How to Use a Stud Finder on Plaster Walls
There are several different reasons why a stud in a finished wall needs to be located. Some wall hangings such as pictures and mirrors need to be screwed into a stud because of their weight. Another reason may be the addition of electrical outlets which need to be mounted to the side of a stud. A stud finder is the easiest way to locate studs in a wall. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Choose a stud finder. There are many different models of stud finders on the market. Some pick up the stud's center and edges to within an eighth of an inch and have a built in pencil to mark the center of the stud with the push of a button. Other models are more basic with just a magnet to detect the nails in the stud from the drywall installation. The more basic models can be less accurate and pick up metal pipes and conduit.
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Hold the stud finder up to the wall so that it can measure the thickness of the wall. Most stud finders will measure the thickness of the wall and then as they are moved over a stud will sound a tone or light up to signal that the thickness has changed, indicating a stud.
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Verify that a stud was actually found. Most studs are spaced either 16 or 24 inches apart. Once the stud finder indicates that a stud was found measure over 16 or 24 inches. If it finds another then it confirms that the first one was not a false reading.
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