Finding Wall Studs through Textured Walls

“Hi this is Eric with a Zircon Tip Minute.

Today I’m going to show you how to find studs and joists through heavily textured walls and ceilings.

Textured or plaster walls can cause a lot of problems for stud finders. It’s hard to keep the tool flush against the wall and since heavily textured surfaces have uneven densities it can throw off the sensors inside of the tool.

If you’re not finding studs behind a textured surface, the first thing to do is get a thin piece of cardboard or poster board. Hold it against the wall, turn the tool on, and scan with the cardboard in place.

If that doesn’t work, try the tools Deep Scan Mode if your stud sensor has it.

Check your instructions to learn more about changing your stud sensor into deep scan mode or watch our previous video ‘Scanning Thick Walls’ to learn more about the deep scan feature. Try scanning again, the middle of the stud or joist is indicated by four metal bars.

Sometimes, what users think is a textured or plastered wall, is actually a lath and plaster wall. In order to find studs behind a lath and plaster wall, you’ll need a stud finder with a metal scan mode. For more information on Scanning a Lath and Plaster Wall please see our next video.”

Eric, aka the Zircon Tip Guy and host of Zircon Tip Minutes on YouTube, shares essential tips about construction, general DIY, and your favorite Zircon tools that you can use in your DIY and home improvement projects. Drop him a line or post a comment on his YouTube page.