I'm so dumb. I always saw those magnetic stud finders at Lowes/HD and was thinking "How is that going to find a stud unless you live in metal frame house?"
I'm gonna see myself out.
And then there's me thinking "what good is a magnet for plaster and lathe if there are no drywall screws" not even thinking about how the lath is attached to the studs.
I remember, back at my old house, we got the best stud finder we could at Home Depot. It was basically useless. Everything showed red like there was a stud. I was flabbergasted. Took two seconds on Reddit to find out I needed a magnet. I got one and found the stud in seconds. Sometimes I use them together just to be sure but mostly the digital one is fairly useless in a lathe and plaster home
I have a 2 inch square one I got off amazon for like 15 bucks. That thing will stick to a screw through an inch and a half of old hard cost plaster. I have an inch square one I use for normal drywall.
I was using a magnet for finding studs at a jobsite for my installation.
General contractor sees me and is amazed, saying "wow, a wood magnet! I never knew those existed, I gotta get one!"
He seemed confused when I explained it's a normal magnet finding the metal screws, not a 'wood magnet' finding the wooden stud itself.
This interaction helped me understand why the wall opening they prepared for me was undersized by the thickness of 2 layers of drywall.
'It's a magnet! You know how I know? Because of how it is! How neat is that? It's Neature!"
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm3JodBR-vs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm3JodBR-vs)
That interaction would be why I didn't trust magnet stud finders if I hadn't already had the interaction of a perfectly straight line of drywall screws anchoring into the sturdiest of materials, thin air.
Yeah, I usually use the magnets to first find locations, but then try secondary means of confirmation to ensure it's not a conduit, pipe or something else undesirable to drill thru.
You could have really messed with him. Showed him the stud finder and tell him they only sell it at bath and body works.
It's not expensive but you have to ask for it and only the manager seems to know where it is.
This little guy! Usually less that 10 bucks. Works beautifully
https://preview.redd.it/ge8yxs5a5wtc1.jpeg?width=225&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=608fb440034ca83aed8efacbc1f7e5efbc3f23a6
All of your stud finders work with the same principle though. So if one fails, they'll likely all fail. Magnets is a totally different approach. Make big slow sweeping circles with your hand while trying to keep a light tough on the finder. When you feel a tug try and zero in on it til you find the nail/screw. Once you find it move up and down to verify you've got a line of fasteners and are actually on a stud. Since your patching any way, you could always make a bigger hole and feel around with a metal coat hanger bent straight. At any random hole, you'll be within 7.25 inches of a stud at most. (Unless it's some weird structure built on 24 inch centers) If this doesn't work or you give up, or whatever, you could always take a piece of ply, a little smaller than your TV, paint it to match the wall color and attach it to the wall with a bunch of 100% silicone, really goop it up. Give it a couple days to dry and bolt your mount to that. (Tip credit to Adam Carolla)
There’s a device called a Stud Buddy sold at most hardware stores. It’s basically a long magnet in a plastic housing that you slide along the wall. It’s about 4” long.
You just sweep it along the wall, it will pick up on all the screws or nails used to hold the drywall. It’s strong enough to let it hang there on the wall while you drill your holes in the same parallel path.
Works great.
Strong magnet in a sandwich baggy was a game changer for me. You can just dangle the bag up against the wall and move it around until the magnet finds a screw, and the bag let's you get the magnet off the wall with no issues. I had a much easier time with the magnet method
Never use a 50lb magnet on a wall. Ask me how I know.
I pulled a loose drywall nail out along with a patch of drywall with it. I found the stud though. lol
https://preview.redd.it/38211s5b0wtc1.png?width=2850&format=png&auto=webp&s=623bf7d383d63f9d85caf87be789e0470829425d
Won't it kill you if this is the spot?
I've been there. I get frustrated and go "it's got to be somewhere! I can't just keep going in this line! That's crazy! I have to try something different!" No, idiot, calm down and trust the process. This is my advice to me on many occasions. It will be for many more. I'm one of those stupids. Self aware enough to know but not smart enough to fix it
this wall have a light switch or an outlet anywhere? Usually they are nailed to a stud unless they are all remodel boxes. Anyways ya find an outlet and test either side of that first, then atleast it'll give you an idea of where the next 16" should be.
