# Looking for a specific door stop



## Solidify

I have a heavy exterior Oak wood door that always smacks the electrical baseboard heater behind it. On top of that, the door doesn't remain open. So we always need to but a tall brick in front of it if we want to keep it open. 

I would like to put a door stop but not any regular spring door stop. I'd like to put one that not only stops the door from hitting the electrical baseboard heater behind it but also has a soft of contraption (i.e. a hook or magnet) that we can use to hold the door open.

I've reviewed several models of door stops but I'm hesitating on which to use/buy. The reason for this is because I don't think installing something on the wall, which is sheet-rock, will hold up in the case that someone swings the door open (I don't want the door stop puncturing through the way or ripping off of it).

What can you guys suggest me, keeping in mind this is a really heavy door that will be going through long -30ºC winters (Canada) and the ground below the door is ceramic tiles?


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## Basementgeek

You need to find a commercial door stop that is mounted in the floor. They make ones that can hold doors open.

BG


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## Solidify

BG, something like one of these?:

Prime-Line 2-1/8 in. Brushed Chrome Plated Brass Door Floor Stop with Holder-J 4602 at The Home Depot

Prime-Line Door Floor Stop With Holder, 2-1/8 in., Polished Solid Brass-J 4601 at The Home Depot


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## Basementgeek

Looks like they would work fine for you.

BG


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## Solidify

On second thought, I'm not too confident about drilling into ceramic tiles. I've never done it and am unsure of whether I'd be able to do so properly. What if I found a stud on the wall and anchored something like this (rather than anywhere on the sheetrock):


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## SABL

You can try a magnetic door stop. They can be floor mounted or wall mounted.....best to mount to your baseboard. 

Amazon.com: magnetic door stop: Tools & Home Improvement

I've never tried these......they're residential grade.

They also have a wall mounted stop with a latching hook......but you have to bend over to latch/unlatch.


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## Tomken15

A tip when drilling into ceramic tiles is to place a piece of insulating (not the shiny type) or masking tape where you want to drill so that the drill doesn't slip and skew off/away.


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## kendallt

I install a lot of these, one way I've always done is to drill through a thin piece of plywood, something large enough to put a foot on.
Simply place the wood on the floor, set the stop where you want it, mark the holes with pencil, or use a vix bit to start them, then move the stop and drill through.

If the area gets wet regularly, put some adhesive caulk on the bottom of the stop before you screw it down, wipe up the squish-out with a wet rag, adds strength and seals the floor and screws. A good portion of the ones I install are replacements where the screws have rusted out and/or the underlay has rotted from moisture.


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## Solidify

Thanks for the instructions guys but I don't think I'll be drilling into the floor. I'm just not ready for that/not sure if we have any spare tiles in the case that I mess up. I'll just put the one I linked to above somewhere on the wall but I'll find a stud to drill it into for added support. And it doesn't matter about being able to hold the door open I guess.


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## Basementgeek

Most walls are constructed with a 2x4 that runs across the bottom and top of each wall.
So chances are good you can put the door stop about 1/2 way up, on the trim, and have wood behind it.

BG


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## Solidify

> So chances are good you can put the door stop about 1/2 way up, on the trim, and have wood behind it.


Wouldn't it be better to but the door stop on the bottom right above the baseboard radiator so it's less visible and more visibly appealing? Either that or all the way at the top of the wall...


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## Basementgeek

Totally up to you.

BG


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## MPR

You can also use a hinge mount door stop and a kick-down holdfast too:

Search Results for hinge door stop at The Home Depot

Search Results for kick down doorstop at The Home Depot


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## Solidify

MPR, I don't want to put a kick-down hold-fast on that door since it will be on the outside during winters and God knows what my tenants will do to it (it's the door for my tenants that leads upstairs). Also, I have one of those hinge mount door stops on one of my bathroom doors and it works very well but I wouldn't feel comfortable with something so small being on such a heavy and robust exterior door.


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## MPR

With a space heater behind the door a hinge-mounted door stop may still your best bet -- you can always install two or three adjusted the same.

