Hello all,
I have seen some of these answered before but I had some new questions.
I live in an old house, the walls are plaster or so I've been told, I am looking to hang a 55 inch LED tv that weighs 38.1 pounds with this mount

I tried a stud finder but it gives me weird readings, I marked where the stud finder told me there were studs and ended up with markings every 7 inches or so which doesn't seem accurate since most studs are spaced 16 inches apart.

I ordered a magnetic stud finder to try to figure out where the studs are. I have seen some videos and the studs are usually 2 inches(1.5 inches in reality) thick.

My question is, the wall mount has the ribbed plastic anchors and the long nut screws. Are these the best anchors to secure the weight into the wood stud? should I add hollow anchors for plaster in between the studs just in case?

Any advice is much appreciated.

 

Measuring the wall from the corners should give you a good idea as to where the stud might be. You can take a small drill bit and drill a hole to see if you hit air or wood .... and it's easy to patch the minor holes.

 

Also look for electrical boxes...... switches/receptacles..... as those are usually attached to the side of a stud.

Many times it can be hard to find a stud. Do all your locating where the TV will be mounted so any holes or patching is not seen.

 

Use a 1/8" masonry bit drill holes where your horizontal rails will be. If you have plaster over wood lath you will hit resistance after about a half inch, unless you hit the space between the lath then you will hit air ( or electric lines or water lines, be careful) if you hit airs then at that level keep going left or right until you hit resistance. Masonry bits do not drill into wood as easily as plaster so you can tell when you hit the stud. If you have wood lath you can push a little harder and go through the lath. If after about an inch you hit air then you know you missed a stud. Move over an inch and try again. You will know when you hit a stud if you get continued resistance after about an inch deep. Try a couple more holes close together when you think you find s thud so you can find the center of the stud
Now if you have gypsum lath the same principle holds only go you will go about an inch before yo u hit air. It will be a little easier to feel the stud through plaster over gypsum lath than over wood lath. And yes outlets are usually on the right side of a stud so that helps narrow down target. Once you find one stud the next one is easier and you should be able to find he center with only about three holes. I suppose if you have plaster the anchors might hold if you use enough of them. The mount I got came with 1/4" lags about three inches long. Four of them in two different studs holds real well.

I can find the stud even through wood lath by tapping on the wall. If I have to find very many I get sore knuckles. I always check with a drill to make sure. I do the same even with my hgh grade electronic stud finder. It is usually right.

I just thought of something else. Frequently electric boxes are on a steel strap between the studs if the wall has wood lath.