![finding studs in lath and plaster walls finding studs in lath and plaster walls](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d0/f7/9e/d0f79efba144afa04c32a9e9700804a4.jpg)
![finding studs in lath and plaster walls finding studs in lath and plaster walls](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/z3OO5OEdtq8/maxresdefault.jpg)
This keying creates the inconsistencies that defeat the StudSensor ™ technology. Insufficient "keying" and the plaster falls off over time. The photo on the above illustrates how plaster oozes through the lath to create curls called "keys." Keys keep the plaster securely attached to the lath. After the plaster completely dries, the walls can be painted. A rough, sandy "brown coat" goes first and a smooth, finish coat follows on top. Two wet coats of plaster get applied to the laths. The process begins with wood laths-narrow strips of wood nailed horizontally across vertical wall studs. South Florida construction didn't follow the national trend as lath and plaster remained the dominant technique there through the early seventies. In much of the United States, its use began to decline in the late 1950s as drywall emerged as a less expensive and easier to install alternative. To fully understand why these walls present such challenges it's best to first take a look at how they're built.įor centuries, lath and plaster had been the primary building process for interior walls. The smooth surface of these walls deceptively hides an inconsistent combination of wood (lath) and plaster, with varying levels of density between the plaster, lath and stud. Unfortunately, our StudSensor ™ stud finders will not always return accurate results with lath and plaster walls due to the very method by which they are constructed. In order to work properly and effectively, the wall surface must have one consistent level of density, and be less dense than the wood stud. Just do it.Īnd still toggle bolts hold well in metal lath and plaster.Our StudSensor ™ stud finders identify studs by looking for increases in density behind a wall. Or you can use the other suggestion and put holes in at an angle then feel around with a wire coat hanger. In metal lath this is not much of a concern. When I have done this I have not put the holes in a straight line but made some higher and others lower in order not to cause a crack along a straight line. If you use a small masonry bit and start drilling holes in the neighborhood of where you want to attach your peg board, drilling every 3/4" until you find the first stud, then you should find the next ones with only three holes, one where you expect the center of the stud to be and one an inch left and right to verify the center. Since this is an exterior wall it is probably framed with 2 X 4 or 2 X 6 studs. They support the plaster or stucco but not the floor or roof above. The systems I mentioned in earlier posts are not typically structural in nature.
![finding studs in lath and plaster walls finding studs in lath and plaster walls](https://www.thespruce.com/thmb/SNFrENR7MwvdIJttfosSVGa2nU4=/2127x1409/filters:fill(auto,1)/LathandPlasterWall-GettyImages-177410097-77eedcc95acd46d28d01685bc0a1b07e.jpg)
Now nothing holds as well as screws into wood studs. Most of the weight is down on the toggle and plaster not out of it. The wings on the toggles hold against that and several strands of lath and resist pulling out pretty well. Plaster over metal lath holds toggle bolts pretty well from the front to the back of the plaster is an inch or more. If there are wood studs sometimes you can locate them with the thump method, at least get close enough to dry the drill or nail to get the center. The other way to hunt for wood studs is driving nails ever 3/4" until you hit the first one. If you hit a wood stud you should sense a difference in the resistance if you use light pressure on the drill. You will know if you hit a steel support. Dry drilling a hole with the smallest masonry bit you can find. There might be a little dent where the putty shrank over the nail. If there is a baseboard look carefully for nails in it. And it would be hard to get a screw into some of these.īUT you may have wood studs. There are a number of ways this was done but they all involved steel supports about 3/4" wide. It is possible that you have plaster over metal lath that is attached to old fashioned metal framing systems.