If you don't want a kick-down to hold the door open then you will still need some sort of hooking device. Make sure that your tenants don't leave the door open in winter -- I had a tenant prop the laundry room door open one winter and all the pipes froze, including the drains, which I only noticed when the room flooded the first time someone tried to use it after I got the pipes repaired.

If they are long enough to get the stop past your wall-mounted heater, note that they do make stop and hook combos oriented for wall mounting:


CRL Bronze Wall Mounted Heavy Duty Door Stop With Hook and Holder - CRL DOOR STOPS AND HOLDERS - Buy CRL Bronze Wall Mounted Heavy Duty Door Stop With Hook and Holder Best Prices


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## Solidify

MPR, let me know if everything you've suggested still stands after looking at the following photos of the door in question that I've just taken for you. It's my understanding that photos always help a bit.

I already purchased these but am now sure now...
The Hillman Group 3 in. Brass Square Rigid Door Stop (5-Pack)-852664.0 at The Home Depot


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## SABL

How close does the door knob get to the wall before the door hits the base heater??

You can mount something like this on a stud near the top of the door. Also handy to hang a hat/jacket on......:laugh:

Ball bearing hinges on the door.......don't see that very often unless it's a commercial building.


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## Solidify

That close:

Don't mind the 2x4 and the bottom, we just used it to hold the door open in the past.


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## SABL

I edited my post.....recheck.

You can also get away with Schlage 407 2-1/2-Inch Diameter Wall Door Stop


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## SABL

I shoulda looked at MPR's link......that'll work. Mount the stop on the wall and the hook receiver on the door.


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## Solidify

> Ball bearing hinges on the door.......don't see that very often unless it's a commercial building.


Is that therefore a bad thing that they're on my door?



> You can also get away with Schlage 407 2-1/2-Inch Diameter Wall Door Stop


the reason I don't think that will be a good idea is because that installation has to be done in tandem with the door knob, and if my door knob ever breaks (and I think it's on it's way out since I've already had to fix it once), the stop may not level up with the next doorknob I'll buy. Or would it?


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## Solidify

SABL said:


> I shoulda looked at MPR's link......that'll work. Mount the stop on the wall and the hook receiver on the door.


Hm, now that I looked at MPR's link again, it does seem like the best option:

1. It will be on a stud. 
2. It has a hook to hold the door also.
3. And I can install it at the top of the wall (upper corner of the door).

Any other suggestions before I set out for that part?

Edit: Did you guys say to mount it at the top or bottom?


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## MPR

WOW, that's a pretty tight space. Mount a hook and stop on a stud as far out as you can just above the heater, preferably so that it hits close to the end of the door, like this:










Or, just put a rubber half ball behind the knob (they stick on and can be moved):


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## Solidify

> The door doesn't even come close to opening all the way, right?


What do you mean by that?



> What you really need is that space heater not there and a hook/doorstop combo mounted to the wall's bottom plate so that it hits the door about an inch from the bottom end when open Like this


Removing the radiator is out of the question. I just don't have the skill-set/time for a job like that. I'm trying to accommodate it.



> With what you have there, I'd put on a hinge-mount stop and adjust it so the door stops barely in front of the space heater.


Something like this?
Design House 2-1/8 in. x 1-3/4 in. Satin Nickel Standard Hinge Pin Door Stop-202390 at The Home Depot



> If you don't want to install a kick down to hold the door open...


It's not so much that I don't _want_ to but rather than I'm fearful of it not lasting long through the exterior winter (not to mention it will look awful to see that on the exterior on a residential building).



> you can install a loop on the backside of the door and a hook and chain on the wall (attached to a stud) to hold the door open.


Can you better explain this or perhaps provide an illustration?


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## MPR

Disregard my "not opening all the way" comment -- I posted it before you posted the pictures showing how the door looked open. From your original pictures it looked like the door hinge was right up against the wall and that the space heater blocked the door from opening all the way. See my edited post above.

