Whether you’re hanging a picture or thinking about adding a door, finding hidden wall studs is no easy task. There is of course the method of thumping on the wall, but this is not very accurate and there is a lot of room for error. If you’re dealing with a big improvement project, you’ve got to know how to easily find hidden wall studs with a great percentage of accuracy. So, let’s get started on two easy ways to get this done.
1. Purchase a stud finder.
Even if you only use it occasionally, a stud finder will pay for itself with just one use. These can be purchased at any hardware or home improvement store and are usually priced at less than $100. Today’s models use a variety of different electronic techniques to help locate hidden studs and will provide you with an exact position for any stud in any wall.
When you can’t afford to be wrong by a few inches, this is probably the best solution. They are a little expensive, but you’ll be saving money by using the proper position for hanging pictures, cutting in a door way or avoiding electrical wires. For those that are interested in DIY but don’t have a lot of experience, this is a vital piece of equipment that is well worth the money.
2. This next method is one used by a lot of people, but it does require a little bit of effort.
If you have plaster walls, you can locate studs simply by putting a nail in the wall every few inches by the baseboard. When you run into the stud, you won’t be able to just push the nail in. While this is a pretty accurate method for locating studs, not many people want to put a dozen holes in the walls while they try.
If you simply do not want to purchase a stud finder, this is an easy but destructive alternative. We do not recommend trying this technique in walls where this is electrical wiring, simply because it is all to easy to stick your nail in the wrong spot.
3. Here’s an old fashioned method that gets the job done when you’re in a pinch.
Grab a flashlight and dim the lights in the room. Now, hold the flashlight sideways on the wall, so that the beam is illuminating the entire section of wall. Look carefully in the wall for any signs that framing nails may have been used. You should be able to see some dents or depressions where this occurred.
This method is incredibly time consuming and may not be accurate. For example, the dent you think is from a framing nail may just be an old dent in the wall. When you need accuracy, the single best solution is a stud finder. You can always look for them during special sales if you’re trying to save money. However, it is money well spent, at least in this situation.
Originally posted 2008-10-06 05:21:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
How to Fix or Replace Crown Molding While crown molding doesn’t serve any real purpose, it still looks nice and can add value to your home. However, over time, crown molding can become cracked, pieces may fall away or it may just start to look a little old. Luckily, this is a pretty easy fix and it...... -
Wallpaper Tips for Installation There are a lot of reasons to choose wallpaper over paint for the walls in your home. Wallpaper can add a real sense of class to a room with unique and eye-catching designs that a solid color of paint just can’t match. However, if you do opt for wallpaper you...... -
The Basics of Drilling 5 Buying a Drill: A good basic style electric drill is going to have a 3/8 inch chuck and VSR or variable speed reversing capabilities. Such a drill should be able to accept bits that have shanks up to the 3/8 inch point, and it should also allow you to control...... -
Budget Decoration Tips: Use What You Have One of the most popular budget decoration tips is to use paint over other materials, because paint is cheaper and more easily changed. But if you want to be even better to your budget than dipping in to buy several gallons of paint, there are many ways you can use...... -
Gutted! By Lawrence LaRose If you’re thinking about buying an old house to restore, stop right now and buy this book. It is the absolute epitome of what you should not do, and it may even make you change your mind. Anyone interested in home improvement horror stories will love this book, and there......
Related Websites -
Small Business Financing: Taking Advantage Of Credit Cards And Knowing When To Avoid Them If you’re looking at starting a small business, you may be overwhelmed by the prospect of finding a way to fund your new venture. While there are a variety of options out there, one size does not fit all, and you’ll want to take a careful look at your own...... -
New Collectible US Currency Pieces There is something to be said for focusing on all of the different pieces of US currency that go into circulation, whether they are old and rare or new and readily available. Many of the newest coins on the market are actually created with coin collectors in mind, especially those...... - Sunday Money Madness Welcome to a new edition of the Sunday Money Madness roundup. I hope you enjoy this light bit of weekend reading. Debt | Debt Leveraging: Cash Money Life presents 10 Ways to Pay Your Debt Off Faster. College Loans: Not Always Good Debt at National Payday explains. What do you......
-
Things to Avoid When Collecting Rare Coins and Old Money The world of coin collecting revolves around many types of currency, including rare coins and old money. These types of coins and currency are the hardest to find, and are the most sought after. People will make brainless decisions about these types of currency simply because they want to be...... -
How to Avoid Problems When You Collect Paper Money There are all different kinds of hobbies that you can get involved with. Even within the different kinds of hobbies, there are different ways that you will be able to get everything that you want to out of what you are doing. Among the different ways that you can enjoy......
- Hanging Basket Metal Planters, Pots & Window Boxes Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
- Main Breaker Circuit Breakers & Fuse Boxes Electrical & Solar Home Improvement
- Stainless Steel Hinges Doors & Door Hardware Building & Hardware Home Improvement
- Keyless Deadbolts Doors & Door Hardware Building & Hardware Home Improvement
- Wall Heater Furnaces & Heating Systems Heating, Cooling & Air Home Improvement
Categories:
Handy Man, Walls
Tags:
1 comment so far ↓
Another option when purchasing a stud finder is the Bosch DMF 10 Zoom – it will indicate wooden studs as well as megnetic or non magnetic metal such as water pipes and live wires. It’s extremely easy to use with its high resolution LCD display
Leave a Comment