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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why Your Floating Shelf Is Sagging (& The Best Ways To Fix It)
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Floating shelves are an elegant way to make space in your home. They work well for most design styles, and are actually a lot easier to install than you might expect. In fact, you can DIY stunning floating shelves on a budget, but unfortunately, they don't always stay in place. Sometimes, your they begin to sag over time. This can be a frustrating experience, and you may want nothing more than to take down the shelves and call it quits. However, you don't have to give up yet. There could be a very simple reason why your floating shelves are sagging, and the fix may be just as easy. Things like too may heavy objects, uneven walls, loose bolt holes, or a lack of support can all make your shelves sag. Thankfully, it can be as simple as finding a stud, slipping a piece of thick paper under the shelf, or changing the material. However, first, you have to determine which one is the problem for your shelf in particular. It's worth mentioning that it doesn't matter if your floating shelves are handmade or store-bought. They all have the potential to sag for one reason or another. It doesn't necessarily mean it's poor quality, you honestly could've just installed it in the wrong spot. So be patient with it, and yourself, as you work through potential problems and solutions. Read more: The Best Method For Sharpening Dull Drill Bits To Bring Them Back To Life A small problem with your shelf that can make it seem like a big problem is if your brackets aren't screwed into the studs. If this is the case, the only thing you have to do is go and pick yourself up one of the best stud finders you can buy at a reasonable price, and see if there is one somewhere along the length of your bracket. Then, add a screw where you find one to help support your shelf. It's recommended you try and go through at least two studs for maximum support. If you've ever seen a partially built home, you'll notice that much of the space behind the drywall is empty. While it is useful and can support lightweight objects like pictures, shelves are a little too heavy. The wooden posts holding up the drywall are the studs, and they give your screws a sturdy anchor to help carry some of the weight. It also keeps your shelves in place, as supports placed only into drywall can shift and move over time, leading to sagging or even a shelf that falls down. While there are hollow-wall anchors to keep screws in place directly into drywall, they aren't very effective when it comes to heavy objects, like a shelf. Since this is a common problem, especially if you didn't specifically look for a stud when installing your shelf, this is a great place to start. Though it may sound strange, your walls may not be as level as they seem. Drywall can warp , leading to uneven surfaces that you probably won't notice until you go to hang something on them. This is a common change over time, and may not be noticeable to the average person. A floating shelf, though, is sure to show you all the imperfections of your wall, including whether it is even or not. If this is the case, it's actually pretty easy to fix. You just need a shim. There are products you can buy, but essentially, it's the same principle as sticking a folded piece of paper under a table leg to balance it. If you want to save money, or see if this is the problem before buying one, go ahead and fold an index card up a few times and wedge it between the wall and the shelf from underneath and see if that fixes the problem. This can also be a permanent solution, especially if you can hide the index card or shim so it never shows. However, if you want something more permanent, and a couple of sizes and angles to choose from, Wobble Wedges' Rigid and Flexible Shims. You may need more than one shim at a time. Be patient and play around to see what works best until your shelf no longer looks like it is sagging. Wood doesn't naturally stay nice, smooth, and flat. Even if it is originally cut perfectly straight, the material may change over time. Generally, as wood loses moisture, especially unevenly, it will start to warp. Changes in temperature can also change the shape. This can look like twisting, bowing, or sagging. There are certain types of wood from trees that do a little better than others, such as fir, pine, cedar, or redwood. Painting and sealing your shelf can also help, but you have to make sure you cover all of the wood, even the parts you won't see, or else you risk it warping more due to uneven moisture loss. You can try and flatten the wood again by placing something heavy on the warped end. To prevent the issue from happening in the future, make sure it is finished and sealed so sun and water won't cause it to change shape. When you get new wood, it's a good idea to let it sit for a bit, pinned under some very heavy objects so it can dry more evenly. You may also want to freshen up on expert tips on how to buy wood and the best places to find it. Additionally, if the material is getting on your nerves, and you want to prevent this warping from happening again, you can go in a different direction. Using something like plastic or metal. If you notice your shelf sagging in the middle, or underneath heavier items, it may be that it can't hold the weight. Even if your screws and brackets are strong enough to support objects, cheaper and more lightweight materials making up the actual shelf may start to buckle. If this is the case, you'll likely have to replace the material with something sturdier, add more supports, or build multiple shelves to disperse the weight a little bit. Another trick is to put heavier objects closer to the ends. This gives them more support and reduces the strain on your shelf itself, especially if you have deep shelves designed to hold multiple layers of objects. Wood is often considered the perfect material