Can it be done? How to find studs in the wall with a magnet!

Before starting a DIY home improvement project recently, I realized that the task I was trying to complete would include locating studs in the wall. Since I didn’t have a specialized tool on hand, I wanted to find out if there was something else I had around the house that would work for this purpose.

Can you find studs in the wall with a magnet, and how?

It is possible to find studs in the wall using just a magnet. In order to do this, you will just need to slide the magnet across the surface of the wall and wait for it to stick.

When you have your hands full with a home renovation project in which you might have bit off more than you could chew, the added stress of obtaining professional tools like stud finders can be daunting.

Don’t worry if you feel like you are in over your head just like I did before I found a simple answer, this easy guide will help you find studs in the wall with the use of an everyday magnet.

How to find studs in a wall with magnets

When you are trying to hang or mount something up onto the wall in your home, it is always important to be able to locate the interior metal studs beforehand. This is due to the fact that the studs will give the object the additional support that it will need to hold itself up for a long period of time.

Especially for very heavy objects like televisions or floating shelving units, you will be required to find the precise locations of each stud and drill directly into these areas for the best results. Unless, of course, you would like your creation to fall down and completely destroy your drywall along the way.

Most people would be surprised to hear that the average, everyday household magnet can actually be used for renovation projects as handy detectors for studs in the wall. Take a look at the quick guide below to find out how you can use this method if you ever find yourself in a pinch.

4 simple steps:

1. Obtain a magnet and bring it to the workspace in question
2. Find a starting position on the wall and slowly drag the magnet horizontally
3. Wait for the magnet to stick in one place
4. Leave the magnet on the wall to mark the spot

First and foremost, you will need to obtain the magnet that you will be using and bring it to the wall in which you would like to locate the studs in question. The general process of finding the studs with the magnet will be the easiest part.

The object of this entire test will be to observe where the magnet sticks on the wall, with the stopping points being directly on top of the magnetic studs.

Find a starting position on the wall to begin and slowly drag the magnet horizontally across the entire surface. There should be no space between the wall and the magnet, and you might have to adjust the height of the magnet, making several passes across the entire area until you find what you are looking for.

During the trial and error that you will go through with the magnet, you will be waiting for the magnet to stop you in your tracks. When the magnet is attracted to an area in the wall, you will be able to mark the area to indicate that a stud is inside.

For an easier process that doesn’t even require a pencil, you can leave the magnet exactly where it stands on the wall to mark the spot, and come back to it when you are ready to take action.

In case you will be needing to locate multiple studs at once across the same wall, there is an additional method that you can use, in connection with this one, in order to quickly find all of them without exactly having to drag the magnet across the wall.

Keep reading to the next section to find out how you can get your project moving even faster than you thought you would after discovering the simple magnet method.

These magnets are perfect for finding studs (the thicker wall, the stronger magnet you need for the job):