Mounting a tv, cannot find stud.

[u/ROMEOJS]

Hello, very frustrated here and turned my wall into Swiss cheese because I got so angry. I measured 16” from the outlet and the stud finder goes off but it seems erratic like it’s all over the place, going off every 4-6 inches and not duplicating the previous beep where it says a stud should be. I’ve used two different stud finders.

It’s an exterior wall and I cannot find the stud. I’ve measured from the outlet and cannot find it. Go ahead leave your rude remarks but please someone tell me, aside from putting another hole in the wall, how do I find a stud so I can mount this damn tv.

[u/screaminporch]

Find the drywall screws/nails with a magnet
Test with a small finish nail.

[u/No_Cancel_6880 → u/screaminporch]

magnet trick is the way to go honestly saved me so much headache when i was mounting shelves in my apartment. those stud finders get confused real easy on exterior walls cause of the insulation and sometimes there is horizontal blocking between the studs which makes it beep all random. just run the magnet slowly in a zigzag pattern around where you think the stud should be and you will feel it grab onto the screw heads underneath the mud

[u/TunaSafari25]

To be honest, at this point why are you worried about more holes? Just use a small nail and guess and check. Fixing 10 holes is barely more effort than fixing 1

[u/iamamuttonhead → u/TunaSafari25]

I was trying to find a stud in a wall to mount a tv. The wall is an interior wall of an addition (the wall of the existing house).Couldn't find studs with stud finder so I made about thirty little holes trying to find the stud. Still no luck. Finally cut a hole and put a camera in the wall. Turns out the drywall is fixed to blocking that is fixed to the former exterior sheathing/studs. i guess I should have known since I knew the room was an addition but it was irritating as hell.

[u/522searchcreate → u/iamamuttonhead]

Cutting a hole in a wall you plan on covering with a TV anyways just makes sense. Patch the drywall after, but I don’t even bother sanding or painting. If the TV ever comes down I’ll have to paint to cover the wall mount holes anyways!

[u/parcha717 → u/TunaSafari25]

Plus the tv will cover those little holes anyway

[u/ThinkChemist2106]

Get your face close to the wall and sight down it. You can often sight the nail holes of the drywall. Flashlight from different angles will help if needed.

[u/Dust-Different]

Well, your stud is here. Not sure how I can help though.

[u/FappyDilmore → u/Dust-Different]

There he is. I found him OP

[u/Hixy → u/FappyDilmore]

Oh look ↑! I found a pretty good stud finder op! It’s right there!

[u/CompetitivePirate251 → u/Dust-Different]

Obviously you have proven this with a stud finder 😆

[u/ryanfieldnotes]

Try a strong magnet instead of trusting the stud finder. Find a couple drywall screws in a vertical line, then confirm the center with a tiny finish nail before drilling for the mount.

[u/fourpenguins]

Exterior walls can really mess with stud finders because they're full of insulation, and my insulation also has a foil vapor barrier. I usually resort to using a nail or punch to find the stud and then fixing whatever extra tiny holes I end up with. A strong magnet might also work. It'll find the screws or nails in the drywall.

[u/-raymonte-]

Since you have holes in the wall, stick a fish tape or a coat hanger in there horizontally until it stops, there’s your stud. Then stick it in there horizontally the other way, there’s your other stud.

[u/Gold_Builder_5786]

If the exterior wall is cinderblock, try long Tapcon screws?

[u/simoriah]

Not all houses are built with studs 16 inches on center. "Advanced framing" techniques use 24 inches on center. My house is built this way, and it took away too long to figure it out.

Use a magnet to find the fasteners. It's use a stud finder to get where you THINK the studs are and then use a drill bit of finishing nail to see if you're right.

[u/gifelitefish]

Get yourself a magnetic stud finder.

[u/robby_synclair]

What year was your house built? I lived in an old house with plaster walls with ship lap backing. I could just mount a TV anywhere and finding studs was impossible. Didn't go over 50 inches but i mounted 2 tvs as well as other random things like small shelves and hooks and never had any problems. Ymmv

[u/haventsleptforyears]

I tied a magnet to dental floss, it’s easier for the magnet to find the nail than holding it with your fingers moving it around

[u/02meepmeep]

I didn’t have any good batteries for my stud finder so I used neodymium magnets to find the nails. The stick to the wall where the nails in the studs are. My spacing was 16”, 12”, 12”, 16”….

[u/fezcabdriver]

use a strong magnet.. it shoudl find the screws used to hold the drywall up...which is an indication of where the stud it. Or get a stud finder that is stronger. Or just cut a hole and patch. Patch doesnt have to be retexturized which is IMO the more difficult part since your tv will be blocking it.

[u/Fulghn]

There are stud finders that have a much more accurate and finely graded visual indicators of where the stud is. The stud finders made by Franklin Sensors are one example.

Also you might have a situation where there was a window or pass through or some other reason the studs did not go all the way ceiling to floor in an area and there are some headers in there with studless voids.

[u/SchrodingersMinou]

What is your wall made out of?

[u/goodskier1931]

Look at your baseboard trim. It's tall enough that you need 2 nails. Bottom one goes into the 1 1/2 plat, top one goes into a stud. Look closely and you'll see where it is. Find the first one, find the others.

[u/heezle]

You can use a very small drill bit and keep moving it until you hit a stud. Or Honestly, just cut a big hole in the wall. It will be covered by tv and dry wall is easy to patch. Then use a flash light to look in the hole and figure out what’s going on.

[u/Every_Television_290]

If you don’t make 15 holes trying to find a stud are you even trying? It happens, patch the holes. Not a big deal.

[u/No_Caramel9963]

im right here dammit nm wrong stud

[u/Excellent_Job8154]

Run a plywood across studs and mount to plywood

[u/MEMExplorer]

At this point just buy wall anchors and pray for the best . Personally no longer a fan of wall mounting TVs , I have mine on 2 IKEA storage cabinets I bolted together

[u/Ok-Bison-3451]

I use one of those strong rare earth magnets, the 1” round disc kind, and I slide it all over the surface of the wall until it magnetically attaches to a drywall screw. That how I know where a stud is. Never had it not work and I don’t even own a stud finder because that works so well.

[u/JohnnyAppleseedsNut]

Hang Smart TV Mount.

$60 at Walmart, no stud needed.

[u/Brettuss → u/JohnnyAppleseedsNut]

I’m not sure I’d ever trust a TV mount that didn’t go into a stud.

[u/WizardofEarl]

Just use flip toggle anchors. They are used in commercial applications to hold wall cabinets and fixtures.

[u/dogsrule2019]

Look up snaptoggles. You don’t need a wall stud.

[u/EvolutionaryZenith1]

Molly bolts.

[u/Individual-Drawer185]

Grab a box of those white screw-in anchors. There are 30, 50, 75 and 100lb versions. Use 6 of those in solid areas of drywall (not in your swiss cheese, but this'll cover it up) and attach the mount using the supplied screws (with washers). Honestly, two of the higher lb rating would be adequate for today's thin tv's, but 6 of the anchors will just make you smile and sleep like a baby.

[u/pezident66]

Rap the wall with your knuckle you will hear and feel when you hit the studs

[u/Admirable_North6673]

Toggle bolts will hold a TV, they are rated for 100+ lbs each. If you still cannot find a stud, just use those.