I Built a See Through Wall to REALLY Test StudFinders

[@Jogwheel]

When I saw the title I assumed you built the wall with some transparent material... but keying out the green-painted wall with a location-matched interior photo just all sorts of brilliant. Really neat demonstration! Thanks for the work putting this together!

[@L3x4Pr0ne]

Yeah I gotta agree, this was kind of awesome.

[@atheinasophiajade1044]

I'm an electrician and very much appreciate this video!

[@grimmyst5323]

I came straight to the comments to say this same thing lol

[@adammoss2710]

But which stud finder is safe to microwave?

[@iambear.6526]

@@adammoss2710 this is the real question we all want answered!

[@amaggard14]

As someone that mounts TVs for a living, my advice is do not rely on just one method! First I use a normal traditional stud finder and mark what it finds with tape, then go 16 inches to either side and try to find another stud (studs are 16 inches apart from each other in most houses), then after I have a couple of studs marked I use the magnet method and go up and down where I put my tape and try to find nails in the studs, and lastly (if I am still unsure) I will push on the wall and see if it moves any or if it is firm and unmoving. Also, metal studs are uncommon in houses, but you might run into them in basements of houses or commercial buildings. Oh and lastly you don't need to worry about water pipes unless there is a bathroom or kitchen on the opposite side of the wall. If there is a bathroom on the opposite side of the wall, go slowly and be extra careful!!! If you run into something hard when drilling do not keep drilling but instead pull the drill out and if there is metal shavings on the tip of the drill bit then it is probably a pipe!

[@Cedricket]

hey quick question i live on the 1st floor of a 100+ year old building and in my room there's kind of a secret a door that leads to the basement of the building which is never used. But i wanted to mount a tv next to that door on the wall and found 2-3 possible issues. the drywall is about an inch thick(i read its usually thinner). i believe the studs are metal i used a stud finder and almost every wall had "metal" all over. and im afraid there's pipes behind the wall supplying gas/water to the rest of the building? idk how likely that is but id love to know what u would do.

[@amaggard14]

@@Cedricket studs have been 16 inches apart (or 24 inches but mainly 16) since the 1800s, so what I would do is get painter's tape and mark everything the stud finder picks up with a small piece of tape within 5 or so feet and you should see a pattern of studs every 16 (or 24) inches apart, and anything in between that pattern is most likely a pipe. Also if there are outlets on the wall, it's a good indicator of a stud because outlets have to be attached to studs. Check 1/2 inch to the left or right of the outlet and if you find anything then it is a stud. From there you can measure 16 inches (or 24 if it doesnt work) towards where you want the tv to go and you should find another stud. I've dealt with 1 inch drywall and its not really an issue finding the studs until it is 2+ inches which is rare. If it is metal studs, you will need 1/4 inch toggle bolts (avoid the collapsible ones and get the reusable ones) and a 1/4 inch drill bit, 3/8 inch drill bit, and a 1/2 inch drill bit. Use the 1/4 inch as a pilot bit and step up the sizes up to 1/2 inch. Also it shouldn't be super difficult to drill into the metal studs, but if it is very difficult then it might be a pipe! It should be possible to safely mount a tv there if you follow all my steps. Best of luck!

[@Cedricket]

@@amaggard14 Thank you so much for the feedback really appreciate it. I’ll likely follow those steps as well as get an endoscope to double check

[@tomsides]

Metal studies are predominant in high humidity areas of the US, like Florida. Millions of home built in the last 40 years with them.

[@amaggard14]

@@tomsides Good to know. I live in Oklahoma and the only time I have seen them used here are in commercial buildings and basements.

[@itsgabegutierrez]

This is a cool. But since you built the wall you may be somewhat influenced to pause to get the stud finders to detect something. It would be really cool if one person built the wall and another person who didn't know the location of the studs tested the stud finders. Love the green wall effect though!

[@DennisMathias]

Yea, we need a double blind study. Good idea.

[@Horseshoecrabwarrior]

That would be better, but these results are still useful for comparative purposes, as his bias seems to be in favor of the wall, and not any particular device

[@SirRebrl]

With someone who doesn't know the interior of the wall, the accuracy of the devices can only be analyzed after the fact with a blind pass. Since he knows the interior of the wall, he was able to give multiple passes over high-value areas to specifically check the (in)consistency of the devices. He could give them every opportunity to succeed and still found very questionable results, emphasizing how little some devices can really be trusted. A blind pass with the devices would be more desirable if the devices looked particularly impressive in this demonstration, but by and large the results didn't favor them very well.

[@drats1279]

Why don't you build our own wall and have someone conduct similar tests or are you just a couch complainer and not a doer?

