Hey everyone! My wife and I are planning to rearrange our living room and want to wall mount our TV. We're struggling with finding the studs since the wall boards in our 1905 house are nailed down like crazy. I want to make a mounting board to anchor the TV mount to several studs, but I'm worried about whether there are even enough studs in that corner. Any advice on how to find a stud accurately without tearing too much apart would be super helpful!
3 Answers
I usually just tap the walls to feel for spots that seem firmer, and then I drill a tiny pilot hole. It can take a few tries, but I’m okay covering up holes since it's my place!
A traditional stud finder might not work well in your case due to the plaster and old lath. A good trick is to look beside an outlet, as there should be a stud there. Then, measure 16 inches from that spot to find the next studs. If you're really struggling, consider pulling off the baseboard to make a small hole in the wall to locate the studs behind, which you can cover up later.
Have you tried using a magnet or a magnetic stud finder? They can sometimes help locate the nails in the wall, which might lead you to the studs. Give it a shot!
That baseboard trick is genius! I hadn’t thought about that. I’ve got similar lathe and plaster walls with layers of old board too, so I know how tricky it can be. Thanks for the suggestion!