Screw That

When you visit people's homes on a regular basis, you can draw conclusions about some things.  My conclusion du jour?  Nobody has the proper adhesives, nails or screws to do most jobs.

I understand that unless you have the entire aisle of fasteners and adhesives from Home Depot in your garage, you're going to come up short on occasion, but some of the things people use to hold objects together is beyond my comprehension.  

A recent list:

In the same home I moved a china cabinet constructed with 1/2 inch brads (which fell apart) and a solid oak piece that had another 6 ounce item attached to it with a two inch wood screw that apparently took so much effort to drive it in, it was completely stripped and can no longer be removed.

I've seen furniture held together with silicone caulk, tape and about a gallon of glue.

There have been high grade coins held in an album with clear adhesive tape, and non removable adhesive price tags placed on every type of rare item that would be damaged by such a decision.  Heavy mirrors miraculously levitate on walls, suspended on tiny hooks holding onto nothing but the paper coating on the wallboard and tiny wicker baskets hang on lag bolts driven into studs.

I could go on. 

Interestingly, I have rarely witnessed the use of duct tape for everyday repairs.  I've seen it used on a car to completely cover a missing window, hold the front bumper on and keep fenders and front grills from falling out, but rarely is it utilized as repair in most (stick built) homes.

My theory is that most people have only a few means of fastening anything in the house.  In the kitchen drawer there might be a thumbtack, four brads, rubber cement and a 6 inch bolt used to hold the garage door frame in place.  If one needs to hang a heavy picture and doesn't feel like going to the hardware store for a thirty cent screw that's exactly the right size, one of the handy items might just work.  If not, some similar assortment might be lying in the bottom of the  tool box in the garage. (A roofing nail, some Elmer's glue, staples and two or three 16 penny nails left over from framing the next door neighbor's shed.)

Whatever works.

More later.