Why is my stud finder not working?

Question

I slide it across the wall and nothing happens. The green light is on, but it doesnt detect any studs. This cant be possible, can it? Just for the heck of it, I drilled a hole 16" and 24" in from the corner thinking I might find one that way, but nothing! Im so frustrated I could scream!!

Answer 1

well, since you have drilled a couple of holes already, why not poke a piece of coat hanger in the hole and push it to each side until you reach a stud? you can do this by opening the back side of the hole with your drill bit without making the hole on the face of the sheetrock any larger. after you hit a stud, grasp the wire and pull it back out then place it on the wall with your fingers at the hole. the end of the wire will be approximately where the stud is. the angle that the wire was at in the wall will almost mark the center of the stud when done this way. as far as your stud finder goes, i own a ryobi, and i have to set it on the wall and then push the button, to activate it before locating the studs. if you are doing it like your instructions tell you to, then it may be the battery.

Answer 2

Do Stud Finders Work

Answer 3

Sorry to hear of your frustration.



Several things may be at issue.



1) Studfinder does not work - test on an exterior wall - studs should be 16inches apart or less. If you can't see it there then buy a new finder.



2) Wall not built with vertical studs - I know in some basement type area where you have a solids foundation wall - a way that some save som costs is to just line several 2x2's to the cement horizontally and then attach dry wall to those. - try the stud finder up and down over a 4-5 foot span to see if that is your issue.



If all this fails try the good old fashion ear test. use a hammer and lightly tap along the wall until you hear a change in pitch from hollow to solid - not perfect though.

Answer 4

Ryobi Stud Finder

Answer 5

Some stud finders are junk. Just knock on the wall, the sound will change when a stud is present. Higher priced ones work better, mine even found a water pipe behind the wall, but told me it was electric. It cost me about 30 bucks. Double drywall interferes with the stud finder also if the room has been remodeled.

Answer 6

You can typically find studs by located a electrical outlet or light receptacle. The electrical box is usually attached to the stud. Take the wall plate off and you should be able to see where the box is attached.



Your garage wall may have 2 layers of drywall for fire protection in which case the stud finder may not be able to work properly.

Answer 7

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Most stud finders work by measuring density and indicate it on a screen or by led's. You may be rushing the process as it does take a few seconds to register. Once you have found two studs next to each other the rest should be the same distance apart, so if you are 12 inches oc (on center) or 16 inches or whatever, it is just basic math from there on in. Did you check your batteries? I always find them to be the culprit in such projects.

Answer 8

Not necessarilly you are pulling the measurement from the corner that they laid out the wall studs at. Start from the other corner and pull a measurement to /around your point of interest is. Stud finders I believe are a gimmick, half the time they don't work(studfinders). They only tell you where the edge is not the center and also to check the batteries, a weak signal might be at hand.

Answer 9

1 check batterys 2 you need to find a nail thats what it looks for not the wood it's like a magnet and when it hits metal beep it goes or a light pops on your studs are every 16 inches by law, and it depend what corner your taking a measurment from you can't use a dividing wall you have to go to a corner on a main wall.you can also with a closed fist bang on the wall you will hear a hollow sound keep going till it sounds solid remember when you find the stud make sure you go on center if you put up any panneling this way you share the beam so you can nail it into

Answer 10

Try checking the corner where you know there is a stud. My finder has to be placed against the wall and then activated to work properly. If you squeeze the activator before that, it shows nothing.

Answer 11

If your wall has a heavy texture on it, the stud finder won't detect any depth. you can knock on the wall and hear for solid hit. then measure every 16 inches and you should have your layout.

Answer 12

Maybe the wall has plywood on it. Check the depth with a drill. I have a wall that is reinforced with plywood and then has drywall on that. A stud finder doesn't work at all.

Answer 13

Are you using it over drywall? Does the drywall have wallpaper over it? Some types of wall paper will not let the stud finder detect through it.

Answer 14

I feel your pain. If you have an old house like mine with horse hair plaster and wooden lathe construction you are out of luck, no stud finder will work on those types of walls, sorry.

Answer 15

Had the same problem, just couldn't get it to work! ....then I got an idea.... I went to the store and bought a brand new, fresh, 9v battery!! Eureka! It finally worked.

Answer 16

Check the battery.

Try 16.5 and 24.5 in.