[@keithbranning9832]

😂😂😂

[@DarrenOverby]

What a cool idea for green screen use! The thermal camera was something I hadn't thought of too. One thing not mentioned in the video is the need for situational awareness. If possible, it pays to look in all unfinished areas (i.e. attics and basements) and observe visual clues (stoves, heating ducts, etc.) to develop theories about where services (pipes, wires and ducts) might be located. This knowledge combined with these crude instruments will help you make decisions about where to cut.

[@juanb201]

0:00 intro 0:44 Magnet pal 3:32 StudPop 5:42 Zircon hd55 7:58 Zircon A250C 12:28 Zircon Metalliscanner 14:04 Franklin stud finder 17:33 Wallabot DIY 2

[@RandallStephens397]

you forgot: 13:55 obligatory dad joke

[@3nertia]

Not all heroes wear capes! Thank you for your service!

[@Harleyguy03]

Using a green wall/screen to demonstrate the various stud finders was brilliant! The best video I've seen on stud finders so far.....I have lath and plaster which is always a challange....subcribed.

[@devKazuto]

This makes me very happy that the walls in Germany are made out of stone and everything inside the wall like cables, pipes etc have designated zones called "Installationszonen" that are up to 45 cm from each side so that you can't drill into them by accident. Our installation either comes from the top if the outlet is above the center or from below if the outlet is below the center, but it would never go from the top all the way to the bottom or even go horizontally in the middle of the wall, except if outlets are directly next to each other.

[@jamoecw]

In the US commercial buildings will typically use steel tube to protect electrical wires, but to make it easier to work on and build homes they made it so that you didn't need to use conduit (the steel tubes). Every time I spend time in another country I look at how they build things, it is pretty neat the different ways they solve similar problems (or new problems).

[@sirllamaiii9708]

"installationszonen" the most German word ever

[@scharpmeister]

@@sirllamaiii9708almost cartoonishly😂

[@Sandlin22]

Some walls in Germany, although according to your countrys stats, around 60% of new homes are prefabricated, including a lot of your countries brand of "dry wall". Your homes are also about 40% smaller. I actually prefer your method of construction and even like it to go a step further with exposed pipes and wires inside decorative wood covers. I prefer zero gaps in the walls.

[@headoverheels88]

Germany also has a terrible housing crisis. You win some you lose some.

[@theindooroutdoorsman]

Something I learned in trade school that greatly improved the accuracy of a $20 stud finder. Take the year the home was built, determine what the distance between studs was that year. Start in a corner where you know there's a stud, and measure the interval out. Then verify with the stud finder. It isn't 100%, but it really makes it easier to tell if it found a stud, or something like a water or gas line.

[@YKSGuy]

You don't even need to start in a corner, just find 3 (with a stud finder) on any wall and if they are the correct distance you are good. Generally when you are hanging something that should be possible even if you are on a ladder.

[@dynamicworlds1]

Try an over 100yr old house with an unknown number of remodels at unknown times since it's building, though.

[@theindooroutdoorsman]

@@dynamicworlds1 I did say it isn't 100%.

[@vs4333]

Is it safe to drill in the corners as there are studs?

[@oopomopoo]

Yeah but think of this 0.0000001% scenario ​@@theindooroutdoorsman

[@PumpkinDog33]

The "Green screen" on the zircon was actually really cool for showing how accurate it was.

[@mackenzieclancy959]

Recently did some rewiring in an old house with lath and plaster. The stud finder was almost useless, I went out and got an endoscope. It quickly proved to be an absolutely necessary tool

[@gg-gn3re]

can get a USB webcamera that is like the scope camera for $2 fyi to anyone else. just plug into laptop or android phone etc

[@LarryMayvid]

​@@gg-gn3reAny chance you could share a link to a good one? Thanks!

[@ColonelSandersLite]

Spent a lot of time renovating victorian houses with plaster and lathe walls. None of the stud finders on the market at the time worked for crap with it. From this video, it doesn't look like that has changed. We didn't have those little cameras either. There's a technique to it though. Basically, you move along the wall tapping with your knuckles (or maybe a tacking hammer or something) and you listen for the pitch change. You want to do it at several different heights to figure your lines. Having said that, even though it seems simple in principle, there's definitely a learned skill to it. Until you really get a feel for it, you have to expect a lot of missing and false positives. You also have to be aware of the existence of things like fire breaks and stuff like that. Also, you have to know that you can't expect anything in those houses to actually be on 16" centers. Expect the plaster to be thicker and harder to read towards the bottom than they are top. When they put it on there, it would creep its way downwards while it was drying because of gravity. You know what's nice though? Once you have the technique down on plaster and lathe, doing it on drywall in a modern construction is a breeze.

[@pyromethious]

@@ColonelSandersLiteknocking for studs is definitely the classic way to go, but sometimes, even with simple wooden studs, that just doesn't do, so out come the tools. Still the cheapest tool to start with that's somewhat accurate.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@pyromethious Yep, and you can also just use a small nail when you've got a suspected spot. You then need to patch those nail holes when you're done, but if they're small enough, it's not that hard to do. Clearly a good stud finder is better, but sometimes they just aren't suited to it.

[@8amonas]

Stud finders are much more horrifying than I expected, imagine trying to install a shelf and you end up drilling into a gas pipe 💀

[@filblo503]

Ah the joys of being european and not having to worry about gass pipes

[@UriahStuff]

​@@filblo503still have to worry about water pipes.

[@praints]

the amount of times my uncle drilled into a water pipe and sewage pipe I cant count@@filblo503

[@Charlie_the_dog]

@@UriahStuff that's not nearly as bad tho

[@amamsurri5454]

or just an American with no gas in the house.@@filblo503

[@j.frankparnell3087]

Very creative test set up and executed well. One thing I've noticed with a number of KZbin stud finder tests is that many of them move the device only in one direction and then say it is inaccurate when it doesn't indicate "coming off" the stud precisely. Every stud finder I've ever used (admittedly only 3 or 4) all state in the instructions to move in one direction to find an edge and then to lift and move in the opposite direction to find the other edge.

[@dingdingdingdiiiiing]

Wallabot is on to something. A couple years of development, better components, maybe twice the price and we actually might get a "see through walls" stud finder.

[@Kingphotosonline]

I have one. It sucks

[@littlejackalo5326]

​@@Kingphotosonlinehence everything the op said. Derrrp

[@pyromethious]

Walabot has a pro mode as it were where it shows you the raw data that can even let you see living things behind the wall.

[@cdoublejj]

A year before this video they started selling wall scanners. Makita and Bosch seem to the most popular or the ones I see the most.

[@YunxiaoChu]

Hmm

[@stevenvachon9745]

As someone who uses a stud finder daily I find the Franklin the most reliable, quickest, durable and cost effective. Short of an expensive scanner, it does find every stud but you need to have some common sense when using it. Btw, it works better if you push the button first then touch the wall. After you find one stud, touch it again appx 16"over while holding the button on and boom, there's you next stud. You can mark an entire wall in seconds.

[@alextheonewarrior]

I mark the entire wall in seconds with a magnet lmao. Every professional I see uses magnets.

[@braybraycooldude1238]

​@alextheonewarrior what happens if the nails/screws aren't centered on the stud? It's gonna throw everything off

[@psyience3213]

As someone who use one almost every day, I have the same cheap one he does and it works great. He's also using it incorrectly in the video.

[@psyience3213]

@@alextheonewarrior One day there will be a pipe where you thought a stud was and you better hope it's not a self tapper.

[@littlejackalo5326]

​@@psyience3213LOL if you can't tell the difference between a screw head 1/16" under the surface and a cast iron pipe that's 2" under the surface, you shouldn't be doing the work. A screw has a SINGLE point of attraction, not an entire line of attraction. Didn't think that one out, huh? Plus, pipes wouldn't like up with the rest of the layout.

[@scottsmith4145]

I have the zircon and its worked great for me. You have to calibrate on a spot you KNOW doesnt have anything behind it per the instructions. It works well.

[@macfady2181]

Exactly, he didn't use it properly in the demo. Missed the first stud because he calibrated and moved it along a horizontal 2x4. These work OK if you make multiple passes and use common sense.

[@cardude1957]

I dig the floating outlet the entire time. Also good thinking with the endoscope. If you have a baseboard on your wall, you could just take it off, drill some small holes behind it if necessary, and see your entire wall.

[@tinman7249]

Excellent work! A lot of the stud finder videos were done with half a wall. Meaning the opposite side is not covered with drywall. And many stud finder were performing well because its signal does not bounce back. This video did it right.

[@kissisagod]

Thermal camera works great but a simpler solution for most modern homes might be to find an outlet take the cover off figure out which side of the stud the outlet is on and measure for your stud layout

[@TKC_]

Generally I’m going to know if a box is against a studs then I usually use a stud finder with a tape backcheck. It’s not bad to figure out a pipe.

[@glenjamindle]

No need to pull the cover off. Just knock on the wall.

[@Shibby7634]

If the home is anything like my brother's new construction, you can count of half of the studs to be bowed off center significantly lmao. And from the poor framing of the up and coming houses in the same neighborhood, you're also counting on them actually following layout properly. An unskilled apprentice in a rush from his boss may not be so reliable... These are worst case scenarios, and likely the minority of cases, but have seen them with my own eyes. Hopefully luck is on the homeowners side. Now if Perkins Builder Brothers built my house, then I'm sure I could rely on layout AND have hours of footage of the framing to look back on at anytime 😅

[@qpSubZeroqp]

I concur on this method and would like to add for extra security to verify with a neodymium magnet to find the screws

[@monhi64]

@@Shibby7634that’s really, maybe this is so obvious if doesn’t need to be said the state of modern lumber. They blew through all the old growth nice lumber ages ago so now everyone is scrambling to grow more and it does not dry well lol

[@dorhocyn3]

I’ve been using those Franklin type for years and they are absolutely fantastic still. At one point you’re running its sensors over a horizontal block.

[@Chris.Rhodes]

I bought the Hart Professional stud finder, with electrical sensors to tell you there are live wires. It was $30 and it's made by Franklin, I use it the most, and it was a good price. When you're searching for studs, you have to scan multiple times, in multiple spots. I've never been able to just slide and go. Plus I prefer to double check everything.

[@MrPhames]

"What is this?" It's the horizontal stud, you dope! Not a dope. But yeah, maybe upon review you should add some text that says you might have fubbed that part. Went back and performed it again, for science sake. It makes it a kinda unfair review on 2 of the devices.

[@davefink2326]

@@MrPhames Yes, the horizontal fire brake studs were installed but they were never really part of the story. I’m like you point out, confused measurements from a couple of the devices

[@sfasfads]

I love the Franklin style LED strips. You of course pair the readings with your knowledge of framing like 16" or 24" layout, studs by outlets, king studs. I do cabinets, tvs, artwork, etc. It takes the guesswork out and no wasted time tapping the wall with my knuckles.

[@skliros9235]

Best sensor

[@EOE808]

Man this is one of the clever/smart/effective tutorials I've ever seen. Truly didn't expect such a great comparison. Thanks so much! It was a pleasure to watch and very helpful. I have the A250 So it was nice to see it in action

[@nickkropat8857]

Wow this was SUCH a cool way to show your testing. Kudos for taking the time to put this together and to present it in such an interesting way

[@TheNewGreenIsBlue]

This is a genius idea! Had to be careful to get the angles right but fantastic job and prep to make this! TY!

[@DetroitBORG]

The best tool in this case is tapping your knuckle on the wall, and it's free!

[@monroealie4030]

Works like a charm.😏

[@perrinromney4555]

I used to think this until I found the magnets. Beats knuckle tapping almost every time.

[@Brendan3332]

Until you hit a wire

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@Brendan3332 Or, you've got a plaster wall that's got a bunch of metal mesh buried in it.

[@capti443]

Great job! As you pointed out, all tools have their limitations - it’s important to know what they are to get the best results and interpret them. As someone who built our house, one of the best things I did was take photographs of every wall BEFORE the sheetrock went up. That way you can pull up the pictures and see where all the wires, pipes, duct work, and other things are inside. This has paid off HUGE dividends for me over the nine years we’ve been in our new home for performing minor renovations, some wiring, some plumbing, and other work that I do.

[@boowiebear]

This video summed up my entire experience with stud finders and why I just use a super strong magnet now. Thank you, great execution on the video!

[@jonathanbullman7058]

I took extensive photos of my house when it was framed and wired before the drywall went up. Also took photos with tape measure stretched across so I have a built in visual reference. All I have to do is subtract the thickness of the drywall

[@almostkinda]

Fantastic idea for new homes.

[@benjaminguidry5827]

I can't tell you how many times I've been looking for studs, etc and thought to myself that I should have taken more photos and videos during the build.

[@Smackdabinu]

Wow, you did a great job on this video! It is thorough,comprehensive, and informative. I install home and commercial surround sound systems and video systems. When you do it, for other people, in all types of building constructions you quickly realize that you can’t make mistakes about where to mount a component or snake wires. A lot of probing and thought has to be done to insure that you don’t drill into a pipe,wire,vapor barrier etc…. So I really appreciate your approach to the different scenarios in this video.

[@Dirtyharry70585]

I bought a cheap color cable camera at RuralKing $70 mark down to $16! Cable 1 m some tips attachments. 1/4” hole or open a switch box and knock out box plug.

[@rjbell4]

@Smackdabinu, so what techniques do you use?

[@matthewc4503]

may I ask what kind of stud finder you use (if that is the method you use)?

[@Smackdabinu]

@@matthewc4503 I rarely ever use a stud finder now. When I do it’s the standard Home Depot basic type. I prefer to probe, in the wall surface, with 17” batting insulation rods. The kind used, generally in basements, to hold up the insulation. That way I can feel what type of material is in the wall. The hole is 1/8” and easily covered with what I’m installing.

[@matthewc4503]

@@Smackdabinu gotcha! Sounds like you have a solid method that works well for ya--keep up the good work lol

[@russellgeisthardt9828]

For the cheap Zircon, if you start out on top of a stud and move off of it, it beeps at you. This is what happened since you started on top of the blocking. You need to release the button and try again

[@DAMusic-qu2ec]

True. This guy didn’t read the directions.

[@minecat1839]

I will proably always use both a stud finder and physical testing. That woululd be knocking on the wall and listening for a cavity or a solid barrier. Do those work on stucco?

[@jhoodfysh]

Thanks Nils, I have lathe and plaster walls and had high hopes that one would work. I will have to rely on electrical install location as my best guide. Your videos are very good, thank you.

[@agcons]

Same here. I bought a $30 electric one shortly after buying my 90-year-old house and it's useless. It shrieks its head off constantly, because apparently the entire wall is a stud and chock full of wiring. The good old "knock" test has proven to be more reliable.

[@lostintranslation3919]

Not true. The stud pop worked perfectly on L&P.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

​@@agcons IIRC, my parents have walls like that, it's the metal mesh that was used as part of the install.

[@agcons]

@@SmallSpoonBrigade I wonder if that's what's in my walls too. The only way I'll find out, unfortunately, is to to a lot of damage I don't want to repair.

[@MasterThief117]

This is honestly a bit reassuring since I always thought that I was just really bad at using stud finders. Turns out they all suck under most circumstances. Also, the idea for using a green screen was brilliant!

[@dolfinwriter5389]

This is an amazing demonstration and appears to be unbiased toward hawking one brand over the others. I have had only Zircon stud finders for better than 20 years and I get exceptionally frustrated with their bipolar behavior of both false negatives and false positives, and then with the way they seem to sometimes just get frustrated and start beeping on anything. I just bought one of the Franklin sensors shown here and have found it to be a much better stud finder and also helps me ID where cables are. But still not perfect. I don't know why, but I had not thought of the endoscope. I have an inexpensive one from Harbor Freight and I'll have to try that to trace out a cable run I'm looking for to run an additional circuit to our master bathroom to power a heater. Hopefully then I can avoid tearing apart a whole wall and just have to patch some small holes. Too bad it can't go in my attic for me and relocate a ceiling fan box that was mounted wrong (too high and not flush with the sheetrock ceiling) during original construction!

[@outlet6989]

Using your different techniques is the way to do this job. Price should be of no concern when you factor in the cost to repair any damage. The endoscope is how I do stud finding as it shows me what is ACTUALLY in the wall. It's also great for checking water drain pipes, sinks, utility tubs, sewer pipes, e.t.c. I also taped a cloth ruler to the endoscope to help me determine how far the scope is into the wall. As your video shows, the stud finders are a hit-or-miss proposition. I push a very sharp and robust sewing machine needle, with the depth of the drywall marked, into the wall to confirm the stud's location.

[@vvsmixing]

nice trick

[@socratese5]

But how do you see all the way across the wall don’t the studs and other things get in the way? Do you have to drill multiple holes in the wall to look with the endoscope?

[@outlet6989]

@@socratese5 Thanks for your reply. I always enjoy reading them. My answer is a yes or no one. It all depends on where I want to look. Sometimes it's quite obvious where I should put the endoscope, such as checking a sewage line. Other times I have to get constrictive and figure the best way to use the tool. If I want to see inside a wall, I might have to remove the baseboard and make a small hole for the scope. If I have access to the wall inside an attic I look to see if an electric wire goes near where I want to look, I use its hole. The camera lens is about a quarter inch in size. If you have to drill a hole it's pretty ease to patch. I hope my reply helps you when using the endoscope.

[@steve32221]

I didn’t even get 2 minutes in before I had to commend you for the time and effort you took to do these tests! Great job.

[@3ffrige]

I’m just here because I saw a picture of the Wallabot tool. Anyway, I was absolutely floored at your demonstration with the green paint. One of the best demonstrations of stud finders on KZbin yet. Arguably, the best stud finder in my experience is the Wallabot. The code is open source, and has worked reliably for me. My only gripe about it is when it gets confused and shows the wire or pipe as sidewards. A number of things can be done to it which will make it much much better, like differentiating the difference between a pipe and a wire, as well as showing actual widths of ductwork, pipes, cables, etc. with the implementation of AI, all of that is possible

[@psyience3213]

I have that same exact stud finder and I've found it to be excellent. You have to really make a few passes and verify with multiple hits but that's because like when you first started you were on the cat so it couldn't tell when a stud started. They can get a little confused, and they have two settings, sometimes you have to switch between the two. It's also not meant to be used the way you're using it. It's meant to find the edge of the stud from an open bay. When you find the edge you're supposed to stop, move over past the other edge and come back that way. It always helps to read the manual.

[@Heraclitean]

What a great video. All the prep you put into it paid off. Very informative.

[@DA-zh9gi]

Thank you for doing this. I bought a walabot a few years ago and never set it up but after seeing your demo, I am going to dust it off and hook it up to my phone.

[@EpicATrain]

I'm about to start the video. I've NEVER had any luck with any stud finders EXCEPT Franklin sensors. All the other ones give me readings from all over the place.

[@brianb9410]

Interesting video. I have been using the cheap Zircon for several years and have learned to interpret it’s signals reliably. Sometimes you need to cover areas above and below the place you are interested. Metal studs always show quite wide but not as wide as a double wood stud. I still get fooled once in a while.

[@scorpio6587]

Best demonstration I have seen.

[@zombieshelterstudio925]

Very helpful and honest unlike many reviews that are basically a biased opinion to sell certain products.

[@sammottley8462]

Thanks for putting this together. Had a stud finder see the edge of the two ends of dry wall thought it was a fire block cut a hole for no reason to get through the edge of the dry wall. That stud finder found the landfill to say the least. Just wish there was a good option that wasn't 1k

[@TKC_]

You gave that zircon m40 a bad wrap on plaster. I live in a plaster house and have 11 years experience finding studs in it. It is by far the best (only in plaster and lathe walls). Firstly when you turn it on it calibrates. So you must hold it in the same orientation you plan to sweep away from the wall for max sensitivity. If you find a stud but it’s wide like the metal stud. Recalibrate where you guess the metal stud edge is. This calibrates it to be less sensitive. Second the red leds is fine it doesn’t need to beep. It’s just an indicator on strength of signal. Third you were using the end of the blue bar. That’s spot mode. Hold the long edge vertically to the wall and sweep side to side. Then you get multiple nails at once For more signal and a wider sweep. The end bit is useful to pinpoint a screw in drywall. If you keep recalibrating as you get close to the head you can literally nail the center of the screw dig out the Phillips head and pull it out.

[@fatroberto3012]

Great idea for a video. It also confirms everything I believe about "stud finders"!

[@MonokloDraw]

Did not expect to find a clever editing trick in my diy videos. Lovely trick. If you ever need to do this again, you can improve on it by using tracking markers. ideally you would place markers on both the unfinished wall and the finished wall. Makes lining up the images much easier (the process can even be automated). No need to go for the fancy stuff regular crosshair stickers would do the trick. You'd think the drywalls edges would be good enough but they are not always in frame. You need all 4 edges for a proper alignement on both axis. I could talk about properly lighting your green screen so you are easier to key out but honestly theres no benefit to accuracy. Great job and a clever use of movie magic for demo purposes.

[@potatosordfighter666]

If he never moved the wall or the camera while building it and filming the tests, then the accuracy should always be 100%. Both of them should align naturally, with no work needed.

[@YunxiaoChu]

@@potatosordfighter666.

[@patrick3533]

​@@potatosordfighter666 I was distracted at times during the video of the power point on the wall appearing to bounce up and down on top of the wall cavity below it. I eventually realised it was because the camera he was using to film the exterior shots was not entirely stable and introduced some camera shake/vibrations but the image of the wall cavity added digitally was absolutely fixed in place. Tracking markers presumably would have solved this problem (although so could a heavier tripod presumably)

[@thseed7]

Stud Finders usually need to be held in place for a few seconds of scanning to zero out before you start sweeping across the wall. Give that a shot to see if results change at all. Great video.

[@suzithewitch]

This green wall effect is awesome! You are a genius!

[@hh4545]

Loved your testing idemonstration, using thick paint wall, that way we know how it works and know which one's work more accurate. I'd saw some of these toosl advertised with thin clean drywall. And we are know when we find the stud our wall already had paint and even many coats. Thanks for let us know.

[@spec_opsgaming]

The editing with the keyed out green wall is top notch man, I (like so many others who watched this vid) initially thought you just used plexiglass or polycarb sheets

[@eightballsidepocket]

My favorite is still a basic electronic stud finder to get in the ballpark and a plunge needle type finder to find homeplate. You might end up with lots of pinholes if the stud is tricky but paint fills them easily.

