Hanging A Heavy Mirror/Picture/TV On A Wall? ALWAYS DO THIS!! (Bracket Studs...AVOID DISASTERS!)
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Hanging A Heavy Mirror/Picture/TV On A Wall? ALWAYS DO THIS!! (Bracket Studs...AVOID DISASTERS!)
When hanging heavy items like mirror, pictures or TVs on a wall, you should always make sure you're attaching to a stud. BUT, there's a step in the process you should never miss! It's called "bracketing" the stud. This short video from The Honest Carpenter will teach you how to do it!
Studs have a certain thickness to them--typically 1-1/2" for modern houses, though it can be up to 2" in older homes.
In order to make sure you're getting the most support out of a stud, you should driver your fasteners in the CENTER of the stud. Fasteners that aren't in the center are more likely to gettin pulled out.
This can result in serious injury!
To find the center of a stud hidden in a wall, you can "bracket the stud."
The easiest way to bracket studs is by using a trim nail. Find the stud with a magnet, or stud finder. Now, use a trim nail to test that the stud is truly there--drive the nail in to hit wood.
Pull the nail out, move 3/4" to the right, and drive the nail again. It should hit nothing.
Pull the nail out, move 3/4" to the left of the original hole in the OTHER direction. Drive it again--it should hit nothing.
This will prove that you have found the edge of the stud. Now you can use these points to plot the actual center of the stud!
Do this every time you want to hang something heavy (mirrors, pictures, TVs, weight racks) from your wall.
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@TheHonestCarpenter
could you do a tutorial for popcorn ceilings? i want to mount a pair or gymnast ropes in my ceiling but unfortunately the person who built this house had messy tastes
For drywall, I use a sewing push pin, with the little plastic ball on the end. I break the plastic off by crushing it with vise grips and then clamp down on that end with the vise grips. Holding the vise grips, you can carefully push the pin through the drywall and tell if you have hit wood or not. Obviously leaves a much smaller hole that is easier to patch.
Great video, thanks! As a long-time DIYer, I have used an assortment of electronic stud finders and tried to bracket the stud with them. I have gone back to just tapping the wall with my finger and then using the finish nails to find the center of the stud. Nice to know that others use and like this method. 👍
When I saw you tack the holes I burst out laughing. Apparently the previous tenant in my home didn't have a stud finder and there is literally a 3 foot line of holes along one of my front room walls. I was always curious as to how they got there and now I know. Thanks :)
That's great advice! I not only sweep the studfinder from both directions, I turn the studfinder UPSIDE DOWN and sweep from both directions, because in many cases the signal is somewhat offset from the housing of the studfinder (ie, what you would think is the middle of the studfinder is not). I sort of visually take an average of all four tick marks I make and call that the center of the stud.
Good point, Wan! This Black and Decker is actually really bad for a reliable marking point 😅 I tend to like models with a center notch. But you're right, you need as many reference points as you can really get.
You give so much great advice, especially when I’m a noob who started getting some work done on my walls. You’ve saved me definitely saved me from drilling in wrong places.
Bracketing a stud was news to me. I have a very heavy mirror to hang in a bathroom. You just taught me how to avoid a disaster. Thanks!!
I have never heard of bracketing before. Thanks for the clarification of what it means also.
Yet another trade word I have learned from you from watching your channel. Thank you for the helpful content you put out boss .
The trim nail is good, but I like to use a drill with a 1/16" bit. Much easier to get in and out, and a tiny hole. Bonus is you can also drill your pilot hole for the actual bit you want.
Thanks! I’m a beginner and did not know about bracketing. Very helpful safety precaution.
I never heard of stud bracketing but since I was a kid, I would do this but with a small drill bit (smaller holes). Once center is found, it's easy to measure to the next stud. Soon to be using a bracket for a new 60" tv I will be SURE to find Center.
Happy Trails.!!.
You are the Man!! Never thought of this "obvious" future nightmare! "Was it helpful?" ? It was life changing Gold! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
I use tiny T pins that I can push in with my hands. Smaller holes. I use this in conjunction with a stud finder.
That’s a good idea, Josh. I’m going to try that 👍
Nice tip!
I’ve been “bracketing” with a stud finder for 30 years. Always works for me.
