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

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

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

Answer 4

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.

Answer 5

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.

Answer 6

Yes, it is. I didn't need the Red Cross to tell me that torture is "inhuman". I just can't understand how anyone can justify intentionally, with malice aforethought, deliberately inflicting terrible pain on another human being and leave feeling as though they deserved it, that there is something "righteous" about it. Isn't compassion one of the things that separates us from the animals? What truly shocks me is that these are not convicted "terrorists", they are people that for the most part were "sold" (82%) for prices from $2500.00 up, and were as young as 9 yrs. old. How much/long does someone need to be tortured before someone believes that, perhaps, they haven't done anything to deserve this treatment. They weren't just tortured for a few hours or days, they were tortured for MONTHS on end, 24 hrs a day! Are we any better than them if we engage in such conduct? Need I remind people, that the alleged 9/11 "terrorists" were NOT from Iraq, nor were they trained there? We are diminished as a nation when we resort to such horrific tactics, no longer allowed to call ourselves a moral people. And we wonder why we have become so hated around the world.

Answer 7

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.

Answer 8

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.

Answer 9

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.

Answer 10

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

Answer 11

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.