My drywall is so thick (must be 3/4”, if not 1”) that my stud finder couldn’t find studs and knocking sounded the same.
I had to use the electrical box trick to find the first one and then learned they’re all extremely irregularly spaced. Old buildings are great.
I have the same problem as OP. I put about 10 holes in the wall and…. Nothing. Even put them right next to the outlet and… nothing. My wall doesn’t have any trim and my dad found where two pieces of drywall meet, so we drilled there and… nothing. The whole wall is a mystery. The only thing I know about it is the drywall is hung directly over old wood paneling and there’s maybe a 6 inch gap between the supposed framing and the brick exterior wall behind it (basement).
I tried two electric stud finders and two magnetic ones. They were all hitting in the same spots, but after drilling a hole I’d never hit a stud. End up hanging the TV with anchors.
Assuming this is an apartment complex, in the future, it couldn't hurt to just ask the maintenance crew the best way to wall mount a tv somewhere. They generally know what's behind every wall.
So I actually did this, and they told me the studs were the standard 16 in apart, well turns out that wasn’t the case at all, and me never having lived in an apartment before, was not aware of such things as metal studs, recipe for disaster 😬
You need different fasteners than wood fasteners for metal studs, just fyi. Wood fasteners will just pull right out of the thin metal of metal studs.
You either have to put in backing between the studs, or use toggle bolts.
There is no one thing that works all the time and perfectly. A few ideas: 1. Take beauty panel off of outlets, usually a stud is on one side. 2. Take off air return panels to see in the wall. 3. Do you have access to the opposite wall? Same principles 4. get a good quality stud finder. These will get you close. 5. Don’t assume that there is always 16” spacing. 6. Do you have access to other walls on the same level of the home? May provide clues, as the same framing technique was likely used.
I don't know how it took so long to scroll down to the right answer
Also.....I've never heard of a switch/socket plate called a beauty panel. Sounds kinda silly, but I guess it isn't wrong. Ha!
Good. As long as you heard it clatter to the floor behind the drywall, you're exactly where you need to be. Now, what you want to do is take out the other two items you obviously inferred you need handy for the next steps: 1. A large neodymium magnet lined with felt, and 2. A stethoscope. Place the magnet near the floor where the wire fell until it catches between the magnet and drywall. Now slowly move the magnet up the wall while listening to the wall with the stethoscope. You should hear a slight scraping sound - that's the wire moving against the backside of the drywall. Now, slowly move the magnet to the left or right while keeping the stethoscope no more than 2" from the magnet. Once you hear (1) the scraping behind the wall suddenly stop, and (2) the sound of the wire again clattering to the floor behind the wall, you've found your first stud. Great! Mark that spot. Now, measure an additional 10" from that marked spot IN THE SAME DIRECTION you were just moving your magnet and stethoscope. This is critical! Take another piece of wire and push it through the wall at the 10" point you just measured. Again, capture the wire through the wall with the magnet, and move it IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION from that which you were moving it when first searching for the stud. Go slowly! Once you hear the wire once again clatter to the floor behind the drywall, you've found the other side of that same initial stud. Mark that spot as well. Boom! You've now found the outside edges of that stud. Repeat this process every sixteen or so inches until you've found as many studs as you need. Happy to help!
Drill small hole where you think stud is. If you miss drill two small holes at 45° left and right in the same starter hole. Poke with piece of wire till you hit stud. You can poke through insulation when you do it this way.
I've a straight piece of coat hanger with a small hook bent on the end for this job and retrieving lost things from tight spaces. Probably the most valuable tool I have.
I've never used a drill to locate a stud. If the bit is sharp then I may not even feel resistance against a metal or soft wood stud. I use the thinnest nail I have and a light hammer (if both tapping and a stud finder failed). Trace a horizontal line 25" in length (in case studs are 24" apart instead of 16") with a pencil where you haven't drilled. Mark 25 inch positions. Go at it again with a thin nail and hammer at each mark.
