Hey everyone! I'm trying to figure out what kind of walls I have in my living room since it's a pre-war apartment built in 1940. I bought a magnetic StudPoP thinking I would be dealing with plaster walls, but it doesn't seem to find any studs on one side of the room—no action at all! I opened up an electrical outlet cover and saw that it looks pretty hollow behind it, which is puzzling. On the other wall, I've located some studs but also found areas where it's not detecting anything. I made some markings on the wall where I found studs and where there's nothing. I suspect there could be drywall there since it sounds hollow, but I'm not entirely sure. I'm hesitant to hang up any shelves because I don't want to damage anything or hit important components in the wall. Any advice?
1 Answer
It sounds like you might have a layer of drywall over your original plaster walls. A lot of pre-war buildings have undergone renovations, and it's common for drywall to be added to the old walls. If the StudPoP isn’t working, try using a traditional stud finder or tapping on the wall to hear where it sounds solid. Also, check for any signs of where things might have been modified, like sealed doors or windows. Shining a flashlight can help too—sometimes you can see the outline of the original structure if you look closely! Good luck with your shelves!
Thanks for the tips! I was worried I might hit something important. I'll definitely try the tapping method and see if anything pops out. Appreciate the help!