. Postal Service branch. Worst case, now you have some extra mail packaging that you can reuse to save money during the holiday season.

However, one of the best things about this particular hack is that you don't even need a cardboard box to protect your home from excess drywall dust. If the idea is just to catch anything you drill with a hands-free container, consider decluttering your plastic grocery bag storage by grabbing one and taping it to the wall instead. You may need to make sure the bag doesn't fold in on itself since it's less of a rigid body than a cardboard box, but it's another (ostensibly free) option for a disposable way to catch drywall residue when you're drilling.