Stud Finding Question #9

Ceilings:
The first challenge comes in the scanning surface itself. Many ceilings include an irregular, textured surface that interferes with your StudSensor™ stud finder's ability to work properly. Plus dragging the tool across a textured ceiling will likely damage the surface. An easy solution is to scan through a thin sheet of cardboard. (A manila folder works also.) This creates a smooth, flat scanning area so you can scan accurately while your ceiling remains pristine.

A few different variables lead to irregular ceiling density. The most common culprit is insulation. Uneven insulation will interfere with your StudSensor™ sud finder's ability to isolate a stud. The foil that covers some types of insulation will also cause your device to fail. Ceiling patches are an additional concern. Density differences in patches may be mistakenly identified as studs.

Our MultiScanner® products and dedicated metal scanners provide workaround options. Scan for metal to isolate the nails used for attaching ceiling board to the studs or joists. Allow plenty of time to map out a wide area of ceiling so that you can differentiate stud nail patterns from pipes and ducts.

Floors:
StudSensor™ stud finders can locate joists in your floor, in DeepScan® mode, (scan depth up to 1 1/2") as long as your flooring does not have several layers of material with different levels of density, or materials that are denser than the wood joist that you're trying to find.

Materials that interfere with a stud finder's ability to find floor joists include carpet and padding and various types of hardwood flooring. In addition, scanning through floor ceramic tile can produce the same irregular results. It is in these situations that we suggest getting a unit with a metal scanning mode to possibly locate the the nail heads to identify the floor joists.