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I have problem locating my stud in my wall. I have tried many different ways to locate my stud but the results are weird.

  1. Using Stud Finder: The reading results are different everytime and weird. I get stud reading at higher location but than no reading right below. Please see attached image for the reading results

  2. Using Magnet: I use magnet to find the metal screws/nails but I found out all the screws/nails are 8in apart. Please see attached image I have mark all the screws I found mark with blue tape.

  3. Knocking: The entire wall sounds the same to me.

  4. Electrical Outlets I have two outlets on the wall. I open the cover but some how I can not tell if is attached to the stud or not and I use stud finder but I got not reading either from the left or right.

I was able to locate studs from other wall in my room but not this one.

I'm really appreciate if anyone can help me out on this weird wall.

enter image description here

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    What's behind the wall? Common wall with another neighbor, exterior, interior, basement foundation? You may have resilient channel running horizontally. Try poking a small hole on either side of the outlet that would be covered by the face plate.
    – BMitch ♦
    Dec 9, 2013 at 23:39
  • Thank you for replaying. It is a common wall with another neighbor.
    – Chris
    Dec 9, 2013 at 23:43
  • I put my confidence in Ecnerwal's answer. A sound wall will not let you hear the location of the studs when knocking on the wall. A regular studfinder typically has a probe depth of 3/4", just beyond the depth the standard ones can reach.
    – Jack
    Dec 10, 2013 at 1:41
  • Did you use a regular magnet? If so try a rare earth magnet, it should be strong enough to stay in place where the horizontal RC channel is to confirm. Or try the ice pick method where you may place a fastener anyway. You should feel a piece of flexible metal behind the wall, or you may find a horizontal firring strip of wood. Either way, it will give you some way to secure an item on the wall if that is what you are looking for. It may be a firewall, so the strips may be attached to a block wall.
    – Jack
    Dec 10, 2013 at 1:51

2 Answers 2

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The safest approach is to actually cut the wall open and see what you are really dealing with. While it involves drywall repair and paint, it also doesn't involve heavy fragile expensive items being hung based on conjecture. While the wall could be brick, it could also be studs (steel or wood) with resilient channel (somewhat age of building and local building practices dependent) - one of the features of resilient channel is better sound isolation, which is good for a party (common) wall. But some places a party wall is nearly always going to be 18" or more of masonry for fire purposes.

The wall shown here uses resilient channel, which is what I was looking for an image of, but also some other techniques that may well not apply.

You may find that you can "see" the resilient channel (or furring, as it may also be) better changing the studfinder direction (turn it 90 degrees, and sweep up and down)

Sound control wall with resilient channel A piece of resilient channel on a stud

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  • Does resilient channel have any impact on a masonry wall?
    – Tester101
    Dec 10, 2013 at 2:17
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    It will still help reduce sound transmission, since it isolates the wall surface from the support. Depending on the construction of the masonry wall, that might or might not be noticeable (some transmit sound comparatively well, others block it well, and it would be hard to notice on one that blocked sound well in the first place.)
    – Ecnerwal
    Dec 10, 2013 at 2:32
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It might be a brick/masonry wall, that uses furring strips to attach the drywall to the masonry. From the image, it looks like the furring runs horizontal along the wall.

enter image description here

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  • Thank you for the answer. How should I proceed from here if I want to mount heavy stuff like a TV or floating shelf that can hold heavy weight?
    – Chris
    Dec 10, 2013 at 0:30
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    You drill drill into the brick, and span more than one furring strip.
    – Bryce
    Dec 10, 2013 at 0:33
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    @Chris You'll have to determine first that furring strips are indeed in use here, then you'll have to determine what they are attached to. Without knowing that, the general advice would be to drill through the furring with a wood/all purpose drill bit, then drill into the masonry with a masonry bit. Once you've done that, you'll use some form of masonry anchors. Keep in mind, the size of the drilled holes will be determined by the selected anchor size.
    – Tester101
    Dec 10, 2013 at 0:38

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