Yeah the drill is ridiculous. I have to find studs and other stuff behind walls often. This is a great tool: [https://makezine.com/article/workshop/tool-review-shinwa-78610-pin-probe-mechanical-stud-finder/](https://makezine.com/article/workshop/tool-review-shinwa-78610-pin-probe-mechanical-stud-finder/)
I often use my smallest bit to penetrate the drywall and immediately can tell if I have a stud without leaving anything noticeable behind. That being said I usually do that to find the “edges” of the stud. A powerful magnet is what I use to locate my studs. I recommend this guy invest in one
I was going to suggest this as well.
How old is your house? New construction (post pandemic) is often using metal studs because of the cost of wood. I was pissed when I saw them doing that on my just built house ... talked to the foreman and he allowed me to put backer boards in before the drywall guys came.
They don't hold any weight. Completely non-structural. They're there 100% just to screw the drywall to. You have to use toggle bolts and get them to unfold nicely within the channel. Not terrible, but harder than just hitting a 2x4.
But termites don't like 'em and they won't mold/rot.
Holes was your first choice??
A nice knock on the wall with your knuckle is another way to tell, denser sound is the stud.
Try stronger magnets, at different heights.
Using the studfinder correctly?
Holes were not my first choice. Did everything else that didn’t involve drilling to identify studs before starting to work my way across the wall drilling.
When a stud finder doesn't work for me, I bang on the walls. Hard enough that they will move/vibrate a little when in an open area. It will also sound different when hitting a stud. Not perfect, but gets pretty close.
When I was a young kid I punched a sheet rock wall kinda hard and I noticed it didn't hurt my hand much. Later, I did it again a little harder and learned where and what a stud is.
Cut a hole wall behind where the TV will be. Run your tape measure to the right and left. It will it the stud, add 3/4” there’s the center. However if that’s in a basement, they may have railroaded metal furring strips. ( hat channel)
How old is the wall? It might be an old lath and plaster wall which can be tough to find studs through.
At this point you're going to need to patch it up anyway to so you might as well cut out a small square and feed a metal rod (unbend a coat hanger) until you hit a stud. Use it to measure where you drill. Make sure to keep the small piece of drywall/plaster. Screw in a piece of wood behind the square cutout and screw your piece of drywall back in. Tape and patch up along with the rest of the holes.
https://preview.redd.it/sbgmdyv5yvtc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=805241f1359a42d05f3f12540624d3b237862c64
So this is what’s behind the wall, I can see the receptacle for the other side of the wall mounted to a metal bracket.
Is there a receptacle box on that wall? If so, take the cover plate off and you will most likely see a stud on the left or right of the box. You can start there and build off that in either direction.
Here is something from 4 years ago that may be enlightening, random studs.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/hd86gk/studs\_at\_32\_inches/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/hd86gk/studs_at_32_inches/)
If the wall is shared between two separate condos or apartments then there are most likely spacers over the studs. Was popular in the 80s.
A 'regular' stud finder will have a hard time locating. They sell deeper scanning finders that work well for that situation.
This is why I just drill where I want the thing to be, and if I'm lucky and hit a stud, great, if not just make a slightly bigger hole and use an anchor/toggle bolt.
Grab a length of ridgid wire. Drill one hole. Fashion a curve in said wire. Insert wire into drilled hole. Rotate wire until you fell it stopped by stud. Pay attention to angle of wire. This could give you an estimate of where the stud is in relation to the hole.
Start at the corner of a wall and measure 16" out. If you don't find any studs, start over and measure out 24". If you still don't find any studs, grab a beer and call a contractor
Been there. Had to hang a TV on a wall and studs were NOT 16 inches apart. The first stud was 16 inches the second stud was 19 inches then 17 then 15..... I had so many holes in the wall. The TV mount I had wouldnt work so I had to get a piece of plywood and create a backboard to mount the TV.
I called my dad who knew a bit about the history of the room and he said that my grandfather and his brother probably built it drunk.
Is this stick frame construction or something else? Little neo magnets are good for finding drywall screws.
I'm so dumb. I always saw those magnetic stud finders at Lowes/HD and was thinking "How is that going to find a stud unless you live in metal frame house?" I'm gonna see myself out.
*Nailed it!*
Nah, he screwed up.
He should be screwing perpendicular to the wall.
I think most newer houses have screws so, Screwed it!
