Inexpensive alternative methods exist, so there's no need to buy a stud finder. Heavy items, such as large mirrors and TVs, require knowledge of how to locate studs in a plaster wall if you plan to hang them. If the path is made of metal wire rather than the more conventional wood, a stud finder will also provide incorrect readings.Īlmost anything small enough to be screwed into wood lath can be mounted on a wall securely. Plaster can be applied in a wide variety of densities and thicknesses. The plaster may be too thick or dense for regular stud finders to penetrate. Dry wall (wet wall - to avoid being confused with the similarly named "wet wall" that house plumbing). Traditional home wall finishing involved trowel-applied plaster over just a lath substrate (, like the way stucco is put up). Find out how to detect studs in a plaster wall if you want to hang anything heavier than 10-15 lbs, such extra-large mirrors and televisions. Any object that can be securely fastened into wood lath can be placed on a wall. It is possible that you already know that a stud finder may not work on the lath walls and old plaster in your home. But some homes built before the 1970s may still have plaster walls.įinding studs in plaster walls can be a tedious and lengthy procedure, but we have some tricks up the sleeve that will make the job much simpler and quicker for you. Just do it.Īnd still toggle bolts hold well in metal lath and plaster.Finding a stud in standard drywall is very simple. Or you can use the other suggestion and put holes in at an angle then feel around with a wire coat hanger. In metal lath this is not much of a concern. When I have done this I have not put the holes in a straight line but made some higher and others lower in order not to cause a crack along a straight line. If you use a small masonry bit and start drilling holes in the neighborhood of where you want to attach your peg board, drilling every 3/4" until you find the first stud, then you should find the next ones with only three holes, one where you expect the center of the stud to be and one an inch left and right to verify the center. Since this is an exterior wall it is probably framed with 2 X 4 or 2 X 6 studs. They support the plaster or stucco but not the floor or roof above. The systems I mentioned in earlier posts are not typically structural in nature. Now nothing holds as well as screws into wood studs. Most of the weight is down on the toggle and plaster not out of it. The wings on the toggles hold against that and several strands of lath and resist pulling out pretty well. Plaster over metal lath holds toggle bolts pretty well from the front to the back of the plaster is an inch or more. If there are wood studs sometimes you can locate them with the thump method, at least get close enough to dry the drill or nail to get the center. The other way to hunt for wood studs is driving nails ever 3/4" until you hit the first one. If you hit a wood stud you should sense a difference in the resistance if you use light pressure on the drill. You will know if you hit a steel support. Dry drilling a hole with the smallest masonry bit you can find. There might be a little dent where the putty shrank over the nail. If there is a baseboard look carefully for nails in it. And it would be hard to get a screw into some of these.īUT you may have wood studs. There are a number of ways this was done but they all involved steel supports about 3/4" wide. It is possible that you have plaster over metal lath that is attached to old fashioned metal framing systems.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |