Can't find stud joists to fix flat tv bracke to - tried stud detectors

Question

Hi I am trying to fix a 32" flat screen tv to a wall I assumed was hollow and had stud joists. I live in uk and all the internal walls are hollow and a pain to work with ie have to use special hollow rawlplugs etc. I bought a bracket to fix the tv onto, instructions say it must be fixed to stud partitions if a hollow wall, so now have tried two makes of stud detectors, they just bleep all over the place and randomly, ie I cannot locate vertical studs at all, cannot understand, this is a wall that separates my house from another, although it sounds hollow, could it be that in fact it is solid underneath, and that is why I can't locate joists? Because it sounds very hollow, perhaps this is plasterboard for cosmetic reasons which is not affixed to brick wall? What do I do as I do not want tv collapsing or ruining a wall I will not get back perfect again even if I fill it etc? thanks for help

Answer 1

One possibility is that it is a brick wall with lath strips glued or otherwise fastened to it which would create a shallow hollow space behind the sheet rock.  But this could be tested with a long thin nail in a less than obvious position - tapping it through the sheet rock until it hits the brick.  If a long thin finishing nail goes in 3" or so, it can be pulled out again being sure it is a more normal wall.

  If you are using one of the newer stud detectors that actually detects wall density (and not one of the older ones that looks for nail and screwheads), use it first on a wall where you know the studs are (because you can see the shadow of the dent for the screws, or the tape, or ...) and learn the reaction.   When I worked in a hardware store, I found the detectors we sold worked much better if laid in place, triggered on, then allowed to settle and moved sideways at a moderate pace.  Units with multiple lights detect the edge of the stud and light up marking it as they pass.

  You may have metal studs, but most modern stud detectors will find them.

  In the extreme, the wall is mounted on lath, too close to the brick, at random locations, etc., one solution is to build a flat frame that extends to the floor and is painted to match the wall.  If all the weight of the TV is taken by the frame resting on the floor, then all the fasteners in the wall have to do is keep the unit from pulling away from the wall.

Answer 2

Cut a hole in the wall, preferably behind where the TV is going and see what is behind it.  If it is brick or concrete, you will need concrete screws and anchors to support the TV.  If there is studs, make sure you are using the stud finder correctly.  Put the finder ogainst the wall, then press the button and slide along.  Most common misuse of finders is pressing the button before you put against the wall.

Answer 3

I've never had much luck with stud finders either.  Sometimes they work, but it is hit-and-miss.  What has helped me is to get a lamp and hold the bulb near the wall.  The rest of the room should be fairly dark when you do this.  Often, you can see the nails or screws as a neat row of round circles, usually 16 inches apart horizontally across the wall.  That is where the studs are.  When you hold the light close to the wall, it creates big shadows over nearly invisible imperfections.  It makes the screws very easy to see.

Answer 4

There could be slats of wood everywhere behind it causing the stud finder problems. You should be fine with anchor bolts http://www.amazon.com/HILLMAN-GROUP-3708...

Just get as many in as you can, no less than 4. This is assuming that the plassterboard is sturdy. If it feels kind of flimsy then I'd look for another solution