# stud finder



## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

What is a good stud finder to use installing vinyl siding over asbestos shingle siding?

I like the ides of the magnets, but this is an old house with 1x sheathing then the siding. I doubt if any of the studs are consistently set on 16" centers. From gutting a few rooms, I know this to be the case so far.

I'm thinking the original siding was installed with little regard to the studs and just nailed to the 1x sheathing. This is why I doubt the magnetic stud finders would work without some hassle.


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## pinwheel (Dec 7, 2009)

I have yet to find one that's realiable through a single layer of drywall, let alone siding & sheating. I'm of no help.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Yeah, the few I have tried with dw were iffy at best.


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## stp57 (Dec 12, 2007)

Outdoors reliability stinks on every one I've ever used. 
Steve


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

boman47k said:


> What is a good stud finder to use installing vinyl siding over asbestos shingle siding?


Hammer and nails. 

We did a house like that a few years ago. We still call it the Wandering Stud House.

Made $10 on the job.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Hope you didn't spend it all in one place..:laughing:

You will want a deep range stud finder. They have a more powerful ultrasonic beam and can penetrate deeper. They also have metal detecting stud finders, not sure if it would be sensitive enough to find the nails though.

How about a pair of comic book x-ray glasses?


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## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

Look at the wall early in the morning, before the dew evaporates. Many times you can pick up signs of thermal bridging.


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## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

I use this one and it works almost perfect, I get a few mis-readings every now and then. Can't tell you if it will scan through asbestos siding and sheathing though. But vinyl siding is so light, you may get away without hitting the studs if it is going through asbestos and sheathing, I would call CertainTeed and ask.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

I have that Zircon Ken posted a pic of....and the step down from that...and the cheap 10 dollar one with 3 LEDs.

I have found they all work exactly the same but the cheapest one takes up less space in my tool-bag.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

> How about a pair of comic book x-ray glasses


 
Been there, done that. Also too iffy.



> But vinyl siding is so light, you may get away without hitting the studs


When I bought the siding,I asked the guy since the house had the 1x diagonal sheathing, did I have to worry about hitting the studs. He shook his head. I felt he did it hesitantly. I am new at this and it is one of my houses. I need to finish it, but thought I might need to hit the studs and would need a stud finder. Guess I might continue as I have started and am more than half way finished with the house. All my work looks good, and it has been several months. I hired a guy to kind of lead me on this project. He didn't last but a couple or 3 days. His stuff looks like sh**. One piece has actually expanded and is bulging out to the point of being unclipped to the piece below it. Now that I think about it, it is the top piece on a section and I think he forgot to put his caulking on the lip to glue it to the one under it.  

Now you know why he didn't last. He actually did caulk along the bottom of the last piece in a gable!

I told my wife he has been around siding, but he is not a sider.

I know nothing, or very little, but I think I knew more than he did about this stuff. Building boxes for the bottom of the gable corners, not folding trim to catch water, etc..


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

I find my the powerful magnet type are the best. I have yet to have them fail to find a stud. But if the screws are really that deep to find then just buy a more powerful magnet on it's own. Some of the smaller high strength magnets are so strong they will find a nail through 3 sheets of drywall easy as pie. I use the CH hanson type. http://www.amazon.com/CH-Hanson-03040-STUD4SURE-Magnetic/dp/B000IKK0OI

It even works better than my $80 stud finder.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

The magnetic type may work. I will just have to find what is actually a stud and what is nailed into the sheathing. After one is found, the others should not be hard to locate.


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## JumboJack (Aug 14, 2007)

KennMacMoragh said:


> I use this one and it works almost perfect, I get a few mis-readings every now and then. Can't tell you if it will scan through asbestos siding and sheathing though. But vinyl siding is so light, you may get away without hitting the studs if it is going through asbestos and sheathing, I would call CertainTeed and ask.


I have this one and it works good in most situations....

Although I personally can not get too close to it as I seem to set it off...:whistling


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## iHandy (Oct 10, 2007)

*Nail Penetration & Pattern*

I checked a couple of vinyl siding manufacturer's installation instructions on the web. The frequent recommendation is a minimum of 3/4" nail penetration into the sheathing material.

I think the issue here is not so much finding the studs as it is nail performance (holding power). So, if in doubt, you could always use more nails. 

The idea that if each nail is at the lower end of holding power, than then upping the number of these nails will then provide sufficient overall holding power.

Cheers


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

JumboJack said:


> ...Although I personally can not get too close to it as I seem to set it off...:whistling


That's odd, because they are designed to detect the location of dead wood.:whistling:laughing:


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## JumboJack (Aug 14, 2007)

griz said:


> That's odd, because they are designed to detect the location of dead wood.:whistling:laughing:


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

Infrared camera. Only about $4k and up.


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

I use a mirror.


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