If you’re reading this, you might have a hidden compartment in your wall. That’s because you’ve made one yourself. Or, more likely, you’ve noticed that your wall seems off somehow. That’s okay. If I had a dime for every time someone called me up and said they thought there might be a secret door or something behind their drywall, well—I’d have a lot of dimes. Still, I love hearing those calls, because it means I get to help people solve their problems and find what they’re looking for (or not looking for), even if it turns out to be just a hunk of drywall hanging loose in the space where the doghouse used to be. So whether or not you have a hidden compartment in your house already, here’s how to build one from scratch:
Step 1: Draw your compartment
In order to make sure that your compartment is the right size, you’ll need to draw it on the wall. You can use a pencil and ruler or simply use your hand as a guide.
You want the compartment to be big enough for what you want to store in it, but not so big that it will be too obvious when someone looks at the wall. The goal here is for your hidden storage space to look like just another section of drywall (in other words, if they don’t know there’s a hidden compartment behind this particular piece of drywall).
The last thing you want with this type of project is for people who visit your home all the time (like roommates) or anyone else who comes into contact with this area frequently (such as housekeeping staff) to know what kind of secret compartment has been installed into their home—so keep that in mind when deciding how large or small this section should be
Step 2: Measure, mark, and cut drywall
Measure and mark the location for your hidden compartment. Make sure you have enough drywall to go around your space, but not too much.
Cut out a square or rectangular shape in the first layer of drywall using a utility knife, making sure to cut through both layers at once. You can use an electric saw if you have one available, but make sure that it’s not too loud before doing so because you don’t want someone outside hearing it
Step 3: Cut a piece of wood for the frame
To do this, you need to use a circular saw and measure the thickness of your drywall. Then, cut two pieces of wood that are at least 5/8″ thick by 3/4″ wide. This is so they’ll be sturdy enough to hold up the weight of whatever you’re keeping inside your hidden compartment. After cutting both pieces to size, take one piece and drill holes on the top and bottom for screws to go through. Now flip it over so that they’re on what will be the inside of your hidden compartment and put two hinges on each one so that when you close your door, it’ll lock into place with these hinges instead of just falling shut as if there were no door there at all
Step 4: Assemble the frame pieces
Next, assemble the frame pieces. When joining them, be sure to use screws or nails and not just glue. This is because you want your hidden compartment to be able to withstand some force from within it, such as when you’re removing a small item from inside it. A wooden clamp can be used to hold the frame pieces together while they dry so that they don’t separate into two separate pieces.
Step 5: Cut a plywood panel to fit in the compartment
- Cut a plywood panel to fit in the compartment. Use a jigsaw or table saw to cut the panel to size, or use a circular saw if you’re working with thinner drywall.[5]
- Tape down one side of the plywood panel and attach it to the wall with construction adhesive that’s appropriate for your type of drywall.[6] Attach the other side by screwing through from inside out through pilot holes drilled through any studs that are accessible.[7][8]
Step 6: Install the panel in the compartment
Put the panel in the compartment and make sure it’s centered.
Next, cut a piece of wood for the frame from scrap plywood or hardwood. Cut it 1/4 inch larger than your compartment on all sides.
Drywall is easy to work with using standard woodworking tools, so you can use a circular saw to cut the pieces and drill holes for attaching them together.
Mark where each piece goes using your measurements as a guide (see “Measurements” below). Mark lines across each vertical edge of where you want to install your vertical pieces first, then do the same for horizontal ones—a pencil works well here since drywall doesn’t take ink well at all! After that’s done, use a jigsaw or other tool appropriate for cutting through drywall if possible and start assembling them together according to whatever design works best for your needs—you may want more than just one compartment depending on how much stuff needs hiding away
Now that you know how to make a hidden compartment in drywall, what will you put there?
Now that you know how to make a hidden compartment in drywall, what will you put there?
A lot of people use them for money or jewelry. It’s not too difficult to hide some cash or valuables in the drywall and then later retrieve them when needed. In fact, this is a common way to hide money from burglars and other criminals who may be looking for places to rob.
But hiding valuables isn’t the only use for these compartments. You could also use it as a weapon storage unit if you have guns that need concealing but don’t want them lying around in plain sight for any potential thieves who might come into your house uninvited (or invited). This can also be useful if there are kids around who could get their hands on one of those dangerous weapons without your knowledge—you’d always know where they were being kept
Another good idea would be using these hidden compartments as book safes: if someone was trying to pry open an old book looking for secret messages, they wouldn’t know where exactly inside the binding they should look because it all looks like regular old pages from afar. Plus it’s still legal under copyright laws so even though many readers might find this method annoying at best (and downright illegal at worst), few publishers will take action against anyone who owns one since technically no one owns anything until after purchase; therefore any information inside is still considered fair game by those seeking access rights through whatever means necessary
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve just finished building your own hidden storage space in drywall. Now you can use it to hide anything you want, from cash and other valuables to an extra set of keys or even a firearm. Just be sure to remember where you put them when it comes time for retrieval
This project is one of many that helps make your home safer and more secure while also adding value at the same time. If you are looking for other projects like this one, check out our article on how to install a peep hole in your front door or how to replace broken door handles and locksets.