Great video! Ive been bracketing with the stud finder but will start double checking with the nail just to be safe!
Thank you,... I’ve been doing this for a while and was embarrassed because I thought it was an amateur move,... this was a confidence building for me,... thanks again.
Hi Ethan! I'm a DIYer and watch your videos all the time. I'm also an ex-IT-guy. I find the Magnepull saves me more time and lets me find and go through hidden wall construction easier than anything else.
Nails... great. Stud finders... great. Magnepull... not only find the stud but get stuff through it without fishtape. Not as useful for hanging ... but extremely useful for wiring.
Im literally an amateur and live in a ground floor apartment trying to hang a swing chair after my father in law hitches the job my handing the chair from a beam he put up in the corner of the room about two thirds up the wall, not on the ceiling, he did this to avoid having to locate joists and I'm just trying to redo this whole thing myself directly into the ceiling as the swing chair currently rests against the wall and doesn't swing at alk, I greatly appreciated all your videos they've helped a lot
I'll admit I didn't even think about it. Everything you said makes perfect sense, of course, but it just didn't register until I got here. I was one of those guys that hit a stud with a stud finder and started hammering. Well, not any more. Thanks for the tips!
Although I didn't know this, I do have a stud finder that locates the center of the stud. What I didn't know about is the position of the stud in the wall. I thought it was positioned with the wide side facing towards me. Now I know the stud is much narrower and I can use this bracketing technique with a nail will help me be sure and safe. Thanks for this video
Your content is beyond amazing. It produces a problem, answer the question. And then shows a video on how to do it. You are the pro in your field. You are getting known as the expert. I’ll be watching you. Good luck my friend.
Thank you, Chris! That’s very high praise, which I take to heart. I’m hoping to push the channel to new heights in 2021. I’m very glad to have you watching!
Glad to know there is an actual term for how I found the centers of my studs when mounting a TV other than “mistakenly drilling holes until I hit one”
That’s still an acceptable technique, Mike! 😆
You know what they say! “Measure thrice, cut twice!” 😂🤦🏻♂️
I have to admit I did not about this but I am glad I watched the tutorial. The next time I look for a stud I will bracket it. Thanks for this great information.
Thanks. This is clearly the smartest and best approach, and better than the way most people do this....but this might not always be the best way in situations where you hate having to patch/paint and/or hide several holes, especially if what you are hanging isn't too heavy. One of my 3 cheap stud finders is pretty reliable, so I do 3-5 passes going each way and lightly marking each edge until I get consistency from the passes, then I mark halfway between the edges. I haven't missed any secure stud mountings since doing this. Before I mount, I wipe away the slight pencil markings and I have only one screw mount and no holes to patch or marks to paint over. When I take the art down, I leave the screw mount or take it out and have just one small hole to patch and refinish. Also, I sometimes choose to just use toggles or screw in mounts in the drywall without worrying about multiple holes. Also, someone mentioned using your bracketing approach with a smaller pin to make smaller holes and that might be useful as well... Again, thanks much!
I found the studs in the wall on which I was hanging my TV by removing a large piece of drywall, lol.
Apparently, my house was built by a bunch drunk and/or blind guys. There's not a whole lot that's square/plumb and a good portion of the studs aren't on 16" centers. So I cut out a large portion of the drywall, added in some cross bracing, reattached the drywall, fixed the gaps/holes, and then hung my TV. It wasn't ideal, but it got the job done.
Must be the guys who built our house too. I originally thought it was built by Mickey Mouses.
Oh hey I know these guys, they’re the same asshats that installed a buddy’s electric oven using an extension cord and ran it under the cabinets. It melted creating a burning smell and shorted out the oven.
@@CytoplasmicGoo Same electrician that worked in my house. Rather than drill a hole in the cross brace to run electrical cables they battered the brace off instead.
I discovered this while repairing the wall after taking off the wall mounted TV, finding two studs running floor to ceiling with no brace. Directly above a socket hence the cables running there.
Guessing their battery ran out that day so they switched to the hammer 🤦🏻♂️🙄.
@@45Camster Lol, this guy gets around.
Oh one more thing.....never thought of using a magnet to find nails in walls....i'll try it hope it works. thank you so much again!!!
