Another is to trade up from standard 1/2-inch to beefier 5/8-inch drywall. The most helpful is to frame the wall and buy a pre-framed kit for 2-by-6 instead of 2-by-4 construction.

Q: We have a pocket door to the pantry in our kitchen. We plan to install 10-inch-deep wood shelving perpendicular to the pocket door wall.

Once you have a hole in the wall, cut a piece of wood so that it is a little wider but not as long as your 6-inch-square opening. An 8-inch by 5- inch piece of scrap 1/2-inch plywood will do.