# I have an issue and need some advice, please.



## theelephant7 (May 2, 2021)

Hello All,

I joined this forum because I can't seem to find a great answer to my issue. I am not a big DIY person, but I am more general.

I live in a townhome that is inbetween two other townhomes.

The ClosetMaid track shelves were improperly hung in one of the MBR closets. Whoever hung the tracks missed a couple studs and didn't use anchors,so it was coming out from the drywall.

I decided to at least try a studfinder from Amazon. I bought one from Lowe's but it couldn't read the studs. Apparently they are too deep for a simple stud scanner. They seem to be almost 3/8 to 1 inch behind the drywall for some reason.

One issue I am having is that this studfinder is telling me periodically that it is finding electrical wires or something electrical at certain points along the back of the closet wall. This only happens when I scan for wooden studs. If I set the device to scan for electrical AC then I get no readings with it. 

I do not have any no outlets or lighting in this closet. There are two outlets outside of the closet along the floor 

It is about 5.5 feet long and almost three feet deep. My issue is that the notifications for something "electrical" are not at all consistent. If I recalibrate the device then it may not flag it as being there again. It seems to find the studs fine. I am getting readings for AC wires along the back of the wall about five feet from the floor. These are often near where the previous holes were drilled and the tracks were hung.

Someone already drilled into this area and put in 2 inch long screws. I have drilled into this wall too in an effort to rehang the shelves. I can't say I felt anything with the drill other than drywall or wood.

My question is how should I proceed? I can't be 100% the device is accurate as they do give false readings and those things are meant to be a "guide" any ways. I also can't be 100% that there aren't electrical wires present. I am doubting it, but I guess one never knows.

Do I just try to avoid the studs and those areas altogether and hang the tracks with drywall anchors/toggles? I would prefer not opening up the wall with a small hole I can get an inspection mirror inside because then I would have to patch it.

Please offer any expert interpretations or advice as I just don't want to be paranoid that I hang the shelves and then will be paranoid that I knicked a wire somehow and may start a fire. Am I making sense or just paranoid?

I am including a very rough floor plan of the second floor. It's not to scale perfectly by any means, but it should offer an idea of what I am talking about.

The closet I am referring to is the one in the back of the room closer to the window.

The electrical symbols represent outlets on the floor. The only outlet that is raised is in the bathroom.

There is a second bedroom on the other side of the hallway, but I didn't think it was relevant to include.

Here are some pictures of the closet pre patching the holes


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## hendrix417 (Aug 9, 2018)

if that wall separates your unit from your neighbor's, then it is possibly a firewall. some firewalls have two layers of wallboard per side... the studs could be 1-1 1/4" inches deep. drive nail holes into wall until you find a stud. then the studs are either 16 or 24" apart. nail holes are simple to fill and you could drive just above the baseboard. they may never be seen.


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## picks drywall (Apr 13, 2021)

use the winged toggles for mounting in your case.


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## Tonydif (May 8, 2021)

Safest way to to guarantee that what you're detecting is a stud and not a pipe is to open wall beneath the base board.

If there's no baseboard, than open wall and put one in afterwards

On a long wall with plugs, you can measure 16" in any direction from that plug and hopefully find framing. Again, test with a nail below baseboard


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