A hook and stop combo will work as long as there is a stud far enough out to allow the door to open all the way and someone to get their hand back in there to hook and unhook it. In America, there would be a stud 32" out, which would work well for a 36" outside door. On a metric door and metric built house, I don't know. Or do you build in Canada using the American measurement system?


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## Solidify

I'm not sure about Canadian measurements MPR. I really have no clue. 



> A hook and stop combo will work as long as there is a stud far enough out to allow the door to open all the way and someone to get their hand back in there to hook and unhook it.


What are the odds that the stud will be perfectly aligned with the the corner of the door where the door stop will need to be installed? With my luck, the stud will be right smack in the middle of the door when it's fully opened...


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## MPR

It doesn't have to be exact, just close enough that someone can get a hand in there to hook and unhook it.

From what I can see, it appears that Canada uses inch measurements for building, which makes sense as otherwise lumber trade would be stopped at the border and we are each other's largest trading partners. 

Usually, 2x4 studs are placed 16" center-to-center. However, interior walls, if not load-bearing, can be on 24" centers too and if a house was owner-built and not inspected then the studs could be anywhere. Get a stud finder (less than ten dollars and an indispensable tool for a homeowner/landlord) and see where the stud is that's closest to the end of the door when open. If your exterior door is 32" or 36" wide, then the 32" stud should work fine for a combo hook/doorstop.


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## SABL

Ball bearing hinges are good......don't see them on residential too often due to the cost. 

The wall 'bumper' can be used without worry of handle replacement......the hole for the lock will always be in the same place unless you replace the door....:grin:. The 'bumper' can always be removed easily if needed.

The door fails to remain open due to something being out of plumb.....no big deal and is quite common. The use of a wall stop w/hook will work nicely for getting stuff in/out of the apartment. It can be placed anywhere in regard to height......you just need to keep it as far away from the hinges as possible and make sure it doesn't fall within a door panel. 

Do as MPR says and get a stud finder......they're pretty cheap and handy.


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## Solidify

MPR, I heard stud finders don't actually work very well. I always just knock on the wall and listen for the hollow vs. the not-so-hollow sound. 

And to both of you, all these posts have left me confused about which door stop I should finally install and where to install it...


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## MPR

Solidify said:


> MPR, I heard stud finders don't actually work very well.


I've built houses and done building maintenance for 40 years or so, and stud finders have always worked well for me. I've got a 20-year-old Zircon that I still use all the time. I used it the other day to put up some ceiling lights. Install whichever stop you want -- it's your building. 



Code:


[FONT=Fixedsys]jamb side                swinging side[/FONT]
[FONT=Fixedsys][                              ]36" door opens to here[/FONT]
[FONT=Fixedsys]| |          | |         | |      studs[/FONT]
[FONT=Fixedsys]| |          | |         |0| <-- put hook-type stop here[/FONT]
[FONT=Fixedsys]================================[/FONT]
[FONT=Fixedsys]================================ <-- heater[/FONT]
[FONT=Fixedsys]0"           16"         32"[/FONT]
[FONT=Fixedsys]floor[/FONT]


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## SABL

Stud finders are easy to use.....and most of the time very reliable. I've used them many times for handrail brackets which *must* be anchored to solid framing. The type of wall construction may be a factor with some of the cheaper models. After seeing some of your pics I'm wondering if your walls are Rock Lath and plaster.....it may be harder to determine exactly where the studs are but possible with patience and practice. I've used the Zircon models for over 20yrs, and on walls with double layers of drywall. 

The type of wall stop will be determined by the amount you want to spend and whether you want it to hold the door open. Installation is no big problem and most times they aren't even attached to the studs. 

I can find some door stops that cost over $100 if you like.......:laugh:


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## Solidify

Nah, I think I'll hold off on the stud finder for now actually. I'll spend my money on an electrical tester which is more pressing at the moment. I'll manage to find the studs one way or another. Thanks for the help guys.


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## Basementgeek

Buy a non contact voltage tester. Great for working AC circuits.

BG


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## kendallt

Solidify said:


> Nah, I think I'll hold off on the stud finder for now actually. I'll spend my money on an electrical tester which is more pressing at the moment. I'll manage to find the studs one way or another. Thanks for the help guys.


