Find Studs Behind Siding

Measure 16 and mark additional stud locations.

Find studs behind siding.

The better way is to locate the edges of the osb sheathing. Use a metal detector to find the nails in the studs if you get dew on the house in the morning a lot of the time you can see exactly where the studs are when there is dew on the siding and it is just starting to evaporate it usually evaporates off the studs first since they are a bit warmer. This is not always the case depending on the installer. I found these answers on a different site.

Remove the section of siding at the elevation you plan on mounting the awning at. In theory the siding should be nailed at the studs. Once you find one stud it s easy to find the rest of them. Place the stud finder at the edge of the exterior siding.

Shine a flashlight. An electronic device called a stud finder can help you locate the studs but if you don t have one there are several low tech ways to find the beams using only household items. For vinyl siding use a vinyl siding removal tool to unsnap the seal between two pieces of siding allowing you to see the nail heads. Walk very slowly along the exterior siding while holding the stud finder.

The standard space between studs is 16 or 24 inches although in some homes the distance between studs is less regular. If that s true and i wanted to hit a stud close to dead center i d probably make myself about a 6 long 3 32 diameter drill bit locate a stud from inside and bore a hole from inside out next to the stud. The best way to find a stud while working on on the outside whether brick siding or stone is to use an electronic stud finder. To the best of my knowledge we won t see a stud by lifting siding unless the house was built about 1925.

For solid cladding such as stucco or brick your best bet is to locate the studs inside the house and then transfer the measurements to the exterior wall.