Where is a Stud When You Need One?

A lot of people find a great deal of satisfaction doing their own small home improvements. As a handyman it was common for a client to ask me advice on a small project they wanted to take on to do themselves. Granted most of the time after I explained what needed to be done, they asked me how much I would charge to make the improvements. My advice to my clients, is never take on a job that feels out of their skill level. If you are trying to do your own home repairs or home improvements for your own satisfaction, that is one thing. But if you are just trying to save money, be very careful. In most cases where a homeowner took on a project they were not qualified to do, it cost them a lot more to fix what they did then the job would have cost for a contractor to do it right the first time.

Okay, back to some of the questions I receive. Here is an actual question from a client;

"We are remodeling our family room, and one of the larger aspects of this project consists of floor-to-ceiling shelves on three walls. We had the shelves custom made, and delivered. Now we are ready to install them. The problem we are having is locating the where the studs are behind the drywall. We are over our budget now and did not want to add the expense of buying a stud finder. We were told to tap on the walls and listen for the change in sound. This is not working for us".
"Do you have any ideas for us"?


The drywall is attached to the studs with nails or screws every sixteen inches on center. The studs are a little less than two inches wide. The drywall is four foot wide. Each piece of drywall ends in the middle of a stud, then the next piece starts. Where these two pieces meet, joint tape is used to finish the seam. Keep in mind that this seam is in the middle of the stud. So if you can find a seam, you can measure sixteen inches from the center of this seam to find the center of the next stud.
The best way I know to find the seams is to use a drop light, or a lamp without the shade will work also. Take the light and hold it about a foot away from the wall and look for the silhouette of the joint tape. The center of the joint is the center of a stud, now remember sixteen inches on center, and you should find as many studs as you need.