[@jordanalexander615]

I use the knocking method and finding two studs by measuring to make sure they are indeed the studs spaced apart. Never hurt to do more checking around the room to make sure the distance is correct

[@gadworx]

Excellent video...also, very really and impressive with the "invisible wall"!

[@pyromethious]

When looking for a new stud finder I did a ton of research on what exists, but really it was randomly seeing the Walabot in a store. From there I looked into it and was sold. Builders like to tease me over it, but I can see when they've not installed a stud straight along with the true path of wiring. The Walabot also has a pro mode that just shows the raw data it tries to interpret. This lets you see even living things inside the wall. I'm not sure it was done during the testing, but the calibration of the unit must be done for each type of wall so that it can gauge the depth / thickness better. If that wasn't done during the testing, then that could help explain any discrepancy in the results when changing wall type.

[@13thCharacter]

What I'm taking away from this is to use multiple methods to verify your findings. Getting one of those little magnet ones for sure. I have one of the $20 zircon ones. As other ppl have mentioned, you need to start it on somewhere that doesn't have a stud and then move over. If you start on a stud it'll error because you're moving from more to less dense. Takes some getting used to but it has worked well for me. It does help to already know what's in my walls from building them.

[@CountSmackula333]

I’ve only ever had cheaper stud finders and unfortunately, usually end up resorting to the knock method which has been more accurate than my finder. This gives me a couple different products to try out so that’s great!

[@TheAJKahn]

Where was this video before? This is so awesomely done. Saving it for posterity! Thanks LRN2DIY.

[@johnflaherty9945]

By Far... the best WELL thought out video, with explanation. This blows away other videos on creativity.. TY.. i will subscribe

[@DjSpike0341]

I like the backgrounds you used when talking because you had this nice picture with an outlet floating across it 🤣

[@davidlyons7238]

Very well done. Really appreciate the good job. Answered a lot of my questions. Thank you.

[@nickrao5086]

The stud finder joke is so bad! I do it every time I use a stud finder! 😆 Great video!

[@erickapler4707]

All men everywhere have used that joke since the beginning of time. Pretty sure Moses even during arc construction. It's weirder if you DON'T make the joke

[@shaedlaer]

Well, that's the only stud you're 100% sure is in the room, so how else would you test it? ;)

[@hbrucewilliamson1787]

Noah built the arc, not Moses

[@ojotabe3]

Very interesting technique to display the interior of the wall

[@serjiobinks91]

Amazing demonstration, this made it easy to really understand how this stud finders work and how reliable and effective some of this stud finders are, thank you 🙏🏼 👏👏👏, for sure 👍 going to be subscribing to your Chanel 😎

[@ebrewste]

Thanks!

[@quintrahaman]

Thanks for the thorough evaluation. I purchased the Walabot 2 via your link.

[@Legolad]

This is such an excellent and well thought out video! Thanks!

[@kanento]

Love the Franklin ones been using it for years and has not failed me yet

[@hw8621]

Really good video. On the Wallbot I believe that you might have needed to recalibrate when the wall thickness is different or if moving to different materials. Like for example wallboard to shiplap or plaster to drywall. I the recalibration helps the software to sense and adjust to a different thickness.

[@TranceFur]

I’ve had good luck with my old Stanley plastic POS stud finder. As long as you you that studs are normally 16” apart and of a certain width, you can fairly reliably find them.

[@YKSGuy]

Many of those units require you to start in an empty section of wall and then continue if you read the directions, often printed on them. They self calibrate when you hold the button as per the directions.. Even the bar LED one will tend to work well if you find an empty spot when you start. It was also clear a few times you were going over the horizontal fire breaks / supports if you had gone up or down it would have been easy to figure out what was there even with the dumber tools.

[@usna98]

Great video...thanks for all the work that went into this one.

[@fenrirrider3991]

Today I learned, all stud finders are garbage, just buy the cheap one or put a hole in the wall to look.

[@InertiaCreeps]

07:56 LawLz! That took me way too long to get this… I mean to understand that this magnificent stud was checking the tool on an absolute *SPECIMEN* of stud to make sure they were working. I just thought it seemed kinda apparent that’s like expecting a light sensor to activate in the presence of the sun! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@heruvey87]

Fantastic video, im sold on the wallabot tbh, ill use a magnet to find and double check with the wallabot.

[@DynamicGenesis]

The thermal scanner trick is coooooooooool!!!!!!!😄

[@byfunkyoid2917]

Magnet seems the best to me. Never thought of using on. Thanks for this, a great video.