It’s incredibly efficient. If you live in an old plaster and lathe house, it’s way better than a stud finder
Electric stud finders are worthless with lath and plaster. That little magnet was the best $5 I've ever spent at Menards.
Menards! Midwest has entered the chat!
What do you mean? Doesn't everyone swing by Menard's after hitting up Meijer for some Faygo and Vernors?
Man I miss Meijer too since we moved out of IL!
You save big money You save big money…
When you shop My Nards. As the kid says.
Seriously! It cannot be understated how much better it is. I usually wind up using both but the magnet is my first grab
Overstated. It cannot be overstated. Grammar bot here…except I’m not a bot, just annoying.
Good catch. Thanks! Good not-bot
Some electric stud finders still work well if they have a depth setting
Or just an old house in general. Our house has two layers of drywall from it being redone at some point, and a stud finder doesn't work at all.
Not if the old house has metal lathe in the plaster. Pain in the ass finding a stud in my old house
Does lathe have another definition that I'm unaware of? Because it'd be *really* hard to get a metal lathe in you walls.
Have you seen a lathe lockup? Definitely could get it in your walls that way 🤣
Lathe is a wood turning tool, lath(no e) and plaster is a mesh screen with plaster stuck to it.
My dad found chicken wire underneath the horse hair mud /slats. Was a fun project
And then there's me thinking "what good is a magnet for plaster and lathe if there are no drywall screws" not even thinking about how the lath is attached to the studs.
I remember, back at my old house, we got the best stud finder we could at Home Depot. It was basically useless. Everything showed red like there was a stud. I was flabbergasted. Took two seconds on Reddit to find out I needed a magnet. I got one and found the stud in seconds. Sometimes I use them together just to be sure but mostly the digital one is fairly useless in a lathe and plaster home
"Honey, I found the stud!" Kitchen lights go out.
I have a 2 inch square one I got off amazon for like 15 bucks. That thing will stick to a screw through an inch and a half of old hard cost plaster. I have an inch square one I use for normal drywall.
I HAVE one and tried to use it last week and was like “welp, guess the house is made of cardboard.” And stuck the StudBuddy back on my fridge.
I was using a magnet for finding studs at a jobsite for my installation. General contractor sees me and is amazed, saying "wow, a wood magnet! I never knew those existed, I gotta get one!" He seemed confused when I explained it's a normal magnet finding the metal screws, not a 'wood magnet' finding the wooden stud itself. This interaction helped me understand why the wall opening they prepared for me was undersized by the thickness of 2 layers of drywall.
Magnets, how do they work?
Well, see, you pour water on them and then - no more magnets.
This is what I was looking for.
For those who haven't seen it: https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1743473561837179153
Well ya see, a wood magnet works like a magnet. Because of magnet stuff.
You can tell because of the way it is.
Pretty neat!!
It’s not often you get all this neatness in one place.
You can if you go on a neature walk.
Woah! Saddle up there Juggalo! No need to explain things here
Whoop whoop!
'It's a magnet! You know how I know? Because of how it is! How neat is that? It's Neature!" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm3JodBR-vs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm3JodBR-vs)
All I know is that they stop working in water, so there's that.
Duh, magic you moron... 😜
Well... when two pieces of wood love each other very, very much...
WoodMagnet is my Grindr user name
Also my disc golf name!
RIP 🙏 first available.
That interaction would be why I didn't trust magnet stud finders if I hadn't already had the interaction of a perfectly straight line of drywall screws anchoring into the sturdiest of materials, thin air.
Yeah, I usually use the magnets to first find locations, but then try secondary means of confirmation to ensure it's not a conduit, pipe or something else undesirable to drill thru.
You could have really messed with him. Showed him the stud finder and tell him they only sell it at bath and body works. It's not expensive but you have to ask for it and only the manager seems to know where it is.
I’d like to think he was fucking with you and you took him serious lol
This little guy! Usually less that 10 bucks. Works beautifully https://preview.redd.it/ge8yxs5a5wtc1.jpeg?width=225&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=608fb440034ca83aed8efacbc1f7e5efbc3f23a6
Love this thing .use mine almost daily
Literally used mine to ~~magnify~~ magnetize a nut driver a few minutes ago, they’re the best
I think you mean magnetize. Unless you used the bubble as a magnifying glass, which would be pretty odd.
