How can I find the wall studs without a studfinder?
Question:I need to hang some light weight drapes and I tried to do it
and all I ended up with was a set of holes in the wall.
Answers:
The first answer about tapping the wall is a good answer and works well.
If you have a stained baseboard, you should be able to see the putty covered nail holes at the top of the base. Most carpenters will try to hit studs in installing base boards. This wont work as well if the trim is painted.
If your walls have a smooth finish (no texture) you might be able to see a nail pop or an unfilled dimple from the nail head or hammer depression. If you see one of these perform the wall tap method mentioned above to validate that you have found a stud. Once you find a stud you can measure in 16" increments to the area of wall on need to fasten to.
Window treatments are generally installed just beyond the window trim or in some cases on the window trim. Because windows are on exterior walls, they should be framed with a header above the window and a cripple and king stud on each side. So there should be enough stud material at the window head or sides to secure too.
Several of the other responers mentioned that you can measure over 16" from the corner or a door or window opening to find a stud. This is not true. Doors and windows do not offen fall on stud layout. The hinge side of a doors is generally place 4-5 inches from the an adjacent wall. Windows ar offen centered in the rooms. If they are not centered in the rooms then its likely that one side of the window framing is on layout. But on don't know which side. As for measuring out of the corner to find layout - this is unlikely beacuse the sheathing for the outside of the house likely caused the framer to layout the exterior walls from the outside corner. You more likely to find a stud layout measuring from an inside corner at 12". This is 16" less the thickness of the adjacent exterior wall framing and one layer of sheetrock. But, again you don't know which corner they started the layout from.
rap the wall with your knuckles. When you come across a stud you will hear a distinctly different sound. After you find one, it's generally 16 inches in each direction to the other ones.
You can measure the distance of the wall and estimate where the studs lay - about 12 - 15 inches apart. Or get a clear glass and put it above where you think the studs are, tap the wall and you can hear the hollow sound where no studs are and a solid sound if they are there.
Spartawo...
measure 16' on center from one corner of the wall and mark it. you can knock on the wall at this point and feel the difference. Also, you don't necessarily need to catch a stud for lightweight items, you can use sheetrock anchors.
knock, if it sounds hollow no stud if it sounds solid there ya go
Your wall will should be 16" OC(OC= On Center). Should be easy to find, depending on what side the framer started with (right or left).
If you measure at the end of the wall, doorway, window, etc. you will find them every 16 inches. At least, that has been my experience. A contractor friend of mine told me that is the standard length between studs, and so far he is right. You can also buy those screws that have anchors to support them, for hollow places in the walls.
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