Everyone says to just use a stud finder, but mine kept giving false readings on my plaster ceiling. Spent 4 hours trying to hang a light fixture.

3 comments

3 Comments

Is it really that big of a deal though? I just tapped the ceiling with my knuckle until it sounded solid. Found the joist in like five minutes. Stud finders are just another gadget that breaks. My old landlord used a bent coat hanger to probe the plaster and it worked every time.

nathan19322d ago

Sounds like you got lucky with a simple ceiling. Try that trick on a wall with multiple layers of drywall or weird backing and you'll be tapping all day. A decent stud finder isn't that expensive and saves a ton of guesswork, especially if you're hanging something heavy. Old methods work until they don't, and then you've got a bunch of unnecessary holes to patch.

willow_martin20d ago

Honestly people act like this is brain surgery. It's a HOLE in your ceiling. I've fixed way worse from actual water damage. If the stud finder is acting up, just make a small probe hole with a nail somewhere discreet. Patch it later with a dab of spackle, it takes two minutes. The obsession with perfect tools for simple jobs is wild to me.