Totally the right call. Saves so much headache later.

Have you considered it might just be the easiest tool for the job? In my experience, when you're recording at home on a tight budget, a shaker is cheap, hard to mess up, and fills space in a mix without getting in the way. A lot of us use the same free sample packs or basic percussion kits, so that sound just pops up everywhere. It's less about being unoriginal and more about working with what you've got.

Totally agree about techs putting them where it's easy. My friend's unit got installed right above his TV, and now it blows cold air straight down on his electronics. He had to move everything around to avoid condensation issues.

Of course it was something stupid like a tiny crack.

Totally, @the_julia. Even thick layers will eventually chip if the surface isn't prepped right.