DIY Stud Finder (Refrigerator Magnets)
By
Staten Island, NY Posted: 9/15/2015 1:00:00 AM
Before you spend money on an expensive Stud Finder... try this.
I recently bought a new Stud Finder so I could hang a new railing on my staircase. I threw away my old one a long time ago because it did a terrible job of finding studs. I followed the instructions to the letter, sliding it back and forth waiting for the gadget to light up and tell me it found a stud. Then I'd make a mark, and just to be sure, I'd do it again. More often than not, I ended up with a conflicting location, so I'd end up resorting to the old fashioned method... knocking on the wall and listening to the sound. It wasn't as scientific, but it worked better than the gadget.
When I got the new one, I hoped that the technology would be more reliable by now. Maybe it's me... or maybe it's my walls, but I still got conflicting readings. Then I decided to try something completely different.
I put away the Stud Finder and looked for places where the plaster seemed different, then I grabbed a couple of refrigerator magnets and slid them around until they stuck to the nails hidden beneath the plaster. Viola... GUARANTEED Studs.
Technically, I could've used only one magnet and a string with a weight to visualize the entire stud, but I couldn't find one, so I used two magnets and simply connected the dots to extend the line to where I needed to hang my railing.
Just be sure you've got strong magnets. Weaker ones may not be strong enough to stick to the nails, but you should still be able to feel the position. In my case, I used a set made by Ikea. Another great bonus, unlike an electronic Stud Finder, you'll never need batteries, and you'll have no trouble finding them. Just look on your refrigerator.
Joe Crescenzi, Founder
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