How to Use a Zircon Stud Finder
The most effective way to attach shelves or heavy hanging items to drywall is to screw into the studs behind the drywall. The old-fashioned method for finding these studs is to tap on the wall until you sense something solid behind it, but this method is not very reliable. More effective are electronic stud finders, such as the ones made by Zircon. When properly calibrated, a Zircon stud finder can accurately find the edges or centers of studs, depending on the model, and give you a clear visual or audible signal. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Insert a 9-volt battery in the stud finder. Open the battery door, pop the battery in place, and snap the door closed.
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Position the stud finder flat against the wall parallel to the stud direction and turn it on. If the lights flash continuously, you have probably placed the tool directly over a stud and it isn't calibrating correctly. Turn the stud finder off, move it three inches to the right or left, and turn it on again. When the green LED lights up, the stud finder is properly calibrated.
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Move the stud finder perpendicular to the studs until the LED lights up or the display indicates that you have found the edge of a stud. The Zircon stud finder may also sound a tone, as well as indicate, if it has has a center-finding feature, the center of the stud if you keep moving the finder perpendicular to the stud. Mark this position with a pencil.
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Move the stud finder to different positions to ensure that you have actually found a stud. Studs extend all the way from the ceiling to the floor, while other objects located in the wall, such as blocks for electrical boxes, do not.
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Verify that you've located a stud by moving the stud finder 16 inches away from the one you think you've found. This is the standard spacing between studs, so there should be another stud 16 inches away.
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Use the metal-finding feature to confirm that you've found a stud and not a metal pipe, especially if you know your wall has metal studs. Move the stud finder all along the area where the metal registered. If you get a consistent reading all the way along, you have probably found a stud. If the metal veers off at some point, it is probably a pipe. If you suspect that you've found a floor-to-ceiling pipe instead of a stud, check for another stud 16 inches in each direction. If you find one, the first one is probably also a metal stud.
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Tips & Warnings
If your wall is lath and plaster and it was constructed with metal mesh, the stud finder probably won't work.