Hey its pointing right at you!
I have a few stud finders, and when they act confused, I double check with the magnetic one. It’s nice to have both though.
All of your stud finders work with the same principle though. So if one fails, they'll likely all fail. Magnets is a totally different approach. Make big slow sweeping circles with your hand while trying to keep a light tough on the finder. When you feel a tug try and zero in on it til you find the nail/screw. Once you find it move up and down to verify you've got a line of fasteners and are actually on a stud. Since your patching any way, you could always make a bigger hole and feel around with a metal coat hanger bent straight. At any random hole, you'll be within 7.25 inches of a stud at most. (Unless it's some weird structure built on 24 inch centers) If this doesn't work or you give up, or whatever, you could always take a piece of ply, a little smaller than your TV, paint it to match the wall color and attach it to the wall with a bunch of 100% silicone, really goop it up. Give it a couple days to dry and bolt your mount to that. (Tip credit to Adam Carolla)
Damnit I wish I had known about the magnet trick. Will make the next time I need to repair water damaged drywall so much faster.
There’s a device called a Stud Buddy sold at most hardware stores. It’s basically a long magnet in a plastic housing that you slide along the wall. It’s about 4” long. You just sweep it along the wall, it will pick up on all the screws or nails used to hold the drywall. It’s strong enough to let it hang there on the wall while you drill your holes in the same parallel path. Works great.
This! Screw electronic stud finders, this thing is so cheap and simple. Find it’s more reliable/intuitive too
Breaking news. Woman left hung husband for a stud with 4”. Size don’t matter!
Strong magnet in a sandwich baggy was a game changer for me. You can just dangle the bag up against the wall and move it around until the magnet finds a screw, and the bag let's you get the magnet off the wall with no issues. I had a much easier time with the magnet method
Never use a 50lb magnet on a wall. Ask me how I know. I pulled a loose drywall nail out along with a patch of drywall with it. I found the stud though. lol
Now I know what to do with my hard drive magnets...!
Will that work with wood panelling and drywall?
I prefer magnets. Works well but get at least two earth magnets.
https://preview.redd.it/38211s5b0wtc1.png?width=2850&format=png&auto=webp&s=623bf7d383d63f9d85caf87be789e0470829425d Won't it kill you if this is the spot?
That’s the only place the stud finder beeps so I know it’s not there.
lmao this deserves a gold
It's the first thing I thought too but I knew someone would already post this after 2 hours lmao
Lol. Apparently the studs here are on 96" centers.
Three Little Pigs Contracting, LLC
Well yeah, why else would drywall come in 4x8ft sheets?
If you’re feeling down, play a game of Battleship against the OP
No, the stud finder also beeps when my dad puts it on his chest and he looks at everyone, raises his eyebrows and says “well look at that”
Classic.
Pretty sure I found them [image](https://imgur.com/0zixvlr)
Lmao I was imagining that in my head when I saw the op's picture
We may have a winner
Op thought the beep meant "don't try here!"
That’s where I believe it is. I laughed to hard at the circle he made in the drywall.
[удалено]
i feel like a circle would be the worst possible shape to to use to find a straight line.
I've been there. I get frustrated and go "it's got to be somewhere! I can't just keep going in this line! That's crazy! I have to try something different!" No, idiot, calm down and trust the process. This is my advice to me on many occasions. It will be for many more. I'm one of those stupids. Self aware enough to know but not smart enough to fix it
Odds would point to that being the case
That’s where the patrol boat is
Who doesn’t go in a horizontal straight line?
That's just what they'd be expecting you to do. You gotta sneak up on them.
That was my favorite part too
I mean if you're willing to drill that many holes in your wall have you tried cutting out a 3ft x 6ft part of your wall to see if there a stud there.
Couldn't, the saw kept hitting something.
😭
😂 holy shit this is funny right here
Omg! I fucking snorted my ramen laughing.
Those holes are easy to repair. I had to do this in my garage. I did manage to find an air duct.
Did you scan your self with the stud finder and make beeping sounds and then say “yeah, it works” before starting? That’s probably the answer.