[@ShaneT5S]

Oh a green screen wall, that’s such a good idea. So much better than say a transparent glassy like material

[@woodstream6137]

Genius idea for video content. I've been debating buying the walabot 2 and will use your link, plus it's $20 cheaper than Amazon.

[@RsDefcon]

Wow great video. The effort you put in really shows.

[@gordonwyant3469]

thank you for your effort, very informative.....good job

[@heylolp9]

I don't know why this got recommended to me, BUT This was a really well made Video both production and information wise I don't have any interest in handiwork myself rn, but I feel i actually learned something about what to look for in stud finders in case i do want to do some stuff

[@sadnika_]

Seeing that im very glad about our concrete walls and tons of regulations for pipes, wires etc

[@kdeuler]

Thanks for vid. What I'd really like is a device that finds studs through stucco (outside of house).

[@BoberFett]

This is one of the coolest uses of green screen, awesome video and great test. I have an older house with lathe and plaster, and I've gotten tired of hunting for studs. Question on the Walabot, did you recalibrate at every type of wall section?

[@zb9795]

Pro Tip: Find a stud with a detector, then measure off 16" in both directions. You should find studs there too if you're in the middle of a wall. If you do, your original find is most likely a stud.

[@christophersidoti7350]

Yeah, I mean stud finders are guides. I don’t know why he’s droning on about false positives. I would want to know if there is something there. I can usually figure out what it is.

[@DjSpike0341]

@@christophersidoti7350 I think this is more geared towards people that don't have much experience with this sort of stuff and will rely heavily on the tools to do their job. Think of someone with no construction experience trying to hang a TV, picture, or towel rack. That's how it came across to me at least.

[@adamdodski3627]

@@DjSpike0341 i agree. I do construction from framing to trim and I think this is more about hanging a TV with 3/8 bolt and hitting a gas or water supply. And yeah right that you can go into any house and hit 16 on center. Lol maybe brand new construction homes but nah man I find studs all over the place

[@allangibson2408]

Assuming that you are dealing with 16” stud centres. In old houses you need to be prepared for surprises (like boxed in door frames or windows, particularly in houses that have been extended).

[@Bobis32]

@@allangibson2408 16-24 inches center to center and they should be at regular intervals

[@macfady2181]

The reason the cheapo finder missed the first stud is that you set it initially, and then moved it, along a horizontal 2x4. I find if you push the buttons in when it's already on a stud, or otherwise, it won't detect a stud until you reset it on just drywall.

[@WorldTraveller4u]

This is genius. Thanks for making this video ❤️

[@CanadianPonchman]

Amazing demo. I'm just about to buy a stud finder for my house

[@KathleenFeliciano]

Love that, as someone who knows nothing about this, i still don't know what would be best. Can professionals even figure it out?

[@ShanePresleyC]

Wow! Excellent, comprehensive video!

[@darkinertia2]

8:31 i was about to say wow thats an amazing stud finder if it could see right through the wall lol

[@karina2701]

ive had multiple companies buy me stud finders and ive never used them other than trying them out i cant stand them inconsistent and they lie its always better to just know where your working and knowing how to find them the knock trick is so easy

[@millibarman]

Great work, thank you! So close… Just not ready to pull the trigger on the Walabot. For $189 it shouldn’t be missing 4 inch PVC pipes and metal studs. Comes across as classic business thinking… “We’ve got it 80% the way there, it’s new and novel and we can slap a huge price tag on it. Get them out the door before a competitor makes one that can consistently ID PVC pipes and metal studs!”

[@TheRealGenSwat]

Your lathe and plaster is.on point

[@dozenfaun]

Every studfinder i had struggle on outdoor Walls Wool insulated

[@zodkip3147]

Every dad has the right of passage moment with the stud finder joke. I love it.

[@jamoecw]

If a stud finder can tell the difference between wood and metal then it is probably a simple radar which works by detecting density changes, and that is also why it has trouble with the transition between wall materials, as well as the low density plastic pipe. For Stud finders to work well, typically they need to be turned on at an area without studs or pipes. Since you turned on the stud finders at the place with a pipe you will not get good results. They also need to keep with the type of wall you initialized them with (turn them on). The flashing you got on the one stud finder was telling you there was an electrical wire behind the wall and not to nail/screw there. A neat demonstration, though I usually like to double check with the knocking method (use your hammer to tap on the wall and listen for the difference in sound where studs are).

[@gabrielchirino-melgarejo4313]

Wow this was such a thro review absolutely great. Love it keep it up man

[@csl9495]

Omg this video is so good and helpful. I needed a video specific for plaster and lath. I accidentally bought a zircon100 (non multiscan), and was about to but the 200, but after seeing this review I don't know of I want to buy any of these haha.