How to Find a Wall Stud

The best way to hang things on a wall is to mount them directly onto a solid wall stud. That's easy to say but usually not so easy to do, since wall studs are already covered with drywall. However, finding a wall stud doesn't have to be a frustrating exercise in making a bunch of holes in your wall and then repairing and repainting the wall. Here are some ways you can find the studs hiding in your walls.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Hammer
• 1-inch finishing nail
• Flashlight
• Electronic stud finder
• Magnetic stud finder

1. Start in a corner and measure 16 inches or 24 inches from the corner. Wall studs are usually installed with either 16 inches or 24 inches spacing between them.

2. Alternatively, look for an electrical outlet or light switch. Since electrical boxes are usually mounted on the sides of studs, their location gives you a starting point for measuring to find your studs.

3. Tap the wall with your knuckles and listen to the sound. When you're tapping on a stud, the wall will sound solid; tapping over unsupported drywall will give you a hollow sound.

4. Sometimes, you can locate a wall stud by holding a flashlight on a flat angle along your wall and looking down the wall. You may be able to see where two pieces of drywall meet; below that joint, you will find a stud.

5. Use an electronic stud finder. Simply slide the stud finder horizontally across the wall, and when it passes over a stud, it will flash or beep. Work from both sides, and you can find and mark the edges of the underlying stud.

6. Use a magnetic stud finder. Slide the stud finder horizontally across the wall. Magnetic stud finders will pick up on nails or screws in the stud and will flash or beep, generally in the center of the stud.

7. Confirm that you have found a stud by driving a small, thin finishing nail directly below where you think the stud is located, down near the bottom of the wall above the baseboard.

Tips & Warnings

• Running an electric shaver over your wall may help you find a stud. Reportedly, the shaver's vibrations sound louder when over the wall cavity and less loud when the shaver is directly over a stud.

• Another way you can verify you've found a stud is by drilling a small hole in your wall and inserting a piece of stiff wire with 3 or 4 inches at the tip bent at a 90-degree angle. Spin the wire and if you're close to a stud, the tip will bump into it.

• Stud finders are relatively common and easy to find at home and hardware stores. However, not all stud finders are the same. Inexpensive stud finders use magnets that find studs by sensing nails or screws holding the drywall in place. Unfortunately, they can give false readings if your walls have any metal conduit or galvanized pipes.

• Better-quality (and of course more expensive) stud finders work by measuring the density of the underlying wall to figure out where a stud is located.