for your DIY floating shelf, but you have to make sure you get a sturdy wood, such as maple or oak, that can handle the weight of whatever you are going to put on it. However, sometimes wood, no matter what kind, can come warped, or change its shape over time. So you may also want to consider something other than this material, but that still manages to be sturdy. Thick plastic or metal should also be able to hold the weight of all of your trinkets, and won't bend or warp. If you're planning on using your shelf to hold heavy objects, perhaps avoid particleboard or medium-density fiberboard (MDF), as these tend not to be able to hold as much weight. If you push your shelf up and it stays in place for a moment before sinking right back down, it may be because your screws have too much wiggle room in the drywall. Screws don't always go in nicely, and can create a bigger hole than they need. To fix this, you can move the shelf and then fill in any space around the screws with toothpicks dipped in glue . If it's the holes in your shelf causing a problem, consider using a strong wood glue that will make your DIY project last longer. While this isn't the most technical way to do it, it is nice and easy and doesn't require you to completely redo the installation of your shelf. However, there are other solutions. For one, you can simply purchase bigger screws. You do have to be careful with this method if you are using a bracket to hold up your floating shelf, as the holes for screws are only going to be so big. The toothpick trick basically refills the hole with something sturdy so that you can try to drill in again. If you want to do it a different way, there are also plenty of stripped or large hole repair kits on the market. Or, if you're not entirely happy with where the shelf is, it may be the perfect time to patch up those holes and move it to a better location. Enjoyed this article? Get expert home tips, DIY guides, and design inspiration by signing up to the House Digest newsletter! Read the original article on House Digest.
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
The scars of war
Scroll After 24 years in the Army, a service member started therapy for the first time. His therapist asked him to start writing down his thoughts. And his wife, a photographer, picked up her camera to tell this chapter of their story. Editor's note: Arin Yoon is a photographer based just outside of Kansas City, Kansas. The views expressed here are hers. Her husband, Lt. Col. John Principe, retired from the US Army in June 2024 after 24 years of service. As John's truck approaches the clinic, I pull my camera up and click the shutter. He notices me and makes faces at the camera as he always does. It's a ritual we are both accustomed to, especially in moments of transition. I make pictures to understand, to connect, to preserve. My early photos as a new military spouse were like those of a spy in a place I didn't yet belong — through the blinds, through a hole in the fence, through night-vision goggles. Now I feel more open about my experiences. Teo, our son, waves goodbye to our Army family as we move out of military housing for good. We all cry as we drive away. I didn't realize Mila, our daughter, was hiding in the moving box until I heard a rustle. For the past 12 years, I have tried to share moments beyond the dramatized images of battlefield action, emotional homecomings and veterans in crisis. I've photographed the often-overlooked everyday moments that make up this military life. The constant moves and goodbyes. Objects that make up this life that don't exist in civilian domestic spaces. The days after a deployment, when a service member 're-integrates' back into the family and into civilian society. Now, I capture this final transition out of the military because it's not just John who is leaving this life. It's me and the kids, too. What's also different for John is that, after 24 years as an infantryman in the Army, he is beginning therapy for the first time in his life. He is allowing himself to process his combat deployments. As we sit in the waiting room, John taps through the mental health assessment on the tablet. It will be my first time meeting with his therapist. John sleeps through a storm. I feel anxious and excited, wanting to share so much, but I remind myself it's not about me. It's about John. I speak candidly about our struggles, about the impact of secondary trauma on me and the kids. I mention John getting shot in Iraq. She raises an eyebrow. I realize that he hasn't brought this up with her. What have they been talking about all these months? Before we were married, I came across photos of his deployments on his computer. They told stories that he never did. There was a rawness to them that was different from the photos I'd seen in the media. I asked him in 2012 if he wanted to talk with me about them for a photo essay. He agreed and recalled, in detail, the day he was wounded in 2007. John gazes out of the window of his childhood home in Cupertino, California. 'I was crossing through an open area when I noticed that rounds were coming our way,' he told me. 'When a bullet is shot at you, you know the sound that it makes, especially a supersonic round. It just zips by you, it's a distinct sound, and you know you need to get behind some cover. 