How to Find a Stud Without Looking for a Stud
We’ve all been there at one point or another, eagerly trying to find a frame for the wall while you hang a picture, a shelf, or a TV bracket. Most nail finders are inconsistent at best, and I’ve found that the more I learn about how houses are built, the easier it is to find a nail using logic rather than hardware. Rather than buying another tool, here are some tips for finding a stud without any complicated equipment.
Understand the construction of the walls
Every home is different, but there are a few things you can count on. More modern timber framed houses (anything built after 1920 or so) are likely built using 2×4 or 2×6 nails. What you need to know about how walls are designed:
- Studs are typically 16-24 inches centered (meaning from the middle of one stud to the middle of an adjacent stud). However, the most common size is 16 inches.
- You will also find pillars on either side of a window or door, but their location is determined by floor plans, so they usually won’t have 16-inch spacing.
- Most electrical boxes (switches or outlets) are attached to the rack on one side.
- The actual dimensions of the 2×4 timber vary depending on the date the house was built (or the specific wall of the house). For example, from 1900 to 1950, 2×4 roughing was most common and was mostly two by four inches. Homes built between 1950-1965 may have 2x4s that are 1-by-3-, while more modern 2x4s are actually 1-½ by 3-½ (all of this matters if you are trying to measure from the center home. hairpin to next.)
- The trim (cornice, skirting and shoe) is usually nailed to the stud.
Look at the finish
Since the skirting board needs to be attached to the studs, see if you can determine where it might have been nailed. These holes – dimples – are usually filled with sealant and painted, but you can spot one to locate the stud. If you find one, try measuring it in 16-inch increments to find additional studs.
Find the switches
If you are unable to check the trim, look for switches or outlets knowing that at least one side of the electrical box will be studded. Personally, I’m not very good at doing a “knock test” on a wall, but I can usually tell by tapping which side of the socket is attached to the pole. You can then measure approximately 3/4 “from the outlet on the side of the stud and use that as a starting point for determining 16” spacing.
Measure from corner
With studs usually 16 inches in the center, you can also calculate from the corner of the room. This method can be a little unreliable because all rooms are not built in multiples of 16 inches, so you will likely have a hairpin less than 16 inches from one corner. Try doing a “knock test” near the corner to see if you can determine where the shorter strut spacing might have been added. This only really works if you measure the angle from the outside of the house, but there might be a situation where it helps (and it is certainly better than blindly drilling a dozen holes in the wall hoping to hit a nail).
Also, one of the best ideas I had when building an extension to my last home was to photograph every wall in every room after they were framed but before we hung the drywall. After the drywall was removed, these reference photos came in handy more often than I might expect.
This story was originally published in September 2014 and updated on November 10, 2020.