The Beginner's Guide to Stud Finders

When renovating your home, you may need to locate studs in the walls. Studs are vertical framing beams. They are designed to support the homes in which they are used. Maybe you want to install new shelves, or perhaps you want to open up a section of your home. Regardless, you may need to locate studs in the walls.

Studs, however, aren't visible. They are found behind drywall. While you can see the drywall in your home, you won't be able to see the studs. Fortunately, there are stud finders available.

What Is a Stud Finder?

A stud finder is a device that's designed to locate studs. Also known as stud detectors, they will reveal where studs are located behind drywall. Rather than randomly drilling into drywall, you can use a stud finder. The stud finder will allow you to identify studs behind drywall when renovating, demolishing or otherwise working on your home's interior.

How Stud Finders Work

Stud finders have been around for nearly a century. Originally, they leveraged a magnetic field to locate studs. Magnetic stud finders work by "pulling" themselves to studs.

Studs themselves aren't magnetic. Like most framing beams, they are wooden. Nonetheless, studs contain metal fasteners. As you move a magnetic stud finder across a section of drywall, it will "pull" towards the nearest stud.

In addition to magnetic stud finders, there are electric stud finders. Electric stud finders leverage electricity to locate studs. They work by measuring the dielectric constant of the drywall. Studs are more conductive than open sections of drywall. When an electric stud finder comes across a stud, it will detect the stud's conductive properties. The electric stud finder will then beep.

Tips on Using a Stud Finder

If you have an electric stud finder, you'll need to make sure it has batteries. Electric stud finders are powered by batteries. Some of them use AA batteries, whereas others use AAA batteries. Without batteries -- or with dead batteries -- electric stud finders won't work. 

Whether you have an electric or magnetic stud finder, you should start at the end of the wall while running the device horizontally to the opposite end of the wall. Most studs are apart 16 inches apart. In older homes, they may be spaced 24 inches. By running the stud finder across the wall, you should be able to find the studs.

It's recommended that you mark the location of studs. When you find a stud, use a pencil to mark its location on the drywall. When finished, you'll know exactly where the studs are located.