'I started running as fast as I could to get to cover, and I was running towards a courtyard with a fence-like structure and right before I turned the corner into the courtyard, a bullet hit me in the right shoulder and it took me off my feet. A sergeant just grabbed me and pulled me in. The medics started to treat me and at that point it got crazy. Everyone was shooting.' Mila touches John's scar from where he was shot in Iraq. Teo pulls close to John's ear. Sometimes I wonder if John misses the adrenaline rush of combat. If I hadn't asked about this, he probably wouldn't have told me. The only times he talks openly about his deployments is when he reconnects with those who were with him during those times. Woven into the moments of violence and trauma are also the stories of deep humanity, brotherhood, and humor to get through it all. Later, I am on my computer when John leaves a notebook on my desk. He doesn't say anything. I open it when I take a break from my work and I realize what it is. It is the journaling he has been doing with his therapist — her new strategy to get him to open up. He starts the journal with how many US soldiers and Afghan security forces were killed in each operation and what awards were given: Silver Stars, Bronze Stars with valor, Purple Hearts. Everyone in his company received Combat Infantry Badges within the first two months. I know the casualties are what weighs most heavily on him, but he is proud of the awards given to his soldiers. Then he goes into detail about a traumatic event he experienced in Afghanistan. A butterfly lands on John on his last day in the Army. Teo realizes how heavy John's old Kevlar helmet and flak jacket are when he climbs onto the electrical box in the yard. It was the summer of 2010. US forces were there to secure Kunduz, which at the time was considered a safe haven for the Taliban. John's unit was the first to start conducting clearance operations in the northern part of the country. Before sunrise, an explosion woke John up. He looked out from his outpost and saw billowing black smoke in the distance. Soon after, his unit received an SOS call from an American organization whose multistory building was under attack by the Taliban. John receives a folded flag during his retirement ceremony. John's unit and local Afghan security forces mobilized to clear the building and save people hiding on the roof, he said. As they cleared each floor, they faced machine-gun fire and suicide bombers. Over the radio, they could hear cries for help from the survivors on the rooftop who were running out of ammo. Some of them needed immediate medical attention. 'I think the entire clearance lasted maybe an hour but it seemed like forever,' he wrote. 'Never thought the day would begin or end the way it did. Was a horrible day, definitely not the worst of the deployment. The first squad that entered the building and myself had blank stares and pale faces just from the sheer shock and adrenaline flowing through our bodies. We could tell we were trained well to do our jobs. It took a lot of courage to get through the first floor. I remember as we were going over the plan to assault the building all soldiers were smoking cigarettes to help calm their nerves.' As I read his vivid recollections of violence — which included body parts, trails of blood and the smell of burnt flesh — tears ran down my face. I thought about the final moments of those trying desperately to survive. I could feel the horror of these experiences that John had kept to himself for so long. It was a relief to know, but felt so heavy. I am only beginning to understand what he has been through. John's career spanned the entirety of the 20-year 'war on terror.' Service members would often return home only to find that many people were unaware of what they had just been through. I used to be one of those people until I met John, which was in the summer of 2011. Over the years, little by little, I have come to know the depth of his experiences and his trauma. It has followed John home, into his dreams when he shouts about helicopters and escape routes. Teo and Mila eat sandwiches outside while the movers load the truck. John holds his most treasured challenge coins, which recognize his achievements and unit affiliations. The children play on the trampoline with their neighborhood friends one last time. I have read articles on the potential of plant medicine to heal combat veterans. 'Hey,' I ask John, 'a colleague of a friend of mine is facilitating an ayahuasca retreat with indigenous healers in Peru this summer. Any interest?' I've learned about an equestrian therapy program for veterans near us. On their website, they write, 'The horse will keep you focused and honest every step of the way.' That sounds promising. 'You should look into it,' I encourage John. 'I'm sure it'll be a great community of veterans.' Though the memories will fade, these feelings will always stay with us. One day he texts me: 'You and the kids mean everything to me. I love you.' I could tell he had just finished a therapy session. I want to press fast-forward on his healing, but I know it is only John who can commit himself to it. And whatever course he takes, it will still be a lifelong journey. But we can help shoulder that burden.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
‘Is It Safe?' As Parents Weigh Risks of Summer Camps, Owners Review Safety Measures.
Ashley Dickens, a nurse and mother in Springfield, Tenn., was already a bit nervous. She was days away from dropping off her 11-year-old daughter, Natalie, at summer camp, the first time that she would be attending. Then came the tragedy at Camp Mystic in Central Texas, a flood on the Guadalupe River on July 4 that swept away trees, belongings and the lives of more than two dozen campers and staff members. Ms. Dickens and her husband watched the news last weekend with horror, immediately asking themselves whether they could bear taking Natalie to camp after all. 'Oh gosh, we went back and forth several times on whether to send her or not,' she said. 'We got online, searching what body of water was near camp, trying to figure out the likelihood of anything happening.' Across the country, the scenes of muddy destruction at the riverfront Camp Mystic left Americans in shock and anguish, wondering how so many young lives could have been lost. The flooding took on particular resonance for campers, parents and directors at thousands of overnight camps, which are places of refuge and adventure in the heart of their summer season. Camp directors spent this week reviewing their safety and security protocols. Some camps added even more safety procedures. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
