Suggestions for finding studs in plaster walls?

[jziegler]

Does anyone have any good suggestions for finding the studs in plaster walls? I'm trying to install some shelves in my kitchen (above doors and windows), and am having a terrible time finding the studs. A studfinder does not work. The tap and listen method is hard, not a whole lot of room for using it. Any other ideas out there?

Thanks,
Jim

[Tom Miller]

When it's hard to find the studs in a wall, my fall-back plan is to consider which part of the wall will be covered by what I'm putting up, then start drilling holes with abandon 'til I hit wood.

Regards,
Tom

[DaveW]

I don't have much luck with it but my FIL starts at the corner, and measures out 16" and starts the tap/listen - once he finds the first one, he just measures out in intervals of 16" for the others. And he does this much quicker than I can with a stud finder...

[markmt]

The rule of 16 applies to most studs. Find one and go 16 inches from it will put you in the ballpark. use a small drill bit and drill, you will know when you hit solid wood. Estimate the center from there. Be careful of electrical wires.

MarK Taylor

[Jon The Buddha]

Some of the tips that I have seen are:

Drill a hole close to where you want to hang your shelf. Feel around inside the wall with a coat hanger until you feel a stud (might require up to a 1 inch hole).

or...

Drive a small test nail just above the baseboard until you find a stud.

or...

Look for visible signs of the nails that hold wallboard to the studs—small dents or nail heads. Hold a strong flashlight at a sharp angle to the wall or ceiling to highlight them (this actually worked for me once).

[LarryG]

Electrical boxes are usually mounted to one side or another of a stud. Pull the cover, find the stud, measure over 3/4" to 1" to get to the stud's center (varies depending on the age of the studs), then try 16" OC in both directions. Or possibly 24", especially if the plaster is on wood lath.

The main problem with this is that in a lot of houses old enough to have used plaster, the studs are often not reliably on 16" or 24" centers.

[jziegler]

Thanks for the tips.

Unfortunately, many of them won't work for me on this. The first wall I am working on is ALL window and door, except for a few inches at each end. Going from left to right, a door, then two windows. I have tried drilling test holes (seems to be necessary everywhere in the house), and only found 1 stud so far, just to the right of the door. I was expecting to find studs near both sides of the door and windows, no such luck. Also, below the windows is the cabinet with the sink, so I can't check down there, not that it would tell me much anyway. Most of the house seems to be on 16" centers, but the second floor definately has areas on 24" (non load bearing, of course). This gets very frustrating. Fortunately, the next wall I switch to, I can see some of the studs from the attic. That section will be easy.

-Jim

[just4funsies]

Beware when searching in a wall where there are windows and doors. The "rule of 16" often goes right out one of those windows when framing rough openings. If you have no outlets or light switches to give you a clue, consider taking the base off completely, doing your "prospecting" underneath, and then put the base back on.

[Lee4847]

lots of holes

I had the same problem hanging new Cabinets in the kitchen. I have a row of nail holes ALL the way across the wall. If anyone ever takes them down they will think Al Capone was here!!

[lcm1947]

I've never used one but I had looked at them at either HD or Lowes just cause they looked interesting and I don't have much success with the magnet stud finders either so I thought one of these might be a lot better but anyway what they are are electric ( battery operated ) stud finders. If they don't work then other then the suggestions above I wouldn't know how to solve your problem either. If you buy one and it doesn't work you can always take it back and get your $20.00 back.

[lkazista]

Jim,
My folks house in Belleville, NJ is plater and the stud finder ain't worth nothing in that place. There is so much wire mesh and other stuff that it just gets confused. One of the issues that I had was not realizing that their walls could be up to 1 inch thick in places. So I just was not going deep enough to find wood.

In their house tearing off base molding is just not an option that stuff has been in place for at least 100 years, so I do not think that HD will have any in stock if I break a piece.

I am sure as you read this, you are waiting for my big piece of advise, but I am yet to figure out a good way to find a stud there, other than the nail hole all the way across the wall trick. Their house is actually 12 OC on the load bearing walls, and 24 OC other places.

Lee

[rg32]

Similar to finding a stud under sheet rock but more intense.
I've always lightly tape the wall with the head of a hammer listening and feeling for solid, ain't failed me yet!

[Ken Massingale]

Reminds me of a show on DIY or HGTV yesterday. Two ladies were hanging things on a wall and drilling for studs:

Hostess: What do you do when you find a stud?
Decorator: Buy him lunch!

ken

[jziegler]

Reminds me of a show on DIY or HGTV yesterday. Two ladies were hanging things on a wall and drilling for studs:

Hostess: What do you do when you find a stud?
Decorator: Buy him lunch!

ken

Ken,

That was a good one, and is pretty much how I feel sometimes.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I was able to find (by luck, and lots of extra holes) enough studs to get the shelves up pretty well. The other screws are in the wooden lath, so a little extra stability from them. Picture to come in a day or two.

-Jim

[billwmeyer]

I have a few walls that are plaster/lathe with sheetrock over them. I purchased a Zircon stud finder at Home depot that has a deep scan feature. It is not 100%, but has found many studs for me through all that mess.

I might make one other suggestion. You said the first wall was all windows, and doors, so it is an outside wall. Depending on the type of siding on the outside of your house, maybe you can find a stud from the outside and then measure form a window or door and use your measurement to find it on the inside.

Good luck.

Bill