How do you find a stud in a wall without a stud finder?

Answer 1

If you've got panelling (with no ridged backing on it) or drywall, you can try the tapping method. You knock on the wall with your knuckles and listen to the sound. As you knock along the wall, you should be able to hear a change in sound occasionally. When you knock on a portion of the wall with the stud beneath, the sound is more solid, whereas when you knock on a portion with no stud behind it the sound is more hollow. Once you find one, you can try knocking about 16" to 24" to the left or right of that stud to find another one. Typically studs are located 16" to 24" apart, but that could vary if you have windows or doors on that wall.

Our favorite home improvement show on PBS (This Old House) has the suggestion below; although I've never tried it, I can see how and why it would work.

You can locate studs with nothing more than a table lamp.
Remove the shade, turn on the lamp and hold the bare bulb 10 to 12 inches away from the wall. Look for the silhouettes of nailheads or drywall tape as the side light skims the surface of the wall; you should find a stud directly behind the nailheads or tape. Then look for other studs spaced either 16 or 24 inches on center.

Good luck!!!

Answer 2

Some people can find the stud by banging on the wall until they hear a solid sound. However whenever I try that I can never find the stud. So the other way is to guess where it is and drive a small nail, if it doesn't hit the stud move over about 1 and 1/2 inches and try again. After awhile it will look like a row of machine gun bullets hit your wall, but you will find the stud.

Answer 3

Well you can just go and tap on the wall until it sounds different. THat is the way we used to do it before there were stud finders. Once you find one, you can figure they are asupposed to be 16 inches apart on center.

At least according to building code

Answer 4

If you have one of those neodymium super magnets move it over the wall till you find a nail. You will feel it gently pull toward it
Electric outlets are usually fastened to a stud. Find out which side of the electric box has the stud and expect to find them spaced 18 inches apart for the length of the wall

Answer 5

You bang on the wall with your knuckles or with a hammer (lightly). Generally, they are a specific distance, evenly distributed in the wall. In California, they are every 18" so I would measure 16" from the corner and start rapping away until I heard a 'dead' sound. The hollow sound means that there is no stud behind.

Answer 6

Knock on the wall, the hollow wall will sound "hollow" and the part of the wall with a stud behind it will sound sharper.

Another way is to drive nails every few inches until you hit a stud. (not the best but i'tll et the job done.)

Answer 7

You can try knockin on the wall either with your knuckles or something that wont scratch the wall, and listen for the hollow sound, when u knock on a stud it wont sound as hollow

Answer 8

trial and error and lost of Spackle. Stud finders don't work. I work in construction, I've watched ALL contractors try to find studs. That's how it's done. Sorry.

Answer 9

here's another trick; electrial boxes are often attached to studs.With a single gang outlet/switch box, the center of the stud should be around 21/4 inches from the center of the box

Answer 10

slam your hammer into the wall, and where it doesn't cave in, that is where there is a stud. it's called the bubba stud finder method.