How to Find a Stud in the Wall Without a Stud Finder

From hanging heavy mirrors to mounting TVs to installing floating shelves and anchoring furniture, plenty of home projects require you to know how to find a stud in the walls of your home. The go-to tool for this is a stud finder. However, it can be difficult for stud finders to locate studs behind alternative wall materials like plaster or plywood.

Luckily, there are a few simple methods for locating wall studs without a stud finder. These practical tips and tricks require minimal tools, can be accomplished by any level of DIYer, and are sure to keep your home projects on track.

What Is a Wall Stud?

Wall studs are the vertical frame parts that stretch between the floor and ceiling to make up the internal structure of a wall. Studs are most often made from 2x4 material, measuring 1-1/2 inches by 3-1/2 inches. The studs are positioned with the 1-1/2-inch side facing the drywall and most often 16 inches on center, which means there are 14-1/2 inches of space between each stud.

Why Do I Need to Know How to Find a Stud in the Wall?

There are a variety of reasons you might need to know how to find a stud in the wall, but the most common reason is to hang something that requires the holding power of the wooden stud. Without securely fastening heavy objects into studs, the weak hold of a screw in drywall can fail, even if you've used a drywall anchor. This will not only damage your drywall (and the object that falls as a result), but the falling object also becomes a safety risk to anyone around it.

How to Find a Stud in the Wall

1. Tap the Wall

Sometimes all it takes to find the general location of a stud is to tap the wall. Start by tapping with your fingertip wherever you need to find a stud, and slowly move to the right or the left. If the tapping sound becomes more solid, you're approaching a stud. If it sounds hollow, you're moving away from a stud. Once you've found the stud, measure 16 inches to find the next stud, then tap to verify.

2. Look for Light Switches and Outlets

Although possible, you'll be hard-pressed to find a light switch or an electrical outlet that isn't mounted directly to the side of a stud. Once you've found the box, tap on either side to determine which side the stud is on.

3. Use Magnets to Find Fasteners

Drywall is fastened to studs using drywall screws or cupped drywall nails. These screws are driven just past the surface of the drywall, then covered in drywall mud and paint. This makes finding them with a magnet fairly easy. For this method of how to find a stud in the wall, use a strong magnet, such as a neodymium magnet. Run the magnet back and forth across the area of the stud until it catches on a fastener. This will mark the center of the stud. Once you've found one fastener, place magnets on the fasteners above and below to mark a larger portion of the stud.

4. Look for Dimples in Drywall

Sometimes, the drywall mud spread over fasteners during construction is sucked into the head of the fastener as it dries. If left this way before painting, a small dimple will be visible. These dimples are key indicators of a stud, and if you can locate the dimples in the wall, you've found what you're looking for.

5. Look for Dimples in Trim

Like drywall fasteners, finish nails in trim are often a dead giveaway for a stud's location. While these holes are typically filled, they'll often be obvious when you shine a flashlight along the trim.

6. Measure from the Corner of the Room

Because there's undoubtedly a stud in the corner of your room, the next stud should be a minimum of 16 inches from the corner. So all it takes is measuring from the corner to find the next stud, then measuring every 16 inches to find the remaining studs. However, as every room is different, one side of the wall will likely have a stud spaced less than 16 inches from the corner. Additionally, there's a possibility that your home's studs are on 24-inch centers, especially if your walls are thicker than average.

7. Download a Stud-Finder App

Believe it or not, your smartphone can locate studs for you. You can turn your phone into a stud finder by downloading a free stud-finder app that utilizes your phone's magnetometer. For precision, it might take moving the phone up and down on the wall, as this method only works for finding the metal fasteners.

8. Drill Holes

While you might not want to start your wall-stud hunt by drilling holes in your wall, drilling small holes is a simple technique for how to find a stud in the wall. This is an effective follow-up step for any of the above steps. Simply grab the thinnest drill bit you have and drill where you suspect a stud to be. You've found a stud if you feel resistance and see wood on the bit when you remove it.

9. Buy a Stud Finder

No luck? A trip to the hardware store might be in order. Stud finders are quick and easy to use. Start at the point in the wall where you'd like to hang something, then move the tool back and forth. Most models will beep or light up to alert you of a stud's location.