 A magnet on a roughly 2 ft string, or a larger handheld speaker magnet will will work to find studs. With the string, simply hold your hand against the wall and move your hand along, a smaller magnet will 'catch' for a second at the nails. 
A larger magnet held loosely will move slightly when held just off the wall.
On lathe and plaster walls, there will be nails every 2 or 3 inches on the studs, so doesn't matter where you look, With drywall, the best place to look is roughly 4ft off the floor at the seam. 

If you have baseboard or other trim, a decent carpenter would have put the nails into studs, so you can often find studs by looking for nails


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## MPR

Speaking of stud finding... _this_ is something I'd really like to have if I were still doing maintenance and refurbishing professionally. I can think of all sorts of uses for this -- finding studs, wires, pipes, termite damage, fossils... This tool would be great to assist in running networking cable too.

DEWALT 12v Hand Held Radar Scanner DCT418 - YouTube


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## Basementgeek

Not really an Xray machine, but still neat if you have $300.00 plus to spend.

BG


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## kendallt

That's a pretty interesting device, I'd never buy one, but would be fun to play with I think.
Don't know if it would be usable for finding fossils, by what I've seen during a quick search, it doesn't actually show what it finds, instead it displays a stored image to represent what it detected.


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## MPR

kendallt said:


> it doesn't actually show what it finds, instead it displays a stored image to represent what it detected.


I was thinking about that image of that copper pipe and how it could be so good when the professional ground-penetrating radar that I've actually seen used in geological work gave an image that only could be interpreted after considerable training.

When I looked at the more expensive and more capable Ryobi model and its graphical output, I realized that the DeWalt just stored imaged of pipes, studs and wires, which is why one most scan then backscan -- on the initial scan it detects then on the backscan it interprets and shows you an image of what it thinks the hidden object is.


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## Solidify

Basementgeek said:


> Buy a non contact voltage tester. Great for working AC circuits.
> 
> BG


Yeah, that's the one I was thinking of getting. I have these two items but I don't know how use them or if they would do the job:

Gardner Bender GCV-206 Volt/Continuity Tester

Vintage Square D Wiggy Voltage Tester Model 6610 VT 1 | eBay

Can someone tell me?


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## SABL

Are you just looking for voltage or wanting to measure the voltage?? 

This is a voltage detector......the two you show are to measure voltage (the first one is discontinued and the 2nd is a relic).


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## Solidify

> the two you show are to measure voltage


Wouldn't that mean that they can do the job of the voltage detector then?


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## SABL

Those work fine but you need to probe the live connections and use both terminals to detect voltage.......there's no need to get up close and personal with bare conductors or terminals just to see if the circuit is energized. I only have the standard DVOM that takes both hands to use.....makes it tricky unless you have alligator clips or both hands free. The non-contact uses one probe that only needs to get close to the live wire. 

What you buy is determined by what you want the device to do......do you want an exact measurement of the voltage or do you only want to check for it's presence?? Right now you are tracing circuits and the only important thing is to find which breakers control which circuits.....unless you're having problems and suspect voltage drops/fluctuations you do not meed an actual volt-meter.


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## kendallt

SABL said:


> The non-contact uses one probe that only needs to get close to the live wire.


 I always have one of those on me. 
With my job I do a lot of climbing and crawling around in attics, crawlspaces, and other tight areas, often old buildings with knob and tube wiring. (Sometimes I really hate being the smallest guy on the jobsite!)
One bad shock was enough, now I carry one of those and map out the wiring before I start doing any work.
They are the best thing for eliminating any nasty surprises.


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## SABL

kendallt said:


> I always have one of those on me.
> With my job I do a lot of climbing and crawling around in attics, crawlspaces, and other tight areas, often old buildings with knob and tube wiring. (Sometimes I really hate being the smallest guy on the jobsite!)
> One bad shock was enough, now I carry one of those and map out the wiring before I start doing any work.
> They are the best thing for eliminating any nasty surprises.


