installing cabinets, trouble finding studs on one side, tips?

[Ryan Brucks]

Hey everyone,

I've been lurking around here for tips for a while, finally decided to register and ask some questions :)

Now this is probably a silly question. I have been installing cabinets in my garage, starting with overhead storage cabinets, then countertops, then workbenches etc.... Overhead cabinets sit on ledger, and a backer (or nailing strip w/e) at the top gets screwed into the studs. ledger wil be covered in pegboard or grooveboard.

almost done with the back wall:
http://worstkind.com/shop/02.jpg

Now my problem is that for the whole space of wall to the right up top, I can't find any studs to nail my ledger to, for more than 24" (that pine board supporting the ledger on the right is the last stud I could find). I drive finish nails all along and found nothing. Same for the wall adjacent the corner, no stud until almost the window. I even tested right by the corner. I assume it would be no-good to drill a long screw at an angle near the corner?

http://worstkind.com/shop/03.jpg

Now I am regretting not just running a full length ledger on that back wall. but since I will be covering the ledgers with pegboard I thought oh well and just used lengths that were handy as I was putting up 1 cabinet at a time (which isn't all that easy).

what would you guys do to attach that left cabinet?? should just cut out a huge section of drywall since I will be covering with pegboard anyways, so I can get a visual of the studs? thats my current plan but seems pretty silly.

i also thought of using drywall anchors.... but ive had poor luck getting those to line up with any kind of precision.

has to be other options. thanks for any tips.

[Ryan Brucks]

oh and if you are wondering why the pine supports for the ledger... well turns out I drilled holes that were just BARELY too big for my screws in the ledger board.. but didnt notice until too late, since I noticed one of the cabinets sagged 1/16" overnight on me. so for peace of mind just decided to beef things up. There are also little metal brackets on top of some of the cabinets which attach to studs.

[Jeff Duncan]

Since your using pegboard as a backsplash anyway I'd run a full height piece of strapping floor to ceiling and use a couple drywall anchors to hold it to the wall. Using the Hilti anchors are the best bet for lining things up.

Otherwise if you really want to hang a lot of weight in that cabinet, you could cut the drywall, install a stud in there and patch it up quick after.

good luck,
JeffD

[Ryan Brucks]

thanks for the reply.

not a bad idea just putting up a whole panel there. or I suppose I could do a hybrid approach and just run a full size sheet up to the height where my ledger would be. then use drywall anchors only to affix the backer at the very top, since that one isn't for alignment, its to keep them from pulling off the wall.

[Bob Vallaster]

Your difficulty arises from having failed to find the studs. The solution is still in finding the studs.
Presuming your ledgers are at least partially mounted to studs, take the location of those few solid attachment points and measure over in multiples of 16" (usual increment between studs) for your best prospect of finding the next one left or right.
You mention trying to find studs with finish nails. There are many methods. Rapping with a knuckle. Drilling tiny (1/16") test holes. Magnetic stud finder (actually finds nails or screws attaching the drywall). Electronic stud finder. Whatever the method, take your time and find the studs.
Although Jeff's recommendation will carry a vertical load directly to the floor, I question whether it will resist the pitching moment of a loaded cabinet of 12-13" depth. That pitching moment increases with the door (if any) open.
Get yourself some proper cabinet-hanging screws (washer-head #10x2 1/2-3") from McFeeley, Woodcraft, Lowe's, HD... If you bore a hole too big for the screw to bite, drill another hole nearby with a smaller bit or insert a bigger screw. These are shop cabinets, battle-scars will accumulate one way or another.

BobV

[Dave Wagner]

Could you poke a small hole in the wall (in a hidden location of the cabinets) and push a coat hanger to find the studs one way or the other?

[Craig Michael]

It looks like you have baseboard on the wall in that area, right? Use a magnet and find the nails holding the baseboard on then tap a framing nail through right above the baseboard to confirm you have found the stud. You can also use a rare earth magnet to find the drywall screws, that depend on what you have for drywall. The newer 1/2", you'll find those easily. If it's an older house with plaster you probably won't find those with a magnet, they are too deep under the plaster.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

For Sheetrock over studs, chuck a 4 - 6 inch piece of coat hanger in a drill. It will drill nicely through the drywall but balk abruptly if you hit a stud. Works very well!

[Richard Wolf]

I've have used this product some times with good results;
http://www.ghostud.com/

[Rich Engelhardt]

should just cut out a huge section of drywall since I will be covering with pegboard anyways, so I can get a visual of the studs?
You don't have to cut out a huge section.
The cabinet is going to cover it up anyhow so just cut out a piece about 4" wide as long as the cabinet is wide, minus a couple inches on each end.

Be careful with the saw and/or Rotozip since it looks like there's an electrical drop there.

[Derek Hansen]

As mentioned by Bob, get an electronic stud finder (<$10)! Much better than poking tons of holes in your wall.

[Dave huber]

If you have a metal detector for finding debris in stock before it goes to the planer, use it to find the drywall screws.
my house is lath and plaster. Impossible to use any standard stud finder. Works great.
I have a Garrett wand, but several at amazon are reasonably priced.
Very useful otherwise.

[Gary Kman]

Hanging cabinets, being pretty sure I've found something substantial for support doesn't cut it. I want to KNOW what's there. You can find all kind of Micky Mouse framing behind sheetrock. I cut out a big enough strip that it won't fall apart and re-install it.

[glenn bradley]

I've have used this product some times with good results;
http://www.ghostud.com/

What a great product Richard. I'm sure many of us have done something like that ad-hoc with a piece of scrap but, at the reasonable price point I would like to have a few of these around just for the ease and time-saving factor.

[Alan Lightstone]

Wow! The ghostud looks pretty amazing, though I'm still a little skeptical regarding the flat screen TVs (LCD probably OK, plasma - maybe not).

I wish I could find the pictures of the garage shelving that fell on my car. Didn't find all the studs on that one. You can be sure I found all the studs for my present, far heavier, wood cabinets.

If you know anyone who has one of those video inspection systems and borrow it, you could also find the studs from within the wall. Otherwise, electronic stud finders, a piece of bent coat hanger spinning behind the wall through a small drilled hole, etc.

Just keep looking and find the studs.

[scott vroom]

If the wall is standard construction then it has a top plate and a corner wall stud at the intersection of the side wall. If so, do this:

1) remove the cleat beneath the far right cabinet and replace it with one that extends all the way to the side wall, attaching the far right
end of the cleat to the corner wall stud.
2) set your new cabinet on the cleat and attach to the cleat with screws drilled down from the inside bottom of the cabinet
2) attach L brackets on the top side of the cabinet top and to the wall top plate

The cabinet will be safely secured.

[Jason Roehl]

It looks like there is a receptacle to the left of the window. Usually, receptacles are mounted to a stud, so there's probably one on one side of the box. Take the cover plate off and carefully probe between the edge of the drywall and the box.

[Steve Roxberg]

Cut a 1/2" strip of drywall that will be hidden by the nailing strip at the top and see what's in there.

Funny story, in the 1970's I was hanging a bathroom vanity. Measured to where the studs should be, drilled a hole and mounted the cabinet. The drill and screw didn't hit air but it also didn't feel right. I tested the vanity and pulled it right off the wall. After drilling multiple holes with the same Problem I finally went to the home owner and asked him if he knew where a stud might be.

He explained that during a remodel the new tube was about 3" shorter than the old one so they just put sheet after sheet of drywall until the tub fit. Ahhh, the first two holes were in fact on studs. I just needed 3 1/2" screws.