A chat with my plumber buddy changed how I think about access panels

We were working a remodel in Tacoma last week, and he saw me cutting a big square for a panel near a shower valve. He said, 'You know, if you frame that opening with a 2x4 on the flat, you can screw the panel right into the wood instead of the drywall.' I've always just screwed into the drywall itself, and sometimes the edges get weak. I tried his way on the next two panels, and the fit is so much tighter and stronger. It's a tiny thing, but it felt like a real upgrade. Anyone else have a simple trick for making access panels look and work better?

2 comments

2 Comments

norag382mo ago

Framing it with a 2x4 on the flat is such a smart move, lol.

oliver_adams2mo ago

Oh man, I've had that exact same problem with the edges getting weak! That's a great fix.