Accessories - Housewares - Finishing Touches - Installing shelf, what is behind dry wall

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jdamelio
03-29-08, 01:52 PM
Used stud finder. Used drill and screw to attach bracket. Came to a stop. Bit spun in screw head. Then used a small drill bit to go deeper. Same stop. Bit broke in wall. Luckily had same measurement in another bit. The bit stops an inch in. What is back there? I actually have four holes in the wall. Three form a small triangle. the other is 5/8 to the left. All of these are within the three inch area that the stud finder indicated. My home was built in 59. On the other side of the wall is closet.

The right boundary according to the stud finder does seem to line up with the left side of a receptacle.


connie
03-29-08, 02:18 PM
Hello, and welcome to the forums!

Are you perhaps drilling a wall that may have plumbing inside?

Studs are usually 1 1/2" wide, so unless you are on a corner, where the wood is doubled, you should not be getting a reading that spans 3 inches.

Connie

jdamelio
03-30-08, 01:40 PM
Shouldn't be any plumbing. It is two bedrooms back to back. The wall in question is perpendicular to exterior wall. Single story. When I run a tape measure from the corner of the wall the 16" mark falls exactly where one of the holes is drilled. The next marked stud falls exactly at 32".

When I drill it feels like there is nothing behind the dry wall then I hit whatever that stops me.


connie
03-30-08, 02:26 PM
I can only imagine it is a metal plate, used to protect electrical wiring. Someone else may have another opinion, so you might try back again later.

You know, there are all sorts of anchors that can be used in hollow walls, so that you do not have to land on a stud.

I am concerned you may drill into electrical wire...does your sensor indicate hot wire or just metal? There are so many things inside a wall that you may not know...a vent, for example, a heating duct...Some carpenter's lunch box:)