Sometimes all it takes to find the general location of a stud is to tap the wall. Start by tapping with your fingertip wherever you need to find a stud, and slowly move to the right or the left. If the tapping sound becomes more solid, you're approaching a stud. If it sounds hollow, you're moving away from a stud.
Generally speaking it's fine to drill into studs.
“One common rule is to avoid drilling around light switches and sockets, as the electrical wires can go horizontally and vertically around these fixtures,” Williams explains. “You can also get an idea of where wires and pipes run by looking in the attic and basement to see where they go up or down through framing.”
Mounting Plates
Along with these drywall anchors, consider using a mounting plate or cleat made from metal or plywood. Mounting plates are placed behind the TV and screwed into the wall using any of the anchor screws above. The base of your TV wall mount can then be screwed into the mounting plate.
Measure up to the installation height of the fastener and mark the wall at that point on painters tape. If you want to confirm the presence of a stud, you can drive a small finish nail into the wall at the suspected location. If a stud is present, you should feel resistance as the nail encounters the wood.
Because studs are not often apparent from outside of the wall, purchasing a stud finder tool will help find the studs faster and help you know where to drill. We recommend buying one that is electronic or battery-powered, not magnetic, as most homes don't use metal studs.
They are usually placed 16 inches apart on all walls. It can vary in older homes, but rarely would you find studs more than 24 inches apart. Windows and doors are also framed by studs for support. Above wide windows and doors, you might even find a wide header board.
This app will help you to detect studs. It uses the magnetometer to measure the magnetic field when your iPhone is placed near any metal objects. You can quickly detect wood studs hidden under walls, drywall, plasterboard or stucco.
Studs are vertical 2 by 4 inch beams that support the frame of your home. You can find them behind your drywall, usually spaced 16 or 24 inches apart. Since studs are made of thick and sturdy wood or metal, they can securely hold screws better than wall materials like drywall.
Use a Magnet.
This method may seem a bit unorthodox, but it works! Use tape or dental floss with a magnet attached and drag it across the wall to find the stud. This method works because the metal screws used to secure the drywall are typically secured to a stud.
Outlets are typically attached to the studs inside walls with nails that tack them into the side of the stud. Therefore, you can pretty much guarantee that there will be a stud located immediately to either side of an outlet.
Magnets are a great way to find studs and are more reliable than the best stud finder tools as long as there is ferrous metal hardware in the wall.
Simply grab the thinnest drill bit you have and drill where you suspect a stud to be. You've found a stud if you feel resistance and see wood on the bit when you remove it.
If it is possible, only drill shallow holes. Most cables will be at least an inch deep into the wall, so by avoiding deep drilling, you can be sure to avoid wires.
Hammer the nail into the wall where you'd like to hang your item. If a stud is there, the nail won't go further than about half an inch into the wall. Getting it to go further will be difficult.
Studs are typically 16 inches apart from each other. There are always studs on either side of a window or door, so you can measure 16 inches from the edge to get general guidance on where the next stud is located in the room.
While drywall alone can hold about 1.6 pounds to 2 pounds per square foot, mounting an object to the stud with the proper hardware allows the drywall to support up to 100 pounds.
You must screw into studs when mounting a TV on the wall. Do not use hollow-wall anchors, as they cannot support the weight of TV wall mount brackets and the television.