Identifying Wooden Studs on Foil Backed Plasterboard wall

I am thinking of putting another handrail up my staircase, (we are getting old and crotchity),

The lower half of the staircase is ok to fix on as it is on blockwork but the top section, (1st Floor level) is a studded foil backed plasterboard wall. I would not trust hollow fixings in the plasterboard for such a potential load but I cannot identify the studs because the board is foil backed and my stud detector just bleeps everywhere.

Any ideas other than making trial holes everywhere?

Reply to
Merryterry
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Tap it, its firm on the studs and hollow between. No need for a stud detector.

Isnt it disapointing when you point them at yourself and they dont go off?

NT

Reply to
meow2222

I asked the same question about a year ago, and was advised to locate the screw (or nail) heads by running a magnet over the wall.

Bashed open some old headphones to get two small rare-earth magnets, did as advised, and it worked a treat.

Reply to
Ian White

Instead of using handrail-on-brackets, use the handrail profile that fixes straight to the wall. Then you can make lots of trial holes along the line of the handrail and they'll be covered when the handrail goes on. You also won't have to worry about brackets being regularly spaced for appearance's sake.

Owain

Reply to
Owain

Obtain some strong thin magnets, some 20mm wide, with the poles on the ends.

Hold lightly in the hand, so they are free to move, but held 1mm above the face of the plasterboard.

Then 'scribble' over the surface of the plasterboard, the magnet bangs against the surface when you are over a nail.

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shows after I did this all over the wall, cut the plasterboard top and bottom, and dremeled out circles round the nails (quite fast actually, and the sheets are suitbale for re-use doing the garage).

However, in your case, once you find several nails, you can draw a line and find the probable centres of the studs.

Reply to
Ian Stirling

Look for the screws/nails instead using a metal detector or a magnet. The foil, may fool the metal detector, but is unlikely to catch out the magnet! ;-)

Reply to
John Rumm

similar to:

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10mm wide magnet will (more or less) find nails easily 10mm deep.

20mm, 20mm deep, and so on.
Reply to
Ian Stirling

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> A 10mm wide magnet will (more or less) find nails easily 10mm deep.

What a great idea! Axminster sell them as well

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Reply to
The Medway Handyman

IME those dont give nearly as good grip in use, as you cant get your hand round it, but its a good backup option if other approaches are problematic.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

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