How Stud Finders Work

Some of you may just be wondering what exactly a "studfinder" is and why you would need one. If you have ever hung a picture or shelf and found that a moment later it fell, it is probably due to the fact that you failed to put the nail into the stud underneath the drywall.

If you are not careful and find the studs in the walls before hanging shelving you can do a lot of damage to the wall and the items placed onto the shelf. There are several different types of stud finders on the market today. Read on to find out what they are and how they work.

1. The first one we will discuss is the magnetic stud finder. It works by locating nails underneath the drywall. If there is a nail there chances are great that it is a stud. These are the beams used to make the frame for the house. If the studs are made of metal all the easier for the magnet to find. But it works just as well on wood frames by locating screws and nails.

2. Then there came along the electronic stud finder. These work on the principle of density. They use what is called a capacitor plate to measure the levels of energy in a certain radius of the electro-static field. All materials have a different field of energy. Faster than using the magnetic version this one sense where the studs lie.

3. Finally with the new wave of technology we have come to use the radar. This uses short-range radio wavers to find variations in the heat and density underneath the drywall. The echoes of the timing circuit are what give you the different densities behind the wall.

The studs and joists are normally 16-24 inches apart in most buildings. Knowing this will help you determine if the stud finder is giving off accurate readings. These are generally in a pattern the runs the length and width of the wall. Although most beams are straight up and down, it is possible to have beams that were installed on an angle.

One last thing if you live in an older home that has plaster instead of drywall it may be more difficult to find the studs with the electronic stud finder. If this is the case for your home just change the setting to metal and it will be able to pick up the nails and screws in no time. The proof is in the hammering, today's stud finders take a lot of the guesswork out of home decorating projects. You can find them online and at reasonable cost.