How do StudSensors work?

Our StudSensor™ tools measure the absorption of electric charges in a scanned surface. We call this "capacitance" and it's measured in units called "farads." The greater the density, the greater the capacitance. The circuitry in our devices is sensitive enough to measure changes in capacitance as small as one femtofarad - one quadrillionth of a farad. With this kind of sensitivity, a StudSensor™ stud finder has no problem distinguishing differences in capacitance between a wall hallow and a stud.

When you hold your StudSensor™ tool against a wall and turn it on, it emits a weak electric field that you can't see or feel. The circuitry inside your StudSensor detects how much time it takes for the wall material to reach a certain voltage. This becomes the zero point for calibration. A StudSensor™ device only detects increases in wall density - not decreases. Because of this it must always be calibrated away from a stud in the less dense part of the wall. If you attempt to calibrate directly over a stud, your StudSensor™ tool will determine that the capacitance is too high for a wall hallow and alert you with beeps and blinking lights. This tells you to recalibrate five or six inches to the left or right and ensures you get the most accurate results possible.

Slide the tool across the wall and it continues to process the time it takes for the surface to reach voltage. As it moves closer to denser material such as a wood or metal stud, the capacitance increases. Once it increases to a preset point over zero, your StudSensor™ stud finder will beep, the LEDs or LCD will light up, and the SpotLite® pointing system (if your model has one) will illuminate the wall. You've found the edge! Now get back to work and leave the science to us!