DIY jobs like mounting shelves or attaching hooks to the wall often require you to make pencil marks at certain points to show where fasteners need to go or to mark measurements and distances.

However, even if you use a pencil and try to remove the marks with an eraser, traces can be left behind.

Next time you need to mark a wall, use a piece of masking tape to protect it. Simply attach a piece of masking tape to the wall roughly where your pencil marks will go, then mark the tape instead of the wall.

That way you can drill holes into the wall through the tape and when you remove it, you’ll be left with a tidy hole and no excess pencil marks.

Take a look inside the latest issue of Handyman for more DIY tips and ideas.