How To Use A Zircon Stud Finder (Quickly & Easily!)

There are many methods to finding studs, with some requiring no tools at all. And while stud-finding hacks are useful to know, Zircon stud finders make any home DIY project accessible and painless, with no experience required. Whether you are hanging a television, a shelf, or a mirror, you can be confident of your handiwork.

Studs are the strips of wood beneath the drywall that function as the wall’s frame. If you’ve ever seen a house being built, you can recall the wood frame– sort of like a house’s skeleton. Most buildings have vertical studs spaced 16 inches apart. Electronic stud finders work to locate the edges of these studs through interior walls up to ¾” deep so that you can securely hang items up to 100 pounds.

To use a Zircon stud finder, hold it flat on the wall. Press and hold the power button as you move the stud finder horizontally. When the stud finder beeps, stop and mark the edge of the stud as indicated.

When necessary, change direction and slide the stud finder along the wall until it beeps again to indicate another edge. Find the center between your two marked edges– that’s where you’ll want to drive into the stud.

Each wall is different. Some are covered in drywall and layers of paint. Some are thicker than others. And behind each wall is a different landscape, made up of studs, electrical wires, metal conduits, and PVC pipes. If you want to hang anything heavier than 10 pounds, you’ll need to locate a stud to drive into without hitting any wires or pipes.

A stud finder works by using a weak electrical field to measure the wall density. You must calibrate your stud finder so that it can recognize the density of the wall. Begin by placing the stud finder on an area of the wall with no studs. Once the stud finder grasps the density of your wall, the stud finder will alert when it senses a change in density.

Zircon stud finders are designed to be easy enough for anyone to use. Calibrating your device is essential to getting a correct reading. To calibrate, simply place the stud finder flat against the wall. Press the power button for 2 seconds. The stud finder will calibrate on its own.

If you began over a stud, the stud finder will flash and beep, indicating a calibration error. If the stud finder is letting out a continuous beep, try calibrating it on an area of the wall that you are sure does not have a stud behind it. Electrical boxes are always attached to studs, so find your nearest light switch and place the stud finder six inches away.

The most common way to troubleshoot your stud finder is to install a new battery. The manufacturer suggests loading your Zircon stud finder with a brand-new one, preferably with an expiration date three years from the installation date. Even if the battery is not entirely dead, it could be too weak to function properly.

If your stud finder flashes or blinks when you press the Power button, you have a battery issue. Zircon stud finders need a fully-charged 9V alkaline battery to function correctly, especially stud finders with LCD screens such as the StudSensor Pro LCD and StudSensor L50.

If you can’t find a stud, consider using a hollow wall anchor. Hollow wall anchors can hold up to 50 pounds. When installed correctly, hollow wall anchors are a great alternative to studs.

Hollow wall anchors sometimes referred to as “molly bits,” are designed for thin materials like drywall and plasterboard that cannot support much weight. Hollow wall anchors work by piercing the drywall and distributing the weight evenly. For added security, double up on your hollow wall anchors to help disperse the weight.

Butterfly toggle bolts are perfect for anchoring heavy items to your drywall. Much like hollow wall anchors, butterfly toggle bolts secure items to thin walls when no stud is available. Butterfly anchors are a type of hollow wall anchor, but they can hold up to 100 pounds.

Butterfly toggles have a collapsible winged attachment that allows easy entry into your drill hole and expands once inside the wall for support. Once the “wings” have made it through the drill hole, they spring back open to hold the nut firmly to the wall.

Stud finders may not detect live wires in the wall for many reasons. If the wires are encased in piping or there is moisture present in the wall, your stud finder will not alert. Never assume that there are no live electrical wires in the wall. Turn off all electric power and gas before penetrating the desired wall area.

Although hanging a shelf is a relatively simple task, failure to follow basic safety precautions could result in electric shock, fire, serious injury, or death. If you suspect the presence of live wires in your wall, turn off all power beginning.

If your Zircon stud finder has a Metal Scan mode, use it to locate any metal conduit or wiring. Using a nail shorter than two inches will also prevent penetration of any electrical wires or plumbing pipes.

Related Questions

What does one continuous beep mean?

If your Zircon stud finder lets out one continuous beep, there is a calibration error. For a clean reading, place your stud finder on the wall where you know there are no studs, press and hold the power button, and move it horizontally in the desired direction. Your stud finder should stay silent until it detects a stud.

Can you hang something without a stud?

A typical nail or screw will hold 10 pounds securely without a stud. Light items such as posters, picture frames, blankets, and hats are safe to hang with a single nail. Hanging anything heavier without a stud will result in a compromised structure.