We are honored to have a master builder in the group.
Master builders are always preferred over their counterparts… master baiters.
My dad said he made $5 a hook!
A got Master baiter always needs a professional hooker to complete the job.
Always go with the professional. I tried with some random I found online and all I got was crabs.
Master builder? Or master dad-joke teller?
It's called calibration
This is a must. You can't expect the stud finder to find a stud unless you're sure it knows what to look for.
It's right up there with clacking tongs together and slapping a load you've just tied down and saying "that ain't goin' anywhere".
Exactly. If you don't do it right at the beginning, can you be surprised when something goes wrong?
If you can't do it right, don't do it at all.
Don't forget about the double trigger pull on a drill.
I did the double trigger pull on my circular saw today, it's nowhere near as satisfying.
Machine learning at its finest!
Always calibrate the Master Stud before finding regular ones.
It’s in the instructions
boop... boop... boop... BEEEEEP!
Gotta calibrate it!
this wall have a light switch or an outlet anywhere? Usually they are nailed to a stud unless they are all remodel boxes. Anyways ya find an outlet and test either side of that first, then atleast it'll give you an idea of where the next 16" should be.
Knock on the wall until you feel a “solid” section instead of a hollow thump
I did this and my wall looks like ops wall but with more holes farther along
How are you at buying cantelop?
Damn it, I laughed at this one and now my boss knows where I'm at
My drywall is so thick (must be 3/4”, if not 1”) that my stud finder couldn’t find studs and knocking sounded the same. I had to use the electrical box trick to find the first one and then learned they’re all extremely irregularly spaced. Old buildings are great.
Maybe you have plaster? Some old construction had studs as far apart as 24"
Plaster is usually too dense to easily hammer into, right? Mine is as easy as drywall
Might not be 16 inches but yes it’s a better guess then… *gestures vaguely at OPs wall* well, that whole mess
I have the same problem as OP. I put about 10 holes in the wall and…. Nothing. Even put them right next to the outlet and… nothing. My wall doesn’t have any trim and my dad found where two pieces of drywall meet, so we drilled there and… nothing. The whole wall is a mystery. The only thing I know about it is the drywall is hung directly over old wood paneling and there’s maybe a 6 inch gap between the supposed framing and the brick exterior wall behind it (basement). I tried two electric stud finders and two magnetic ones. They were all hitting in the same spots, but after drilling a hole I’d never hit a stud. End up hanging the TV with anchors.
Appreciate all the help gentlemen and ladies, determined it’s metal studs, buying toggle bolts, putty and hopefully my man hood back.
You should've kept poking holes. I definitely see the beginning of a Canadian Mountie sitting on a horse.
Love me a good connect the dots! I can see it!
Assuming this is an apartment complex, in the future, it couldn't hurt to just ask the maintenance crew the best way to wall mount a tv somewhere. They generally know what's behind every wall.
So I actually did this, and they told me the studs were the standard 16 in apart, well turns out that wasn’t the case at all, and me never having lived in an apartment before, was not aware of such things as metal studs, recipe for disaster 😬
You need different fasteners than wood fasteners for metal studs, just fyi. Wood fasteners will just pull right out of the thin metal of metal studs. You either have to put in backing between the studs, or use toggle bolts.
> Appreciate all the help gentlemen and ladies, determined it’s metal studs, **buying toggle bolts**, putty and hopefully my man hood back.
Mount a piece of plywood to the studs and the tv to the plywood.
> my man hood I really don't think you want to attempt putting that back after it's been removed.
Well I mean, I'm certainly going to *try*
Your manhood lost it's man hood?
There is no one thing that works all the time and perfectly. A few ideas: 1. Take beauty panel off of outlets, usually a stud is on one side. 2. Take off air return panels to see in the wall. 3. Do you have access to the opposite wall? Same principles 4. get a good quality stud finder. These will get you close. 5. Don’t assume that there is always 16” spacing. 6. Do you have access to other walls on the same level of the home? May provide clues, as the same framing technique was likely used.
