How to find a stud in a wall without a stud finder?
4 Ways to find a stud in a wall without a stud finder
Measure the wall to find studs.
When a home is framed, the wall studs are usually spaced 16 or 24 inches apart. If you start in a corner and measure out 16 inches and you don’t find a stud, you should find one at 24 inches.
Knock on the wall to find studs.
Try knocking gently across the wall with your hand from left to right. When you knock on the wall without a stud the sound will be a bit hollow. When you knock over a stud in the wall the sound will be lower.
Use a flashlight to find where drywall meets to find studs.
You can also try holding a flashlight against a wall and looking down the wall to see if you can tell where two pieces of drywall meet. At that intersection, you’ll definitely find a stud.
Look for light switches and electrical outlets to find studs.
Look for light switches and electrical outlets, too. Those are usually mounted on the side of studs, so that’s a good starting point for finding them.
When you think you’ve found a stud (if you’re not using a stud finder), confirm it by driving a thin finishing nail through the drywall near the baseboard to see if you hit a stud.
Are you not sure you have found the stud in the wall? Try using a stud finder.
