Garage: How to find wooden stud to hang stuff?

[Broheim]

OP, here's how you do:

1. go out to the garage
2. stand 12" from the wall facing it
3. thrust your head forward 13" along with your upper body, as hard as you can.
4. repeat step 3 all along the wall.
5. the places that hurts the most is where the stud is.
6. ???
7. profit

 

[pontifex]

seriously, he can't be this stupid?

 

[jwebj]

you can also use a couple strong magnets to find the screw heads holding the drywall to the stud. just make sure you find two or three in a row to form a rough pattern.

 

[Phanuel]

you can also use a couple strong magnets to find the screw heads holding the drywall to the stud. just make sure you find two or three in a row to form a rough pattern.

This is what I do, or find electrical outlets and figure out which side of them the stud is on.

 

[Abe Froman]

Is this a serious thread?

 

[MixMasterTang]

If your garage is not painted completely it is usually easy to look and see where the studs are. There will be a stud where the dry wall has been taped/mudded/sanded. Then like mentioned above 16 inches center to center.

 

[Abe Froman]

1. First you need a basic bird trap.
2. Research local birds to find out what food your local woodpeckers prefer.
3. Place food in trap.
4. Wait.
5. Catch Woodpecker.
6. Close garage door and all windows to garage.
7. Release woodpecker
8. Wait.
9 When pecking ceases, enter garage.
10. Holes = Wooden studs
11. Thank and release woodpecker.

 

[alkemyst]

/facepalm

 

[highland145]

1. First you need a basic bird trap.
2. Research local birds to find out what food your local woodpeckers prefer.
3. Place food in trap.
4. Wait.
5. Catch Woodpecker.
6. Close garage door and all windows to garage.
7. Release woodpecker
8. Wait.
9 When pecking ceases, enter garage.
10. Holes = Wooden studs
11. Thank and release woodpecker.

He'll also have to capture some termites and infest his walls so the pecker has a reason to peck.

 

[Phoenix86]

Sounds like you need a stud service.

 

[Squisher]

thoguht stud finders were for metal studs???
it picks up wood?

Those electronic stud finders, mostly made by Zircon, look for an increase in density along with some detecting metal (pipes) or electrical power (wires). I find my biggest problem with them is with walls that are insulated. The stud finder has a hard time telling wood from insulation.

Setting a light next to the wall and looking at the wall with your head real close to the wall will make all the screws/nails pretty apparent.

 

[jagec]

Those electronic stud finders, mostly made by Zircon, look for an increase in density along with some detecting metal (pipes) or electrical power (wires). I find my biggest problem with them is with walls that are insulated. The stud finder has a hard time telling wood from insulation.

I was pretty sure they worked via capacitance.

 

[JEDI]

Those electronic stud finders, mostly made by Zircon, look for an increase in density along with some detecting metal (pipes) or electrical power (wires). I find my biggest problem with them is with walls that are insulated. The stud finder has a hard time telling wood from insulation.

Setting a light next to the wall and looking at the wall with your head real close to the wall will make all the screws/nails pretty apparent.

ahh.. the stud finders are not metal detectors.
they're like radar?

yeah i looked for the screws/nails. couldnt see any. guess the previous owner not only painted the garage, they also mudded over the screws/sanded b4 painting.

 

[alkemyst]

Studs are going to be a standard distance apart, in my case 16". If you are worried about foreign objects messing with the readings use blue painter's tape and scan the whole wall. You will easily see where the studs are.

The main problem with metal studs though are unless the builder backed them properly with 2x4s, they are pretty worthless as 'studs'.

 

[olds]

How to find studs

 

[natto fire]

Studs are going to be a standard distance apart, in my case 16". If you are worried about foreign objects messing with the readings use blue painter's tape and scan the whole wall. You will easily see where the studs are.

The main problem with metal studs though are unless the builder backed them properly with 2x4s, they are pretty worthless as 'studs'.

Above statement although true in wonderment is absolutely false in practice. I am a contractor and wondered how something so flimsy could support wallboard. I have since been to many construction sites where plain old metal studs are supporting walls over 16 feet high with 5/8" thick fire board. Really the strength the lacking on one axis is made up for in another, where gravity plays a part. Should also be noted that commercial buildings are built very poorly/dangerous, especially considering the average person in "shop mode" possesses the intelligence of a walnut.

OP: Bosch can help you. Their main prerogative is selling tools to folks that don't need them.

 

[alkemyst]

Above statement although true in wonderment is absolutely false in practice. I am a contractor and wondered how something so flimsy could support wallboard. I have since been to many construction sites where plain old metal studs are supporting walls over 16 feet high with 5/8" thick fire board. Really the strength the lacking on one axis is made up for in another, where gravity plays a part. Should also be noted that commercial buildings are built very poorly/dangerous, especially considering the average person in "shop mode" possesses the intelligence of a walnut.

OP: Bosch can help you. Their main prerogative is selling tools to folks that don't need them.

Well I agree if one is experienced. Most will strip out their metal wall studs with that same Bosch drill/driver set on drilling torque to set a wall anchor

 

[twinrider1]

ahh.. the stud finders are not metal detectors.
they're like radar?

yeah i looked for the screws/nails. couldnt see any. guess the previous owner not only painted the garage, they also mudded over the screws/sanded b4 painting.

Outlets are mounted to studs. Find an outlet.

I may be totally off base, but I have it in my head that outlets are most often mounted to the right of the stud, as in the picture. Probably because most people are right handed.

 

[natto fire]

Well I agree if one is experienced. Most will strip out their metal wall studs with that same Bosch drill/driver set on drilling torque to set a wall anchor

So then you can understand my puzzlement of the statement of "backing metal studs with 2x4s". The main reason for using metal studs is to meet fire codes. A wall with metal studs and wood studs is simply a fucked up wall. You either use metal studs to meet code or wood studs for more strength/workability. For a while metal stud framing was cheaper than lumber, but I don't think this is the case any more. Most of my experience is in commercial buildings, so take it with a grain of salt when residential is in place. That said, commercial building codes are usually stricter than residential. Also, Florida is whole other can of worms seeing that shoddy workmanship is by far the norm and largely unchecked with locality corruption rivaled only by the deep south states.