I can't remember if my dad taught me to do this, or I thought of it myself because of a lousy stud finder, but it's definitely the way to go. I usually write a Y or N to remind me of where I hit solid wood, because it may be a while before I actually hang anything and because it can be more complicated than finding a single stud. In my house, I've run into double and triple studs (near windows and doors and below beams), as well as plywood behind the drywall where the furnace plenum is. Also, when I use a magnet to find the drywall screws, I put the magnet on the end of the nail instead of trying to hang onto a slippery little magnet with dry fingertips, so I don't waste time finding a dropped magnet and fishing it out or having to get a new one.
I'm glad to see a professional doing this, I've been doing this for a while on DIY stuff and have wondered if I was being overly paranoid, lol.
Nope! It’s rare that I don’t do this,Adam, especially in a client’s house. 👍
This is some of the best advice I’ve seen on TH-cam. Thank you!
I never heard it referred to as bracketing, but this is a MUST. Thanks for sharing this video.
Figured out this technique on my own one day cause I didn't have a stud finder, ha! Well good to know I'm not being silly poking a bunch of holes in the wall....
Short - and to the point. Nice video dude.
Already knew about the nail method - but it’s a pleasure to watch quality content from a fellow tradesman.
Thanks, Yovan! 😄
Thnx so much Sir, this is such a resourceful video, I had to instal some TRX anchor’s to my home ceiling to use my new Olympic gymnastics forza suspension gyms which requires supporting the weight of a man to do training aids for iron cross, back flip, dragon flag, airfares, & pummel horse exercises…
For months, I couldn’t find a handyman willing to do that job for some strange reason…but I ended up doing it all by myself, which is a miracle bc I’m totally not constructive @ all, but I did it, installing bolts directly into the midst of those ceiling studs 🙌,…thnx again so much, this is the best self Christmas present 🎁 for me ever is to hav accomplished this hard labor task 🎉
We do this a lot to find studs behind paneling in old homes. Especially if putting up soundboard and drywall over it. Not to mention old houses ive seen the studs be off nearly an inch from 16". Makes finding em really fun
Thank you so much for this video!! I have a big round mirror, and with this information, I'm sure I will have success in mounting it. I did not know of this method. and I don't have a stud finder. I'm glad I found you.
This was something I knew but in my laziness always forget to do. This was a great wake up call! Thanks as usual!
i have magnets and stud finders but never get it right perfectly. its a hit and miss, no matter how much I try. but nothing has fallen off the wall so thast all good! :)
1/16” drill bit works great for this!
This is how my dad taught me to find a stud, never knew it was called bracketing, but it makes a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Thank for the tip, very helpful. I usually just knock and if it sounds solid, I just screw in anything. Stupid me. I subscribed and liked. Keep up the work.
Thank you, Jay! 😄
So glad I found your channel. I do most of my own home repairs.
I might be late to this conversation, but I speculate that regular power bits have a power groove because they can fit into cordless screwdrivers since they also have collets like impact drivers.
I have a 100 lb ceramic art piece to hang. This is invaluable information for my hanging project. Thank you!
Man I'm so glad we have brick and concrete houses in Europe...
Drill, plug, screw, done.
interior brick and concrete walls?so all your plumbing and electricity runs are on the outside of the walls? you better rethink your claim.
@@josephcampese5347 No those things are all chased into the walls after building and then rendered over.
It's all on technical drawings so you don't drill through them
@@richardl1572 yeah, no kidding. they're rendered over with latheing and plaster or drywall. which brings us right back to where we started. your claim is phooy.
@@josephcampese5347 Lol my friend, I know how the houses here (at least in Portugal) are built as I'm in that business.
1 cm of render (not weak plaster) and bricks or concrete behind it, so it literally is drill, plug, screw and done.
We don't need metal detectors and stuff like that.
My dad taught me this in the 1950s & '60s, when finding a stud was done by magnet or tapping. . . no electronic finders then.
Something else I learned is that dropping a plumb line from a point along the stud does NOT guarantee you'll find that stud's center further down the wall. The stud may be warped or even installed out of plumb.
Never trust . . . Always verify.
No pros use electronic stud finders these days either.
We now have permission to drive nails into the walls willy nilly! A childhood dream come true! Thanks for the tip, will do
Great video. Magnetic darts can be helpful in finding and lining up studs too.
