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pinacolada12345 t1_j9cz3kg wrote

Have you tried using one of those magnet stud finders like this? It finds a nail in the stud and sticks to it

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Eenvy t1_j9d6gbg wrote

I have a similar one to this and it works great, it finds the drywall screws which SHOULD be in the studs.

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tubbleman t1_j9dydgp wrote

>the drywall screws which SHOULD be in the studs.

<Sweats in "Amateur Drywalling">

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CommonCut4 t1_j9e15d5 wrote

Cries in lath and plaster

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Is_This_A_Thing t1_j9e5608 wrote

The magnetic or metal detecting stud finders actually work great for lath & plaster because it picks up the rows of nails where the lath is attached to the studs. At least that was my experience.

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hicow t1_j9e5x9b wrote

I've got drywall over lath & plaster, so I knew to get a magnetic studfinder. But whoever did the drywall apparently felt it was fine to just go into the lath with the screws, rather than concern themselves with finding studs. I still have no idea where the studs are in most of my walls.

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dickbaggery t1_j9eg8qm wrote

Mmm, previous owners. I've seen that move before. It's way easier than removing the plaster and fudging with misaligned studs, but they could've at least drilled some holes and located them. Some people just think wood is wood I guess. One of the first fixes in my house was to put a new light fixture in the kitchen and replace 3/4 of the kitchen ceiling because one of the previous owners thought it okay to mount a big metal light can to lath. And by "mount" I mean cut a hole and just rest it on the lath from above. Half the ceiling was sagging and threatening to cave as a result.

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fujiko_chan t1_j9degd7 wrote

I have small but very strong magnets for my fridge, and they will stick to nails/screws in drywall. Easy and non-electronic way to find studs.

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Masch300 t1_j9e5n98 wrote

I do the same. Have a fancy Bosch Pro stud finder. But a handfull of small (10x10x3mm) neodymium magnets works better.

The stud finder is very useful for finding pipes and electrical cables though.

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learnitallboss t1_j9el798 wrote

I have a 1940 home that is an unholy mix of lath and drywall. Neodymium magnets are pretty inexpensive and work every time.

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Deftek178 t1_j9de346 wrote

Magnet style stud finder is the first one I bought when I got my first apartment. 20 years later and I've never bought or even considered getting another studfindee. This is the only way to do it in my opinion. My last dog chewed up the studfinder when she was a puppy so it's covered in little holes but it still works like the day I bought it.

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johnwynne3 t1_j9dqhdl wrote

Magnet doesn’t work on plaster walls. Does work on drywalls though.

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jooes t1_j9dra1o wrote

You might be able to hit the nails on the lath.

But some of my plaster walls have a wire mesh in them too, so good luck with that.

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SwellandDecay t1_j9dzwbk wrote

my experience with plaster walls is that they're strong af. you can drill straight into them for most things, unless you're mounting a bike or something

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hicow t1_j9e65an wrote

Yes they do - normal studfinders don't work on lath & plaster walls, so magnetic's about the only option. They can be tricky, though, as the lath isn't necessarily only nailed together over studs, or like jooes mentioned, some walls use wire mesh.

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johnwynne3 t1_j9frk86 wrote

We have lath and plaster construction (house built in 1941), and we have used this stud finder with success. It does a static position calibration step to determine depth of the wall before you scan. Haven’t torn in to any walls, but I don’t think we have a wire mesh back to the plaster, which may account for our success.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-Whole-Stud-Finder-ESF5002/319999234

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BaconManDan t1_j9dqjr8 wrote

I also have to recommend the Franklin 710 stud finder series. The people who framed out our rental must have had on beer goggles, and that stud finder is the only way for us to reliably find them.

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TinyCatCrafts t1_j9ebxe6 wrote

I had some super strong magnets for a craft project and used those to find studs. Worked like a charm.

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farrell30467 t1_j9eq92n wrote

This. As an electrician, I use my magnetic level to find studs all the time. Works great as long as the magnet is strong, like a rare earth magnet

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phanerondezvous t1_j9er94z wrote

Yep. My stud finder was just an expensive beeping machine. Magnets'll get ya done. Also there's always a stud on one side of an outlet to mount it so those are good areas to start.

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