Best tool to have on hand when doing maintenance or renovation.....or almost anything that gets you near electric. Can be carried in a shirt pocket....:thumb:. Professionals carry them...that should say something. If I feel the need I will buy one but I only tinker around the house (retired). I just use my old DVOM.......pita when you have to lay it down and use 2 probes to check for voltage. I've pretty much got my house wired as needed.....I built it 24yrs ago....:laugh:. 

I was pretty slender when I was younger and got into some tight spots myself. Concrete forms are not much fun.......especially when you crawl inside one that is 22" wide at the bottom and batters in to 8" at the top (only spent one summer doing that). Doing work above the ceiling in commercial buildings can get tight.......got hit with 277VAC only once. The electrician said if a wire didn't have a wire nut on it it was dead........he lied.

*@ solidify*....should I change the title of this thread?? We've gotten pretty far away from door stops.....:rofl:. I may take a look back and split this thread so we stay on topic. If you feel the advice on a voltage tester is sufficient I will leave as is and let the thread go inactive.


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## Solidify

OK SABL, do you as you need to..


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## Solidify

I installed this magnetic door stop and it seems to work well but I don't think I got it on the stud. I had to do it without the stud finder because it was sort of expensive for me to buy at the moment. I tried counting both 16" and 24" from the closest light switch box. I was knocking on the wall and could bet my life that were I screwed the wall piece there should have been a stud.

The door no longer makes contact with the electric baseboard heater and nor the does the doorknob with the wall.

As long as my tenants don't slam the door open against the wall, it should be fine. The smaller piece that is screwed to the wall (the bit that makes contact with the stick-like part on the door) has a spring-like mechanism. This makes it so that if someone slams the door, it absorbs the impact inwards and then bounced back out while holding the door (thanks to the magnet).

I've satisfied with the piece but I would have liked to have gotten it on a stud for extra piece of mind.


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## SABL

Did you use any type of anchor??

Toggler makes many types of anchors:

TOGGLER High-Performance Anchors | Anchors, Toggle Bolts, Fasteners


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## Solidify

It came with the anchors but I did not use them since I was aiming for the stud.


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## SABL

Anchor will be better if you didn't hit the stud. 

Did you determine which side of the switch the stud was on?? If you went from the center of the switch your ~1 3/4" off at least. 

Maybe no big deal but the larger base is installed on the softer surface.....the drywall. (Unless you find a stud)


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## Solidify

> id you determine which side of the switch the stud was on??


I knocked on both sides where the switch box was. It sounded very clear that the stud was on the right of the switch box. So I counted both 16" and 24" from where I believed that stud to start from (since I wasn't sure what the builders used for this home). As I was knocking across the wall from left to right, I began noticing a hard knocking sound around 16" so I concentrated more thoroughly on that spot. I was sure that the stud was were I drilled the first set of screws (you can see I messed up in the photo). But I missed it twice! :banghead:



> Maybe no big deal but the larger base is installed on the softer surface.....the drywall. (Unless you find a stud)


So if I don't find a stud and use the anchors with the drywall, I need to switch the pieces around?


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## MPR

If you can't tell where the stud is by tapping, get a short length of wire and drill a hole a half inch deep with a small drill bit and then poke the wire into the hole and feel for a stud. If you don't have a drill, use a small finish nail and hammer. You might be able to find a nail in a stud too with the magnet of your doorstop if it's powerful enough (which is on backwards, BTW).


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## Basementgeek

I would expect a hole in drywall in short order.

BG


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## Solidify

> You might be able to find a nail in a stud too with the magnet of your doorstop if it's powerful enough


Oh snap it's true! You're a genius lol



> (which is on backwards, BTW)


Dammit yeah I figured that out last night lol I hope the holes for each part as the same distance apart so I can switch them without making new holes.



> I would expect a hole in drywall in short order.


what do you mean by short ordeR?


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## SABL

Short order......quickly.

I've installed many wall stops that weren't even close to studs. Never had to come back and make repairs due to the stop being driven through the wall. I have the same type of wall stops in my house and only a few were close to the studs......the only time I had any damage was when my son removed them to paint and didn't put them back in place......:sigh:. 

