So in my 2nd story bedroom, more like a half story, with an knee-wall, I'm trying to find the stud behind this old...maybe particle board??? type paneling, not sure, it's plain wallpapered over as well, to mount a small 20 (it might be 24 inch) TV, but I can find a stud. The house is 103 years old, the old paneling was probably installed in the 60's I'm guessing. We have dressers recessed into the walls and I can see that there is likely some drywall there, but it's hard to tell. Whoever did this did a Crud job. Anyway, it's a 3 and 1/2 foot section of wall that I want to mount the TV to, there is a heater vent about mid wall, and the outlet is near the corner. I tried measuring out from the outlet and drilling holes starting about 12 inches to 24 inches and found nothing. Once it goes through the paneling and whatever is behind it, it just pushes through, except one hole where the drill would go no further and the bit got stuck. Not sure if that's a knot in a stud, or a strip of metal or what! My bits start smoking in that old paneling too, so it's taking forever to get through from stopping at the first sign of smoke, waiting for cool off and restarting. No, a sharper bit didn't help. I tried a magnet and that didn't help either. Other than finding someplace else to hang it, does anyone have any suggestions? It's not a heavy TV, the mount is heavier, but it's an articulating mount. Could I use some sort of anchors instead?
Non-pool related topic Can't find Stud in wall.
- Thread starter bloodfromastone
- Start date
When you say you tried a magnet, what kind? Was it an earth magnet?
When I lived back east, and did work on older homes or commercial space, I always used a earth magnet to find the nail/screw heads.
Magnetic stud finder
When I lived back east, and did work on older homes or commercial space, I always used a earth magnet to find the nail/screw heads.
Magnetic stud finder
Ummm.....yes? no? IDK. I used a magnet I had around the house. LOL. I think I have some bucky balls in the kids' room. They'd probably work better, huh?
Take a look at moly bolts and see if they might work for you.
Amazon.com: uxcell 5/16-inch X 3-inch Male Thread Spring Loaded Hollow Wall Round Head Toggle Bolt 5pcs : Industrial & Scientific
Amazon.com: uxcell 5/16-inch X 3-inch Male Thread Spring Loaded Hollow Wall Round Head Toggle Bolt 5pcs : Industrial & Scientific
www.amazon.com
Maybe this guy can help @bdavis466 Me? I would put something under it like a small cabinet to put it on.
I think this might be MDF on the walls instead of paneling. I pulled one of the dressers out and it looks like they used MDF or an MDF type material to frame out the alcove. I can see NO nails in it except on the edges to indicated where it was nailed on to the wall. Looks like I'm going to have to find some place else to mount this TV. I don't understand how they did this without tearing the wall out and I'm not going to get into all that just to mount a TV
This is what I was thinking of, but not knowing exactly what this is, I'm afraid this whole sheet of whatever it is will pull away from the wall with the weight of the Tv and mount. It really looks like this is just a sheet of something, not sure what, that was nailed to a frame around the edges, no studs. GAH!
2 thoughts.
1. You used a “magnet?” Not an actual stud finder? Get an electronic one which can hear the difference between stud and empty space and does not rely on finding nails.
2. Failing to find studs, get the biggest baddest toggle bolts and try them. Nothing to lose but big holes in the wall.
1. You used a “magnet?” Not an actual stud finder? Get an electronic one which can hear the difference between stud and empty space and does not rely on finding nails.
2. Failing to find studs, get the biggest baddest toggle bolts and try them. Nothing to lose but big holes in the wall.
Nothing to lose but a TV....
I'm thinking with this particle board or MDF or whatever it is, a stud finder will think the whole wall is stud, the way it does with plaster and lath.
I'm considering taking the nails that are holding the MDF(or whatever it is) out and screwing the MDF to the supports it's nailed to, and then doing the molly bolts. Next question is though, I'm drilling with a very small bit to test for the stud and it's smoking. I'm worried drilling Large holes would start my 100 plus year old house on fire.
NO fires!!! Not worth it for a TV. Hummmmmmmmmm How about one of those hangers that come down from the ceiling??
Get yourself some Toggler bolts off Amazon or Lowes, I used them to hang a 60” TV with no issues.
Salty
Salty
Wouldn't work on our ceiling. They are those old fiber ceiling tiles and being a 1\2 story ceiling it slants. To be honest, at this rate, I wouldn't be a Darn bit surprised to find out these tiles are glued to the ceiling.
Yeah lets not even do that then!!! 
don't want to hear that falling in the middle of the night!!!
don't want to hear that falling in the middle of the night!!!