When hanging TVs, I typically locate the studs with a stud finder, then bracket each stud by cutting horizontally with a drywall saw from about 1" away from the supposed center of the stud toward the center of the stud, and do this from each side. This leaves absolutely no doubt where the edges and center of the studs are. As mentioned in the video, this is really only suitable when such cuts will be covered by the mounting bracket.
Great video. I always emphasize the importance of using the center of the stud when hanging a tv wall mount bracket.
Thank you so much for this best practice. You described the process well, and I'll be sure to make sure I'm doing this every time!
Always good info here. Thanks!,
I also use small drill bit, since I always have it with me anyway since am hanging something. Another approach I used to use was to locate one side of the stud via mutiple vertical passes (so find left edge, go doen a few inches and find left edge, down a few inches and find left edge), them come back in from other side and so same (find right edge, move down few inches, find right edge again, move down, etc). Three or four times on each side and you'll have a pretty good picture of the stud "bracket".
The way in the vid is easier, tho :)
This was genius. I would never have guessed to use a magnet, I would never have thought go right or left of the stud to make sure I'm solid.
Your shelving is fascinating to me because I want to take down two of my cabinets and put up shelves that are 2x10s . I'll need those studs in order to put up the brackets. The shelves will not hold a lot of weight so I think I'm good with a 6-foot long shelf. I know I'm off the subject but since you're there. Thank you so much
A lot of people are going with that style of shelving, Sugar Free! You're right, you definitely want to hit studs for your brackets. And plates can be a little heavy, but if you're centering your fasteners, you should have a problem. Just make sure that top fastener is especially tight--that's the one holding most of the weight!
I used to use a stud finder for the most part, but lately have switched to the magnet method. Stud finders do a poor job if the wall is insulated. Magnets aren't foolproof either though. Sure they find the drywall screws, but there are plenty of drywall screws anchored to air :-)
Just remember, magnets aren't stud finders. They are nail finders, THC's procedure is valid !
That black and decker stud finder looks like something out of Star Wars.
Good info!
I know, John, this thing is kind of a clunker 😆 Thanks for watching!
@@TheHonestCarpenter It shows you if detects metal studs? How do people nail into metal studs?
@@jasonjayalap Use a magnet is the simplest way. Use screws to attach anything to metal studs obviously.
Thanks! This is helpful eduction for someone who is frustrated n clueless!
I have 1 (yes, ONE! I dread ever loosing it) 1.5inch very thin nail that I use for finding the stud! I never trust the stud finder. A nail and a few hammer strokes is a sure-fire cheap method :)
Great stuff. I've always thought this was obvious but then my formative construction years occurred in the nuclear Navy and back then we'd have ordered a radiograph of the dang wall.
Hi Ethan, thanks so much for the update. My daughter asked for her TV to be wall mounted. I'll use this method with the magnets I picked up. Have a happy holiday season.
Great to hear, Cath! Happy holidays! 🙂
I did not know this, but it certainly makes sense. Very valuable info.
Is mounting to metal studs as strong as mounting to wood studs?
Great tip. Is there a sure fire way to find studs in a lath and plaster wall in a 1935 house. Have found 16”, 18”, and 24” shaving. Only consistent thing seems to be inconsistency!
Thanks again for this and so many other useful tips.
With lath, I think a drill would work better than a nail, as it would be easier to determine if you've drilled into stud vs lath.
Or if you have access to a thermal imaging camera, that would probably show it pretty clearly. Not your average DIY tool though
I do this all the time but didn’t know what it was called. I use an 1/8” drill bit and a drill with a tapping motion. I’ll pre mark the edges of the stud first and then go back with the drill bit to make sure i’m hitting solid wood.
Didn't know this, awesome, simple, tip!
Thank you for the easy explanation. It was very helpful !
Sure thing, Monica!
As usual, great video. I've been doing that for decades only because I couldn't think of a better way. Nice to know that many times, the simplest way is the pro's way. At least now, when the wife chimes in about the "shooting gallery" in the wall, I can tell her, "this is the way the pros do it". lol Thanks.
Thanks Steve! I’m happy to play backup for you there 😁
😮 thank you very handy tip
You should patch up these small holes to find the center in all walls , especially outter walls , last thing you want is to feel air coming into your home. Even on inside walls, I can feel a pressure difference (airflow) - as the walls end up going up to 2x4's that go to the attic. I would always recommend patching up even the smallest holes you make in any wall.
