Please help find studs in plaster walls

[Larry Edgerton]

I take a finish nailer, hold back the nose and shoot nails into the wall without touching the nose to the wall, maybe 3/4" away. The nails will go in flush until you come to a stud, and then they will stick out because the stud stopped them. There is your stud. You do it where you are going to cover it obviously, so there is no visible marks.

I have not found a stud finder that will work on lathe and plaster, I assume because of the density of the wall. This method takes a little getting used to but has worked for me for years. Nails are cheap. Time is not.

The other solution that I use ocasionally is to run a board with a complimentary profile around the room first that is heavily fastened, usually with screws, where it will be hidden by the crown/cove that is put on over it. That way I have a constant nailer just where I need it, and it adds a nice detail if done correctly.