How do I find a stud behind the drywall with no "fancy" tools available?
Question:just regular tools
like a shoe, and a butter and steak knife LOL
Answers:
i don't use any tools. I knock on the wall with one knuckle. When it stpos sounding hollow, you're at a stud.
Prove it by pounding a finishing nail in and see if you hit something. If you don't, the hole can be filled with a little plaster or even toothpaste.
hit it with the outside of your balled up fist..you should be able to tell the hollow sounds
Use a hammer (or your shoe) and tap gently on the wall. it will sound different when you hit a stud.
Use an ordinary fridge magnate and rub it on the wall where you think a stud may be. It will react anywhere a screw or nail might be. Indicating a stud.
Now on the otherhand a shoe is very effective as well. Place the shoe on your foot and kick at the wall. You will find that the hole you put in the wall will be between the studs and then you know for certain where they are.
Start in a corner of a room and measure. Every 16'' or so there should be a stud.
I recommend a magnet and a piece of string. Tie the magnet on a 12 to 15 inch piece of string. Dangle the magnet from the string along the wall until it "sticks" to one spot on the wall. This will not only tell you where the stud is but will tell you where the center of the stud is because any drywall-er worth his weight always gets the nail in the center of the stud. Sliding the string up and down the stud will tell you where the other nails are. They should all be in a relatively straight vertical line.
Electrical outlets are nailed to the side of a wall stud, so it could be located on either side of the outlet. To determine, take your butter knife and remove the screw holding the outlet cover on. Take the knife and insert it beside (not inside the outlet) the outlet and see if it hits the stud. Put cover back on. Studs should be 16 inches on center either way from that point.
Measure from a corner to 16in on center, that is where they are supposed to be according to building code,
You have already gotten some good answers already, but let me offer a thought. Why not go out and buy a stud finder and a laser level? They are very useful, and don't cost that much anymore? Consider the investment, anyway. good luck with your project.
Every 16 inches, there should be a stud
You can try taping the wall with the back of a knuckle until you hear a more dead sound. It takes practice but you can learn to distinguish the sounds. Use a small nail to make a "test" hole before you drive a large nail or screw into the wall.
I've seen people tap the wall and listen for it to sound solid instead of hollow. You can purchase a magnetic stud finder for about $2 at the hardware store. It will locate the fasteners in the studs. Every 16 inches, there should be a stud.
Look at the baseboard. It is usually nailed into the studs and you can see the nail heads sometimes. Studs are 16 inches center to center usually.
Tap the wall. You can use anything, even your hand for the tapping. The places between the studs will have a lighter tone then the place with a stud. Try it a couple of times so you can hear the difference. Trust me, it works. That's how I got my Lee Burr painting hung up. The frame is extremely heavy and the painting hasn't fallen yet.
well if ya can find one the others are either 16 or 24 inches on center or measure from one corner of the wall and itll be on center of the 16 or 24 ; ya may be able to look closely and find one that wasnt spackled well
and there is a stud finder for like ten dollars ya could buy beep beep beep or the light switch on the wall needs a stud from where it hung so measure from there
older houses the studs are twelve inches apart.start from a corner and measure out to where your working then do the tap the wall technique for thump sound.or most walls have dry wall,there cut in 4 foot withds,so every 4 ft from corner is a stud. 12 or 16 inches either side of that should find a stud.
every 16" there will be a stud
Don't measure from a corner. This will only work if you know for a fact the builder layed out the framing from that corner. It will not work if the builder started framing from the other end of the wall. Also not all framing is 16" oc., todays standards are 16" oc, 19.2" oc and 24" oc. , but if the home is pre 50's the framing varies. The framing in a pre 50's home might start at
16" oc. until a window or door opening then start back at 16" oc from the othe side of the window.
The maginet or knocking on the wall work very well especailly of sheetrock. But find several studs, once you have found a few you can determine stud spacing and use a tape measure.
Another way is also to look at the baseboard (if you have it ) the top nail is usually into a stud so the baseboard wont pull away from the wall.
They're not fancy! You can pick up a decent electronic stud finder for less than $10 and take all the guess work out of play. You will use this tool over and over again every time you hang a picture or need to find a stud. It's a good addition to your home tool box.
First thing you need is a tape measurer. Start at one end of the wall, now measure 16 in. across, your stud should be right there, now you can tap the wall with your fist, and listen for the solid sound of the stud. Each stud should be placed 16 in. apart. If you are screwing something you will hear/feel the stud when you hit it
Since when do shoes, butter and steak knives qualify as regular tools. LOL The easiest way is to tap on the wall ans listen to the sound differences. When you are over a stud you will not get a hollow or dull sound, it will be a sharper sound.
p.s. you can buy a stud finder for about 10 bucks
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