Joist finders and live wires

[SprucingUpThePlace]

Hi,

I want to mount a cabinet to the wall in my washroom. I live in an apartment building, and I don't have any wiring maps for the unit I am in --- but I do have permission to mount the cabinet, which suggests that it should be safe to do this without hammering through live wires! To help me out, I bought an electronic stud finder (brand: Safety) to find the studs, which it claims are spaced 16" apart (at least away from doors), so it seems to be working. This is a modern stud finder, so it also detects hot wires in the wall. But it only seems to flash "Live A/C" when the finder is directly over an electrical outlet. It doesn't find any hot wires along the stud leading down to the outlet. Should I be worried about this?

Reasoning things out in my head, I feel it should be obvious that there are no live wires *between* the wooden stud and the drywall; if there is a live wire, it must be running along the *side* of the stud...right?? I just don't want to end up hammering through a hot wire.

Can someone with a little more experience please dissolve my myths about all of this?

Much appreciated.

[HayZee518]

the stud finder works by measuring the density of the surface below it. its like a miniature radar gun. if your stud finder shows the center of the stud and this is where you are going to mount your cabinet, well, go for it. the two stud finders I have detects the outside edges of the stud so take that reading and divide by two to get the center. your wires could be running virtually anyplace - from the bottom, from the top, horizontally through holes. normally drilled holes are at the center of studs which gives you about an inch and a half before you penetrate any wires. Stapling wires along sides of the stud again should be at approx center of the stud.

[SprucingUpThePlace]

Okay, thanks! That's more reassuring. I really appreciate this!!!

If anyone else has any stories or advice to share on this issue, please do.

[SprucingUpThePlace]

Okay, so I went ahead and used a nail to make a pilot hole in the center of a stud that I "found" with the stud finder, and then started turning my screw into it...but I got to a point where the screw started MOVING BACK OUT instead of moving in! It didn't feel like I was driving into wood, the resistance the screw was getting was more springy / cushion-like, and when I turned the screw more, it actually starting coming back out instead of going further in.

So I am really not sure what to do now. I don't want to make too many holes in my wall for no reason. Does someone know what could be going wrong here?

[HayZee518]

seems a little odd, but I'll bet the wall studding is metal studs. use a drill with a 1/16th bit and try drilling through it. then insert your sheetrock screw and turn it. the threads are hardened so they'll self tap into the metal stud.