11 Ways to Find a Stud Wall

Whether you’re doing a big renovation or simply want to hang a mirror, being able to find stud walls is a crucial skill that gets plenty of use. However, if you’ve never done it before or you’re missing your usual stud finder, where’s the best place to start?

Stud walls are essentially the skeletal frame of your building, vertical beams onto which everything that makes up the wall is attached. Over time, how stud walls have been designed and implemented has changed, so it pays to have a few different techniques up your sleeve if you find yourself regularly working on different types of property.

1. Understand Average Stud Distances

First of all, it’s useful to remember the average distance between studs. That way, if you find one anywhere in the wall, you can use a tape measure to roughly work out where the others should be.

UK stud wall building regulations mean that the gap between studs in this country is usually 400 centres, or 400mm, from the centre of each stud. However, 600 centres is also a common distance you can find.

You’ll occasionally find different distances between studs due to special materials or load-bearing requirements. However, if you’re dealing with a standard property, it’s worth getting the measure out and checking every 400 and 600 mm as this could do the trick.

2. Stud Finder

Of course, the best thing you can do is invest in a stud finder or wall scanner, which is simply dragged across a wall to locate the stud.

Stud finders work thanks to various sensors and magnets which, when moved across a wall’s surface, can detect changes in materials or density underneath. This allows stud finders to work with metal and wood studs, while they sometimes come with other features such as wire and pipe detection.

3. Sockets & Switches

Any plug sockets or light switches built into the wall can serve as a guide, as in most cases, they are attached to one side of the wall stud.

There are various ways you can work out where a stud is based on a socket. You can knock on either side and notice the difference in sound, or turn the power off, unscrew the socket’s cover and take a look inside for yourself.

4. Window & Door Frames

Similar to sockets, window and door frames are pretty much always placed with studs on either side for added support. So, if you have a frame to work with, that makes a good starting point.

5. Old Photos

This trick isn’t available every time, but if you’re in a property that has recently had some major work done to the walls, see if you can find any photos of the work in progress which might include the wall studs. Having a photo might not be enough on its own, but it can be a huge help to know what kind of stud you’re dealing with and roughly where they should be.

6. Magnet On a String

Just as professional stud finders use magnets, you can do a DIY version for yourself. The important thing is to have a strong enough magnet for the job – a fridge magnet isn’t going to cut it, so you’ll likely need to buy one.

Tie the magnet to a piece of string or floss and run it horizontally along the wall an inch away from the surface. If the magnet is strong enough, it will stick to the wall when it comes across any screws or nails that were hit into the stud during the wall’s construction. You can then mark these positions as likely stud locations.

7. Knocking

Despite its simplicity, knocking is one of the best things you can do to check for a stud wall. Just lightly tap across the surface of the wall and keep an ear out for changes in sound. Usually, you’ll get a hollow, echoing sound back, but if you suddenly hear a dull thud, you’ve likely found a stud.

Being able to tell the difference between sounds can be tricky at first, especially if you’ve got no clue where a stud might be. However, paired with the other methods here, it’s a great way to make sure without marking the wall.

8. Check the Edges

There is almost always a stud at the very beginning and end of the wall, creating a framing effect. Therefore, if you’re struggling to find a stud, take a look at the corners or edges of your walls.

This might not always be the case; for example, if a partition wall was added to a room after the wall was built, it may not cut the room in line with a stud. However, corners and edges are generally decent starting points.

9. Holes, Nails & Dimples

Walls are often covered in tiny bumps and imperfections that we don’t even notice. However, these can be useful for finding studs.

Take a look across your wall and see if you notice any holes or dimples, or nails in the skirting board. Sometimes, these are signs of things being attached to studs, whether it’s previous DIY work or fasteners inserted during construction.

One hole or dimple on its own might not be enough, but if you notice a straight line of them either horizontally or vertically at set distances, then this could be showing you where your studs are located.

10. Stud Finder Apps

Smartphones have lots of gadgets and technology inside, but did you know this also means they serve as pretty reliable stud finders?

Most smartphones these days have a built-in magnetometer, which can measure magnetic fields. For most people, this tiny piece of kit is only relevant when using the compass application. However, it also has the ability to detect metal objects, which allows your phone to become a mini stud finder.

Of course, you shouldn’t expect the same level of reliability from a physical stud finder when using your smartphone. However, there are many apps you can download that use the phone’s technology to create a mini stud finder at little or no additional cost.

11. Drill a Hole

Lastly, once you’ve got a good idea of where your wall studs are located, the ultimate test is drilling a test hole.

You’ll know quite quickly where you are on the wall when you drill. If you drill outside a stud, you’ll find little resistance going through the wall, while there will be plenty of tension when drilling into a stud.

Of course, drilling into any wall is not without its dangers, which is why we’ve included it last here. It pays to be certain where the stud is first using the other methods before you get out the drill.

You’ll need a combination of these methods to make sure you know where to find a wall stud. However, if you can remember these techniques (or, if nothing else, the distances, sockets and knocking), you’ll be on your way to finding studs in no time.

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