Find a Wood Stud in a Wall to Hang Pictures On

Need to find a stud so you can hang your pictures safely? In the US, most homes have framing members, or studs, installed on 16-inch centers. Other standards call for 24-inch centers. Many people buy stud finders to quickly and easily locate the studs, but you can find them on your own without purchasing special tools. Once you find a stud, use a pencil to make a small dot to mark the spot, then hang your picture with the knowledge that it's going to stay put.

Steps

  1. Inspect the walls. With your head close to the walls to look across the surface, look for dimples and / or bumps. Lightly mark the dimples and bumps with a pencil. The dimples should only be the size of of a nail or screw head, and the bumps the same size to slightly larger. Try to find two or more close together across the wall's surface left and right and up and down. If none can be found where needed, continue on to the next steps.
  2. Inspect baseboard molding. Look directly at the molding along the entire length for exposed nail heads or evidence of wood filler placed over the nail heads. If not plainly evident (covered, painted, etc.), again, lightly indicate the locations with a pencil. Try to find two or more nail heads left and right along the molding.
  3. Determine if any dimples or bumps in the wall are aligned directly above each other - including those that were found on the baseboard molding. The more found in a vertical row, the more likely it is that under the bumps and dimples are the nails or screws that were used to secure the wallboard to the studs.
  4. Accurately measure the distance between the vertical rows of the nail / screw heads found above. It will likely be {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}, with the {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} measurement being far more common.
  5. The measurement found between will repeat. Use the repeating measurement to help project the location of the next stud. The {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} centered studs will be found at 16", 32", 48" etc. from nearly any stud found. Likewise, the {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} centered studs will be found 24", 48", 72" etc from nearly any stud found. Places where the distance may be less than the 16" or 24" multiplier can occur at wall corners, doorways and windows.
  6. Locate a stud by finding an electrical outlet, preferably one not in close proximity to corners, doorways or windows.
  7. Remove the wall plate from the outlet.
  8. If the stud is not visible, carefully probe against the outside the box (to the left and right) with a very thin screwdriver or awl (a short, straight piece of coat hanger cut at a 45 degree angle works very well; bend it at a 90 degree angle to hold comfortably). Press the probe in into the wallboard or plaster at an angle pointed away from the box. Since most electrical outlets boxes are installed before the walls are finished, they are supported by studs. The box would likely be supported on the right or left side, by the stud. If the probe passes unobstructed into the void beside the box, the stud is likely on the other side. Probe the other side similarly. If it only passes a short distance before stopping, this is likely the stud location. If it does not, it is possible that the outlet was installed after the walls were finished, and the wallboard or lathe is supporting the outlet instead of a stud. Try the same procedure at another outlet on the same wall.
  9. Probing at a light switch, since they are generally at doorways, will not provide an accurate indication of where additional studs may be - as mentioned above. Of course, if a location above a switch is needed, the switch box should be probed similarly to the outlet box procedure to determine which side of the box the stud is located.
  10. Project the stud closest to the desired location for the support of the shelf, picture, etc. Using the measurement multiple determined above, find the stud 16, 32, 48 etc., or in the case of {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} centers, 24, 48, 72 etc. inches away from the closest stud found - along the baseboard molding. Lightly mark this spot on the baseboard with a pencil. With a specific area to look for evidence of a stud, carefully look again for dimples and / or bumps in the wall, or filler in the baseboard.
  11. If no evidence found, carefully probe directly above the baseboard where is meets the wallboard. When voids are found, move left or right about 1/4" or less and probe again. Continue to probe until the probe finds the stud.
  12. Once found, continue to probe to determine the leading and trailing edge of the stud. The stud should be approximately 1 - 1/2" thick. Ideally, any screw or fastener to be secured to the stud should be located in the center of the stud for maximum holding power.
  13. Project the center of the stud vertically to the height desired. Probe this location straight in and if obstructed, probe thru the same point at a 45 degree angle to the left and then right. Push hard when probing at the angle. This is to help ensure that the location is not at the edge of the stud.
  14. Once satisfied, install the support fastener. Patch any plaster and replace any wall plates.

Tips

  • Buy an electronic stud finder from a hardware or home improvement store. They're inexpensive ($15 - $30) and very accurate.
  • To get a general indication of where a stud is (typically within an inch or two), you can also lightly knock on the wall repeatedly as you slowly move left or right and listen carefully for a difference in sound. If there is no stud, the knocks should sound hollow and deep. As you knock across a stud, the sound will become dense and sharp.
  • Also, if you're willing to make a few very small holes, try this: Use whichever method you prefer to get an approximation for where the stud is. When you know you are very close to one, attach a very small drill bit (like 1/16, 5/62, 3/32, or maybe 1/8) to a drill. Standard drywall is 1/2" and less dense than wood. Put the drill to it's slowest setting, and drill until through the drywall. If there is no stud behind it, you should have little to no resistance (if there is insulation, resistance may be slight but still nowhere near hitting a stud). If there is a stud, then, you'll hit it and feel a considerable difference in resistance. Using this method, keep moving left or right in small increments until you find the edge(s) of the stud.

Warnings

  • Shut off power to outlets and switches in the room before removing wall plates.

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