How can you tell if you have metal or wood wall studs?
Posted on
December 24th, 2009
by Home Improvement
I’m trying to mount a pot rack to the studs. I live in an older apartment building (>30 years) with drywall. Is there any way to tell without drilling into the wall, preferably?
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I seriously doubt that galvanized steel studs are behind your drywall. I would however want to check to determine if its drywall or plaster.
I’ll assume the pot rack will have to hold considerable weight? Or I’d suggest mounting it anyway, with the ezee grip screw anchors. They are plastic and threaded, screw into a wall with a phillips, and if it’s sheer weight, they hold quite a bit.
Rev. Steven
Certainly you can determine location also by measuring and using an awl or finishing nail. Apt. studs may be at 24 inch on center, or 16, as in most homes, even 30 years old. Smiles, that’s only the 70’s
It’s wood. If it’s always been an apartment building. Metal did not come into use until the 70’s.
unless its really tall it will be wood. to be sure get yourself a stud finder (cheap magnetic type thing) and run it up and down the wall. if the pointer moves once in awhile that would be nails. a full metal stud would be constant.
More than likely you have wood studs since the building is that old. There may be structural steel used in the ceiling but that’s not where your hanging the pot rack.
I live in an apartment building with drywall and mounted my potrack about a year ago. I did not mount it into the studs but used these funky little springy things that the guy in the hardware store sold me… I drilled the holes, then pushed ‘em through and they opened up on the inside, then I screwed the bolts in. I loaded up the pot rack and it’s been great ever since! I did this because my studs weren’t placed right for mounting my pot rack. Hope this helps.
It’s not wood !
it is either real lathe and plaster over steel and block
or drywall over metal stud over poured concrete or block
in newer buildings only the exterior walls of your apartment are cement or block, the interior walls or partition walls are just metal stud and drywall
by drywall, I mean Gypsum board
Drill and install wall anchors, watch out for electrical
PS let me know when you find a stud in your apt.
uh, "whatabout", 30 years ago was the 70’s. If it is metal it is probably aluminum. Use a drill smaller than the screw to drill your support holes. Then use metal screws, it won’t matter if it is wood or metal.
steel studs, not aluminum, are used in commercial post and beam construction. apartment buildings are built cheap and 99% of the time they are wood studs. you want an easy want to tell?? find a stud, get a magnet and if it stick anywhere on the stud its metal, if it sticks in only a few places then you are hitting screws. pot racks are heavy especially with pots on them! you have got to hit studs wall anchors will not work for long. if by some miracle they are metal then you have to put in wood backing to attach the bolts to.