I'm renovating my bathroom in a 1950s apartment that has plaster and metal mesh lath. I recently opened a hole in the wall to check for studs since I need to hang a medicine cabinet, but all my stud finders haven't been helpful. I looked behind the wall and found what seems to be a U-shaped metal bar at the top. I'm unsure if I'm even looking at real studs here. Can anyone help me figure out what I'm seeing or if there are indeed any studs in this wall? Also, there have been some questionable renovations done (like tile stuck to open space), so I'm a bit concerned about the structure. Here are the photos I took: [Photo 1](https://imgur.com/a/71fzMNQ) and [Photo 2](https://imgur.com/a/hv84xhL).
2 Answers
What you're seeing looks like black iron, which is often used to tie up the lath rather than traditional wooden studs. This setup usually means there might be some metal truss-type studs hidden behind there. So no, it's likely not just a lack of studs.
I would caution against hanging anything heavy from that bar. It seems more like a support trellis rather than a true stud, potentially holding up plumbing or gas lines. Better to check for the metal studs if you're planning to hang anything hefty!
Definitely agree! Steer clear of that bar for any heavy installations.
Any ideas on how to find those hidden studs?