Help with stud sensor

[gfernandez]

I am finishing out a music room in my basement, and about to start putting in baseboard. The problem is that I put in 2 one half inch sheets of sheetrock with a layer of green glue for sound insulation. The 2 stud sensors I have, a zircon and a stanley, are old and probably cheap, and while they work fine with just 1 sheet of sheetrock, they cannot locate the studs through 1" of sheetrock. Anyone have any recommendations for a better stud sensor that would work, or a better way to do this?

Thanks in advance,
Gonzalo

 

[Scott Meek]

Since you are putting on new base anyway, I would just use the "hammer and finish nail" method or a drill and drill bit. Make a series of holes where they will be covered by the base and when you find a stud, then measure off your 16" on centers. Verify with the aforementioned method that there is a stud at those spots. If there are outlets, you know there will be a stud on one side or the other of it, so start there.

Scott

 

[gfernandez]

Since you are putting on new base anyway, I would just use the "hammer and finish nail" method or a drill and drill bit. Make a series of holes where they will be covered by the base and when you find a stud, then measure off your 16" on centers. Verify with the aforementioned method that there is a stud at those spots. If there are outlets, you know there will be a stud on one side or the other of it, so start there.

Scott

Hi Scott,
Thanks for the reply. That will work, and is what I have been doing, but I was hoping for an easier way, like a higher quality stud sensor.
Gonzalo

 

[Scott Meek]

That I'm not sure about. I've owned several different stud sensors, and wasn't very happy with any of them. Hopefully someone else has a different story.

Scott

 

[Bas]

Use a magnet. It'll find the screws that hold the drywall, and by extension the studs. You'll probably want to find several screws to find out the middle of the stud.
I've used this little gizmo with great success:

 

[Joe F]

I have a Zircon that has a Deep Scan mode that would theoretically work in this situation.

 

[Jeff]

I also have a Zircon "StudSensor Pro SL-AC" that I got at Lowe's several years ago. It has a "deep scan" mode that supposedly works up to 1.5" deep, but I've never tried it in that mode. :icon_scra

 

[Skymaster]

GF; as mentioned, hammer,nail still best and fastest: OUTLETS are the key, go where base will be find which side stud is on; pull 16's in each direction and u should b right on. do this on each wall and u will find everyone in about 5 mins. The truff is this is how I have done it for a living for more than 25 yrs, I have almost every stud finder made and NEVER use em, cant rely on em:gar-Bi:wsmile: good ole knuckle and ear system is great :}:}:gar-La;:gar-La;

 

[SteveColes]

Try this.

Magnet to help find the stud and a thin needle to use instead of a nail. The handle is such that when you push the finder into wall, you don't need a hammer. and if it hits anything, you can read the depth. Have one of these I have used for years would not trade it. A simple idea that really works.

 

[gfernandez]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I think I will try a newer stud sensor first, and if that doesn't work, go with the nail and hammer approach. After spending so much time soundproofing the room, I am reluctant to poke holes in the sheetrock if I can help it.