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That time I tried to level a floating shelf without a laser level
I was hanging a 48 inch shelf in my living room and eyeballed it with a standard bubble level, ended up with a 1/4 inch drop on one side after I anchored it. Had to patch three drywall holes and start over after borrowing my neighbor's laser level, have any of you found a cheaper way to get perfect alignment on longer shelves?
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black.jake26d ago
Yo have you tried using a chalk line? I picked one up for like 8 bucks and it works way better than I expected for stuff like this. I was hanging a 60 inch shelf in my garage and just snapped a straight line across the wall where I wanted it. Made sure it was level with a cheap bubble level first, then followed the line for my anchors. Came out dead straight, no laser needed. The chalk washes off easy too so no damage to the wall.
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felix_black25d ago
Chalk lines are way underrated for this kind of stuff. I keep one in my tool bag for when I'm hanging anything heavy across a long span. Just snap it, check your level once and you're golden. The trick is to pull it tight so the line doesn't bow in the middle - that's where folks mess up. Also, don't press too hard when you snap it or the chalk splatters everywhere. If you are on textured walls, go over the line again with a pencil for a cleaner mark.
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Have you tried a string level? Way cheaper and pretty accurate for longer runs.
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