stud finder advice please

[lizzie]

I want to establish that the positions I have in mind for the aircon units will be ok so before buying (and searching for the elusive man what does to fit them) so I need to find my studs.

 

I have utubed a stud finder vid so know how they work.  Advice on best one to buy if anyone can help please, there is a bewildering array on the market at wildly differing prices. Also could do with advice as to if I need one with deep sensor as I have the ultra strong gyproc habito plasterboard to ‘look’ through.

 

Thanks in advance for any tips.

[nod]

Your studs will be set out at 400 or 600 so if you measure out from an internal corner either distance and tap the wall you should find one The rest will be 400!or 600 apart 

If you are TF more likely 400

[Ferdinand]

Also watch out vertically or horizontally in line with switches, plugs etc.

 

These are "safe zones" where electrical wiring goes (in theory). ie unsafe if you drill in. Personally I specialise in hitting water pipes not electricals.

 

F

Edited July 26, 2019 by Ferdinand

[Jeremy Harris]

5 hours ago, nod said:

Your studs will be set out at 400 or 600 so if you measure out from an internal corner either distance and tap the wall you should find one The rest will be 400!or 600 apart 

If you are TF more likely 400

 

That's often not the case with the type of frame that I and @lizzie have, unfortunately.  The studs are on 400mm centres in the main part of the panels, but they are often not 400mm from the corners, as they tend to set the stud pitch so that the "left over" dimension is equally spaced at either end of a cassette.  This shows a typical frame cassette in our build (the service void battens are aligned with the frame cassette studs):

 

[Gone West]

5 hours ago, nod said:

Your studs will be set out at 400 or 600 so if you measure out from an internal corner either distance and tap the wall you should find one The rest will be 400!or 600 apart 

If you are TF more likely 400

Our 'studs' are I-beams and vary in spacing depending on the loads on the structure.

[Dee J]

Rather than find the studs, locate the plasterboard screws with a powerful magnet. Far more precise.

[Jeremy Harris]

7 minutes ago, Dee J said:

Rather than find the studs, locate the plasterboard screws with a powerful magnet. Far more precise.

 

 

+1 to this.

 

I use both techniques, I use the stud finder to locate the rough position of the studs, then use some small neodymium magnets to find the plasterboard screws.  These screws will either be more or less on the centreline of the studs, or there may be two screws side by side where there is a plasterboard joint.  Here's a photo I took a while ago showing the magnets marking the centre of a stud (the magnets are the small dots in a vertical line under the picture frame):

 

 

 

I also have small magnets fitted to the end of pencils, handy for finding screws in plasterboard as well as picking up screws that have been dropped:

 

[lizzie]

Thanks all I will still need to think about the ‘other side’ where my render is on carrier boards which are on battens.......ideally I need to go through the wall missing the studs and the render board battens.  What are the chances of that happening!

[Jeremy Harris]

Just now, lizzie said:

Thanks all I will still need to think about the ‘other side’ where my render is on carrier boards which are on battens.......ideally I need to go through the wall missing the studs and the render board battens.  What are the chances of that happening!

 

The render board battens will be on the line of the studs.  We have the same, battens on the outside that the cladding is fixed to.  MBC usually chalk lines down the membrane on the outside of the house to highlight where the frames are for whoever fixes the battens, plus there is a line of staples running along those lines too.  The outside battens have to be fixed to the frame studs as there's not enough "meat" in the outer boarding to fix to.

[Simplysimon]

15 hours ago, lizzie said:

I want to establish that the positions I have in mind for the aircon units will be ok so before buying (and searching for the elusive man what does to fit them) so I need to find my studs.

 

I have utubed a stud finder vid so know how they work.  Advice on best one to buy if anyone can help please, there is a bewildering array on the market at wildly differing prices. Also could do with advice as to if I need one with deep sensor as I have the ultra strong gyproc habito plasterboard to ‘look’ through.

 

Thanks in advance for any tips.

@pocster is the person you need to discuss this with

[Mr Punter]

15 hours ago, lizzie said:

I have the ultra strong gyproc habito plasterboard

 

You should be able to mount the indoor unit straight on to this as they don't weigh much.  For the large hole, you could make a 75mm inspection hole behind the unit with a hole saw, and refit the plasterboard if you caught a stud.

[Ferdinand]

16 hours ago, lizzie said:

 gyproc habito

 

We seem to be back in Hogwarts.

 

if this is still the unico tower 12 HP one, it weighs 54kg, but is Afaics designed to sit on the floor against the wall, not dangle.

Edited July 26, 2019 by Ferdinand

[lizzie]

17 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

 

We seem to be back in Hogwarts.

 

if this is still the unico tower 12 HP one, it weighs 54kg, but is Afaics designed to sit on the floor against the wall, not dangle.

yes floor standing unit ....but I was referring to stud finder detection through extra thick/tough plasterboard not the usual thin stuff. stud detection needed for vent holes in walls.

[lizzie]

11 hours ago, JSHarris said:

 

That's often not the case with the type of frame that I and @lizzie have, unfortunately.  The studs are on 400mm centres in the main part of the panels, but they are often not 400mm from the corners, as they tend to set the stud pitch so that the "left over" dimension is equally spaced at either end of a cassette.  This shows a typical frame cassette in our build (the service void battens are aligned with the frame cassette studs):

 

Spot on @JSHarris I have just found a photo of the wall I want to use and exactly as yours I have a smaller gap at one end.

 

This stud thing may defeat me because I have only one wall the aircon unit could go on and three weeks ago I had all my floating cupboards fitted on that wall...I have a nice symmetrical gap either end of the cupboards and walls and the gap between corner of wall and socket is about 90, that is my aircon gap hence looking at slim tower.....what chance of studs fitting perfectly the  template for the vent holes -((  

 

If the vent holes could be vertical not horizontal that would solve it but looking at the units they dont go that way.

 

Not giving up quite yet will download the template and find the studs and see how it works......

 

UPDATE...after earlier request via the web site they enrolled me in to get access to the technical docs......and it will work the vent holes are vertical one on top of the other so plenty of room between the stud.  Result!   Now to find me a man who can install it! Good rates of cash pay if anyone wants to volunteer to do it!

Edited July 26, 2019 by lizzie