But you should not rely on them as the only way to find a wall stud. Stud finders are a vast improvement over the days when there were no stud finders. These screws turn the plastic wings that hold the box tight against the drywall. You can always identify a retrofit or old-work box because they always have a small screw at the top and bottom of the box. They might give you the false impression that there is a stud adjacent to them. Retrofit or old-work boxes are mounted directly in the drywall. It is important to know that not all electrical boxes are nailed onto studs. Or, if you simply take off the cover plate for the switch or outlet and peer inside, you may be able to see in which direction the box has been nailed. To find out which side, you need the stud finder.
The electrical code does not specify which side of the stud to attach the box. This can help you find the general location of a stud in a wall.īut note that it is not immediately clear on which side of the box you will find the stud. In new construction, electricians usually nail the electrical boxes for light switches and outlets onto the sides of studs. In fact, carpenter's tape measures usually have the 16 inch increments highlighted in red to make this easier.įind Wall Studs Adjacent to Light Switches and Outlets So, beginning from the corner, or measuring from anyplace where you have already located a stud, you can measure in multiples of 16 inches to identify the likely location of other studs in the wall. A concept called advanced framing puts the studs at every 24 inches on-center. With some newer houses, there are instances where the walls are framed differently. So, in most houses, if you can locate one stud, there is a good chance that the next one is 16 inches away. Among many benefits, this standardization helps avoid the confusion of whether you are measuring from the left of one stud to the left of the next or a myriad of other variations.
On-center is a popular building term that means that you measure from the center of one stud to the center of the adjacent stud. House framing generally positions studs at 16 inches on-center. While stud finders are valuable accessories in the hunt for a wall stud, they are only that: accessories.Įven if you do use a stud finder, you will undoubtedly be using some of the other methods of detection listed here. Most homeowners will immediately reach for a stud finder. Heavy pictures, shelves, chair-rail molding, baseboards, and other items are also best anchored by securing them directly to studs. Frequently when remodeling a home or just when making small repairs it is necessary to locate a stud behind a finished wall.įor example, when anchoring a wall cabinet, it is crucial to secure the cabinet to established framing members and not attempt to hang the cabinet from the drywall.