And if you don't have any drywall patch you can use toothpaste. No, I'm not joking.
Never had a house with "studs", Only bricks n mortar. I must say I did not think they were wood. Anyway now I know how to find the center :)
I have a 35 lb full length mirror I want to hang but I don't know if the area I want to hang it in has that stud support. How can I go about hanging it? Should I get wall anchor nails? I'd appreciate the help.
Very helpful! I didn't know this. Maybe this keep from a disaster hanging things in the new house. On a paneled wall finding studs was fairly easy, not so much on sheetrock finished walls. Thanks
Very good information.
That makes much more sense to me. I have a stud finder, but I find what it tells me very confusing. Too much bleeping, I just I don't trust it. Hammering a few nails and a dab of filler after is a lot more reassuring.
This channel is everything I needed
I learned something new today. Thank you for this tutorial!
Thank you for the great Tip 👍
Do the magnet find the nail on the stud? I assume and drill 3mm either side
Good information nice to know
Tony ☘️
You right. Always check from both sides of stud. Had neighbors 56 inch TV slip from on side.
😖 That's what terrifies me, Bob. Especially with these mounts that swing out 2' now. Just one side of that bracket has to come loose...
By the way, there is some special kind of plastic/metal plugs which you can screw into the drywall and then screw regular metal screws in. I've put my old TV on four plugs like these. The total weight of TV + mounting fixture was above 20kg.
I'm sure some people are the thinking about past projects and sweating it.
Correct. 😂
Okay, thank you. This is the video I knew i needed to see.
Very helpful! Didn’t know about this! Please keep these very educational videos coming!! Thank you!
Will do, Jakob! Glad it’s helpful 🙂
I'd like to add that if you wanna spend the $80 or whatever it is, you can't beat the Franklin Sensors stud finder. It show's you where everything is in real time via an led bar.
I am going to remember this. I have one t.v. already mounted my next one I will bracket it.
I use a drill with a small drill bit - so much quicker than nails IMO. Thanks for the video!
Yeah and if you hammer the nail in too far by accident you'll need to get under the head to pull it back out
Never through about that thanks for that tip
The nail method is what I use. I've yet to find a stud finder that works reliably in an insulated wall
Same here, Mark. My stud finders have died and gone missing too many times as well. The nail never lies.
Do you use any magnet? Is there a specific size or type that’s best? Might be a dumb question but I’m not handy at all
@@Elgringo2180 He mentions using a magnet at 1:45. At the very beginning of the video, he shows what type of magnet to use. It needs to be a strong magnet, a basic refrigerator magnet will likely not be strong enough.
@@Elgringo2180 I bought the ones shown in the video. They are perfect IMO: th-cam.com/video/h1adPjsah5w/w-d-xo.html
Stud finders are also not reliable on lath and plaster walls.
What's the best way to find a stud in a lathe and plaster wall?
Thanks, that was very helpful.
I guess I was made for this. A whole decade before I started woodworking I was doing this because it was common sense to me. I do the stud finder version, not the nail one, because you'd be screwing up the drywall, and clients really don't like that.
Absolutely best way...recommend longer narrow sacrificed screwdriver, diameter of that finish nail you used easing gently but firmly while wiggling, remembering to not plunge beyond 5/8 drywall. Only then loosely poke for any mechanical , electrical. Wouldn’t use drill/bit due to when piercing 5/8 drywall weight of drill/motion potentially piercing romex strapped to stud.
Sorry if this is a silly question, but if you find this stud using a magnet, won’t that magnet show you where the center is because won’t this nails in the stud be in the center?
I just moved into a house where. They mounted the TV's with anchors. Very cringy since the mounts used lag bolts lol
Man thanks for sharing your knowledge you’re awesome!
Can you hang a sensory swing for a child on a 2x6 joist?
Very helpful. Great information. Nicely done.
Super helpful
Do you have any videos on hanging heavy loads in a steel frame construction house? Which type of fasteners do you use?
my house was built with metal studs. how do I actually find the center and then attach to these? thank you for your helpful videos.
I feel like I should tear my tv down and double check the bolts now. Damn ignorance was bliss