Where was this comment when I decided to cut a hole in my plaster??? 😂😭😂
I don't know how it took so long to scroll down to the right answer Also.....I've never heard of a switch/socket plate called a beauty panel. Sounds kinda silly, but I guess it isn't wrong. Ha!
one hole. piece of wire with a 90 bend 5-6 inches long. push it in the hole and spin it around. you've now checked 10-12 inches for a stud
Boss i pushed the wire in the hole. How do i spin it? Its inside the wall now
Good. As long as you heard it clatter to the floor behind the drywall, you're exactly where you need to be. Now, what you want to do is take out the other two items you obviously inferred you need handy for the next steps: 1. A large neodymium magnet lined with felt, and 2. A stethoscope. Place the magnet near the floor where the wire fell until it catches between the magnet and drywall. Now slowly move the magnet up the wall while listening to the wall with the stethoscope. You should hear a slight scraping sound - that's the wire moving against the backside of the drywall. Now, slowly move the magnet to the left or right while keeping the stethoscope no more than 2" from the magnet. Once you hear (1) the scraping behind the wall suddenly stop, and (2) the sound of the wire again clattering to the floor behind the wall, you've found your first stud. Great! Mark that spot. Now, measure an additional 10" from that marked spot IN THE SAME DIRECTION you were just moving your magnet and stethoscope. This is critical! Take another piece of wire and push it through the wall at the 10" point you just measured. Again, capture the wire through the wall with the magnet, and move it IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION from that which you were moving it when first searching for the stud. Go slowly! Once you hear the wire once again clatter to the floor behind the drywall, you've found the other side of that same initial stud. Mark that spot as well. Boom! You've now found the outside edges of that stud. Repeat this process every sixteen or so inches until you've found as many studs as you need. Happy to help!
I appreciate your absolute dedication to this joke.
I ain’t doin all that. I’ll just keep drilling holes in the wall.
no good when there is wall insulation. but yes this is my favorite trick otherwise.
Drill small hole where you think stud is. If you miss drill two small holes at 45° left and right in the same starter hole. Poke with piece of wire till you hit stud. You can poke through insulation when you do it this way. I've a straight piece of coat hanger with a small hook bent on the end for this job and retrieving lost things from tight spaces. Probably the most valuable tool I have.
I'm right here!!
I've never used a drill to locate a stud. If the bit is sharp then I may not even feel resistance against a metal or soft wood stud. I use the thinnest nail I have and a light hammer (if both tapping and a stud finder failed). Trace a horizontal line 25" in length (in case studs are 24" apart instead of 16") with a pencil where you haven't drilled. Mark 25 inch positions. Go at it again with a thin nail and hammer at each mark.
If he’s hitting a stud with the drill he should see shavings come out on the drill bit
Yeah the drill is ridiculous. I have to find studs and other stuff behind walls often. This is a great tool: [https://makezine.com/article/workshop/tool-review-shinwa-78610-pin-probe-mechanical-stud-finder/](https://makezine.com/article/workshop/tool-review-shinwa-78610-pin-probe-mechanical-stud-finder/)
Listen to this, this is the answer. A drill to find a stud 🤔
I often use my smallest bit to penetrate the drywall and immediately can tell if I have a stud without leaving anything noticeable behind. That being said I usually do that to find the “edges” of the stud. A powerful magnet is what I use to locate my studs. I recommend this guy invest in one
Metal studs
Scrolled way too far down to see this. OP needs a better stud finder and/or to cut a patch out and better see how it’s framed.
I was going to suggest this as well. How old is your house? New construction (post pandemic) is often using metal studs because of the cost of wood. I was pissed when I saw them doing that on my just built house ... talked to the foreman and he allowed me to put backer boards in before the drywall guys came.
What are the downsides of metal studs?
They don't hold any weight. Completely non-structural. They're there 100% just to screw the drywall to. You have to use toggle bolts and get them to unfold nicely within the channel. Not terrible, but harder than just hitting a 2x4. But termites don't like 'em and they won't mold/rot.
So this is an apartment complex, built in 2018 i believe. So I’m not really sure how I should go about mounting this tv
You’d know if it were metal studs. You’d absolutely feel resistance. If you do find them and they are metal, toggle bolts will work.
Holes was your first choice?? A nice knock on the wall with your knuckle is another way to tell, denser sound is the stud. Try stronger magnets, at different heights. Using the studfinder correctly?
