'You don’t even need a drill': Noida man hammers wooden pencil through Rs 1.5 crore flat wall

Some users pointed out that such walls are often made of AAC (Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) blocks — a material commonly used in modern high-rise buildings.

A Noida resident’s video showing him driving a wooden pencil through the wall of his Rs 1.5 crore apartment has ignited a discussion online about the quality of construction in high-end residential complexes across the Delhi-NCR region.

The clip, posted by Instagram user @kabeer.unfiltered, showed the man using a hammer to push an ordinary school pencil into the wall of his flat. The pencil pierced the surface easily, prompting him to demonstrate it further for viewers.

In the video, he explained, “This hole in the wall was made using a pencil. I placed the pencil against the wall, hit it with a hammer, and it went right in. When I first tried using a drill, and then used the pencil, the pencil went straight through the wall. It’s a wooden pencil with graphite, which we used in school. That’s how the house has been built — so weak that you don’t even need a drill. You can make a hole in the wall just with a pencil.”

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A post shared by TheViralNoidaManWithPencil&Hammer (@kabeer.unfiltered)

The short video quickly went viral, triggering both alarm and debate. Viewers expressed concern that a flat worth over a crore could have walls this fragile, calling it an example of poor construction practices. Others, however, offered a technical explanation.

Some users pointed out that such walls are often made of AAC (Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) blocks — a material commonly used in modern high-rise buildings. They noted that AAC walls are non-structural, designed to be lightweight to reduce the building’s overall load and improve seismic stability. These blocks, they added, are different from traditional brick walls and are not meant to bear structural weight.

"Those are non structural AAC walls. They aren’t weak, they’re lightweight, eco-friendly, fire-resistant, and insulate heat and sound well. That’s why ideal for high rise apartments. Since they’re non-load-bearing, they reduce a building’s weight, making it safer and more stable during earthquakes," the user commented.

One commenter wrote, “How bad it feels to have been cheated, investing almost a crore at such poor infra.” Another explained, “Brother, these are AAC blocks, which are autoclaved aerated concrete blocks. As the name suggests, they have air pockets, making it light, which makes drilling super easy. This is why knowledge is important.”