If you're close to the stud, just reverse the 2 parts and get the piece with the wider base on the drywall.....use the anchor. If you want to locate the stud keep poking holes in the wall......you're already looking at some DW repair and painting.


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## Solidify

Yeah i have to switch the bases either way buy i wanna avoid making holes everywhere. I think im gonna rip a magnet out of an old dead pc hd and use it to locate the metal stud nails (seen someone on youtube do that at it worked well), not to mention, i think those magnetic stuf finders are more reassuring than a stud finder


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## Solidify

*than an electric stud finder


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## SABL

I prefer the 'electronic' units.......you don't have to look for nails/screws. And.....you don't know how accurate the person was that drove the nail.


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## kendallt

Sometimes studs just aren't where you need them to be. Best thing to do in that case is to use a block.
Easiest way to make a block that looks respectable is to use a 1.5 inch or larger hole saw, if you have a router, screw it to a scrap board and prettify the edge. 
Spread adhesive caulk on the back and mount it to the wall using a toggle anchor, then mount your stop on that. Using the center hole of the block (with glue) hides the screw so it looks better.


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## Solidify

kendallt, I dont get what you're explaining.


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## MPR

I think he's saying that if you can't find a stud then use a backing plate to distribute the force on the sheetrock. A 1/2" thick 4" x 4" piece of wood would work. Glue the backing board to the wall then affix your stop to it. It would look prettier if the corners were beveled.

You do need to have your doorstop solidly backed, otherwise it may punch through your wallboard if the door is opened too quickly or someone pushes against it when it is opened (as happens frequently when moving furniture).


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## Solidify

Oh OK I get it now MPR. Thanks for explaining that.

However, before I try that, since I'm a perfectionist and that would look somewhat unappealing, I'm going to try to find the stud a little harder.


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## Solidify

So I'm looking for a stud finder again, for good this time. What would you recommend TSF?


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## oscer1

A strong magnet makes a good stud finder.


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## Solidify

Yes, thats what ive been using but as someone pointed out, the magnet is only as reliable as the persom that put the screw/mail in the stud. Plus it desnt tell me where plumbing and electrical wires are, thats why i want a stud finder


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## oscer1

Stud finder won't tell you were electrical or plumbing are in the wall.


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## Solidify

I believe some models can.. 



> finds rebar, pipe, steel framing and conduit in wall cavities or in concrete at a maximum depth of 1-1/2 in. In AC












Source: Best Stud Finder - Reviews of Stud Finders - Popular Mechanics


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## kendallt

Fast no-tool way is to check any outlets or switch boxes on either side of the wall. They are mounted on studs (unless they're add-in types that clamp to drywall) pull the cover and inspect them to see what side of the stud they are on. You can drive a finish nail on either side of the box, or probe with a thin screwdriver or pick at top/bottom corners just outside of the box, on one side you will feel a stud. Then simply measure and mark the rest of the studs. Unless you intend to cut deep with power tools, the wires and plumbing will be far enough back that you will not hit them with a utility knife or even a circular saw set to cut just the depth of the drywall. 
Don't use a a switch box that is super close to a doorway, if it's less than 2-3 inches from the door it may be on the door framing, not an actual stud. 

As for recommendations on stud finders, I've used them a few times, but have never seen one that impressed me enough to buy one.


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## kendallt

tried to add this with an edit, but missed the window.

Looking at the pics you posted much earlier, that light switch at the foot of the stairs has a 99.999% chance of being on a real stud. A good layout carpenter who is worth a crap, will have every single stud in the house measured from that corner, so once you find a stud on any wall, you will know where every other stud is on a wall that runs the same direction. The only exceptions will be doors and windows, where the openings will have a stud to either side of them, and non-original partition walls. It's not just a 'pride' thing, it makes every aspect of building easier, trusses, joists, trim, drywall, ducting etc go much better when all the studs line up.


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## Solidify

Ok so now that u explained me how to watch for plumbing and switch boxes, i would stull like to know from others that have a stud finder which they recommend


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