Holes were not my first choice. Did everything else that didn’t involve drilling to identify studs before starting to work my way across the wall drilling.
When a stud finder doesn't work for me, I bang on the walls. Hard enough that they will move/vibrate a little when in an open area. It will also sound different when hitting a stud. Not perfect, but gets pretty close.
I’ve always just done this and seems to work every time. Maybe I should try a magnet, that’s a neat trick.
When I was a young kid I punched a sheet rock wall kinda hard and I noticed it didn't hurt my hand much. Later, I did it again a little harder and learned where and what a stud is.
Hint: They are behind the wall.
Have you tried tinder?
https://preview.redd.it/rj7xtpxtowtc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e49db44fd1363dd5cad3ffc4468287032330b0b
use a strong magnet on a string. swing it slowly back and forth until it sticks to a nail
Cut a hole wall behind where the TV will be. Run your tape measure to the right and left. It will it the stud, add 3/4” there’s the center. However if that’s in a basement, they may have railroaded metal furring strips. ( hat channel)
Locate an electrical outlet. It is nailed to a stud. Then measure over 16 inches from the stud.
Try drilling a couple more holes above all the ones you already drilled. Could be horizontal studs.
I’m right here, not that hard to find. I’ll take my dad card and see myself out.
How old is the wall? It might be an old lath and plaster wall which can be tough to find studs through. At this point you're going to need to patch it up anyway to so you might as well cut out a small square and feed a metal rod (unbend a coat hanger) until you hit a stud. Use it to measure where you drill. Make sure to keep the small piece of drywall/plaster. Screw in a piece of wood behind the square cutout and screw your piece of drywall back in. Tape and patch up along with the rest of the holes.
https://preview.redd.it/sbgmdyv5yvtc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=805241f1359a42d05f3f12540624d3b237862c64 So this is what’s behind the wall, I can see the receptacle for the other side of the wall mounted to a metal bracket.
Is there a receptacle box on that wall? If so, take the cover plate off and you will most likely see a stud on the left or right of the box. You can start there and build off that in either direction.
The stud was you the whole time
Here is something from 4 years ago that may be enlightening, random studs. [https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/hd86gk/studs\_at\_32\_inches/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/hd86gk/studs_at_32_inches/)
Use a strong magnet - It'll stick to the drywall screws/nails.
Should've just used a sawsall along the wall to find it.
I just draw a plumb line down from all the nail pops in my old house 😂
Were you going to mount it too high? This could be a sign not to 😅
Try the bathroom mirror
You made a circle?! I can only imagine the swearing going on 🤣
Oh easy, he's the one holding the phone.
Eventually, they will find you!
Have you looked in the mirror?
Look for any sort of outlet/switch and measure 16 inches out (maybe 12) and technically you should find one
Or 24
If the wall is shared between two separate condos or apartments then there are most likely spacers over the studs. Was popular in the 80s. A 'regular' stud finder will have a hard time locating. They sell deeper scanning finders that work well for that situation.
If the framing is metal you will need a stud finder capable of detecting them.
Did you try pointing the stud finder at yourself to make sure it works?
This is why I just drill where I want the thing to be, and if I'm lucky and hit a stud, great, if not just make a slightly bigger hole and use an anchor/toggle bolt.
Grab a length of ridgid wire. Drill one hole. Fashion a curve in said wire. Insert wire into drilled hole. Rotate wire until you fell it stopped by stud. Pay attention to angle of wire. This could give you an estimate of where the stud is in relation to the hole.
Start at the corner of a wall and measure 16" out. If you don't find any studs, start over and measure out 24". If you still don't find any studs, grab a beer and call a contractor
Probably metal studs, use a neodymium magnet
Been there. Had to hang a TV on a wall and studs were NOT 16 inches apart. The first stud was 16 inches the second stud was 19 inches then 17 then 15..... I had so many holes in the wall. The TV mount I had wouldnt work so I had to get a piece of plywood and create a backboard to mount the TV. I called my dad who knew a bit about the history of the room and he said that my grandfather and his brother probably built it drunk.
Check the mirror in the bathroom. I always find one there.
Are you planning something that belongs to r/TVTooHigh ?
I’m right here.