Drywall stud, sensor says it's there but nothing, any advice?
#1
11-26-20, 06:57 AM
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Drywall stud, sensor says it's there but nothing, any advice?
Hello all, I'm trying to hang a 55 inch tv on the wall of my sisters condo, this building was built in 2006. I bought a Franklin M10 stud finder from harbor freight, I wanted the m150 but they didn't have it. I tested the stud sensor and marked the studs, I made sure to run and mark the stud vertically to make sure I wasnt getting a wrong reading on one spot. The tv frame says to drill a hole no less than 2 3/4 inch dept with a 5/32 drill bit.
i drill and passed the drywall, then it was a pocket of air, something bouncy like insulation and then something hard and it went through but nothing like wood.
In one of the pics you can see how the bit can go all way through without resistance. This tv is heavy and the frame is heavy I think that I'm not hitting a wood stud. Any advice on what am I hitting?
Stud sensor this is the middle of the stud
Double checked vertically to make sure there was a stud all along
This is the frame
Bit goes through with no resistance, after the drywall there is some material that feels like insulation, then while drilling I hit something that was not like wood, maybe a metal stud, after adding more force it went through.
i drill and passed the drywall, then it was a pocket of air, something bouncy like insulation and then something hard and it went through but nothing like wood.
In one of the pics you can see how the bit can go all way through without resistance. This tv is heavy and the frame is heavy I think that I'm not hitting a wood stud. Any advice on what am I hitting?
Stud sensor this is the middle of the stud
Double checked vertically to make sure there was a stud all along
This is the frame
Bit goes through with no resistance, after the drywall there is some material that feels like insulation, then while drilling I hit something that was not like wood, maybe a metal stud, after adding more force it went through.
#4
11-26-20, 08:02 AM
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I measured to the left for the next stud and is 22 inches, to the right to the next stud is 19 inches, pics below
From the hole I drilled(stud finder says it's a stud) to the left and to the next stud is 22 inches
From the hole to the right and to the next stud is 19 inches
From the hole I drilled(stud finder says it's a stud) to the left and to the next stud is 22 inches
From the hole to the right and to the next stud is 19 inches
#6
11-26-20, 11:10 AM
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All the walls are original, building is from 2006, we just moved in it's a 22 floor condo, I just found out about this sliding door that goes into the wall thou, I saw some 2x4 running horizontally.
I used a used a pen on both holes to see how far deep it went and it stopped around 4 1/2 inches which seem to be the other drywall interior from the other room. I don't think there is a stud there. The stud finder might be marking something else although it alerts of a stud vertically from the top to the bottom. I'm scratching my head now.
I used a used a pen on both holes to see how far deep it went and it stopped around 4 1/2 inches which seem to be the other drywall interior from the other room. I don't think there is a stud there. The stud finder might be marking something else although it alerts of a stud vertically from the top to the bottom. I'm scratching my head now.
Last edited by Foxtrot_01; 11-26-20 at 11:34 AM.
#7
11-26-20, 11:31 AM
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I added red lines where there should be framing......
- At the end of the door.
- Directly to either size of the electric box.
..........BTW..... receptacles are not typically found near/over a pocket door.
-Another in the corner where the walls join. This one is probably a normally oriented stud.
- At the end of the door.
- Directly to either size of the electric box.
..........BTW..... receptacles are not typically found near/over a pocket door.
-Another in the corner where the walls join. This one is probably a normally oriented stud.
#8
11-26-20, 11:35 AM
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I used a used a pen on both holes to see how far deep it went and it stopped around 4 1/2 inches which seem to be the other drywall interior from the other room. I don't think there is a stud there. The stud finder might be marking something else although it alerts of a stud vertically from the top to the bottom. I'm scratching my head now.
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Edit
#9
11-26-20, 11:46 AM
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Looking on the side of the pocket door I see 2x4 running horizontally, blue tape marks the ends of each 2x4. No vertical stud next to the door frame that I can see.
Tape marks all the horizontal 2x4s
Tape marks all the horizontal 2x4s
#11
11-27-20, 08:18 AM
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Couple things I learned yesterday from a friend that is into construction, Miami code has new construction with metal studs and this is a fair recent construction (2006) so there are no wooden studs, I'm thinking about heavy duty anchors but I'm afraid that this is a swing mount so when it extends the stress on the drywall increases, the mount also has the holes in a vertical pattern, 3 screws.
#12
11-27-20, 08:54 AM
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If you want a secure and stable mount then mount a piece of plywood or two 3 x1 strips of wood mounted to at least two of the studs or horizontal members. Then mount the swing arm or TV mount to the plywood or wood strips.
#13
11-27-20, 08:54 AM
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Cut out a piece of 3/4" plywood that is as big as your mount is. Put it on the wall and drill 4 holes in it near the corners. Mount that to the drywall with toggles and PL200. Then screw your TV mount to that.
The issue is this wall contains a pocket door (slid out in pic). From jamb to corner, the wall is ~40" wide. The door itself is ~30" wide. So that should mean I have ~10" less corner stud-width, so ~8.5" to locate double ganged metal old work boxes (~4" wide). But this assumes there's nothing else back there. I'm not familiar with how old pocket doors are framed out, and my very basic studfinder is acting erratically on this wall. Thumping the wall with my hand tells me there is probably no stud until I approach the corner. The corner is very firm, so likely a stud there, and the drywall is fairly firm a few inches from the corner, which could just be the drywall being more rigid so close to a stud.
Last thing I want to do is blindly cut in, discover this location won't fit the electrical box, and then have to patch drywall, mud, sand, prime, and paint. Above this room is the attic, so I could drill through the top plate (which is how I would drop romex down) and insert a borescope and see what I can see. Of course anyone who has used a borescope knows these don't always make it clear what you're looking at, distances, etc.
Any suggestions?