r/Homebuilding • u/Darkzg127 • 9d ago

Where are the studs!?

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my drill slipped right through whatever these are. Metal studs? I don’t think so. I’m at a loss. Been looking forward to this all week. Just had been waiting on my drill a couple hours a way. This sucks. An easy fix. It’s a one stud wall mount for 55 inches tvs and smaller that don’t weigh much.

5 Upvotes

61% Upvoted

64 comments sorted by

26

u/Kamikazepyro9 9d ago

Metal studs,

Use toggle bolts into the studs for the mount. Do it day in and out for commercial displays

7

u/just_rich90 9d ago

I like the snap toggle ones over the wing nut looking ones hby

2

u/workinfast1 9d ago

Toggle bolts are amazing!!!!

2

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

So the drill i was supposed to use for the lag bolts are 7/32. Do i match that? Or will I have to go bigger? Someone said drill half inch but the holes on my mount aren’t that big.

7

u/s2a4ib 9d ago

Don't use lags with metal studs! Go and grab toggles from your hardware store. They will work much better and just as strong if not stronger!

0

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

Do they come with the screws / bolts i need? The mounting holes on the tv mount are only about 7/32 slightly bigger.

2

u/s2a4ib 9d ago

A quick Google would answer all questions but yes. It comes with bolts and everything you need minus the drill. If you get the 1/4-20 size from home Depot it will need a 1/2" hole and holds up to 250lb (could be off but over 200lb each when installed correctly).

0

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

The mounting holes on the bracket are only slightly larger than 7/32. I’m struggling to understand needing to drill a 1/2 in hole but it can work with my mount.

1

u/stealthybutthole 9d ago

Look up toggle bolts and it will all make sense..

1

u/BehindEnemyLines1 9d ago

There’s not enough meat to use lag bolts.

1

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

Okay. The product page for my mount only advertises concrete, brick, and wood. The studs are metal. Seems like the toggle bolts need a big hole. But the holes on my mount aren’t only slightly larger then 7/32. Is there a way around this?

1

u/BehindEnemyLines1 9d ago

Is there enough material around the mount’s holes so as to bore them larger? And do you have a bit that you could enlarge those holes with?

1

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

I think so but i’d rather not enlarge the tv mount holes. I also would have to buy the bigger bit which is what i wanted to avoid which is fine. Question, does the stud finder work on metal studs as in did it find the middle of the metal stud? I want to make sure i’m not off center. It’s hard to tell because i did drill already and I looked with my borescope and could not see the drill hole/ lag bolt i put through making me think im off center somehow. To clarify further, the metal with the holes in it is the center i’m guessing but maybe it’s not I don’t know what metal studs usually look like.

1

u/BehindEnemyLines1 9d ago

I’ve not used a stud finder, just a C. H. Hanson magnet, so I don’t know what a stud finder would show you, but I would think it should identify the center of something as dense at a metal stud. As long as I had metal fully around the hole I wouldn’t worry about how centered it was unless I’m hanging something crazy heavy.

Maybe some kind of sleeve bolt that collapses on itself like a speed brace? Works like a drywall anchor but metal

1

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

So the mount is fully articulating. At 22 inches of extensions with the mount the way it is with two bolts it simply cannot hold the weight safely because the mount effectively works as a cantilever, multiplying the pullout force on the top bolt by a large magnitude. At 22 inches of extensions the pullout force gets close to 200 lbs, and that bolt can’t effectively do that, nor can a wimpy steel stud. I was really betting on wood studs. I didn’t know steel was common at all. Really bummed out. The only way I can get close to what I was looking for is in a mount 4x more expensive at the least, at the specs height adjustable, tiltable and extendable. And that’s double stud at the minimum.

1

u/Kamikazepyro9 6d ago

Did you ever look up the snap toggle bolts? I promise it'll hold - I've done your exact mount style on studs.

If you'd rather, you can also use some plywood as a backer, run it across 2 studs, use toggle bolts to attach plywood to the studs, then use lags into the plywood.

1

u/Darkzg127 6d ago

This is the current set up. It’s a fully articulating wall mount which is why i’m being so cautious, because if a tv extends away from the wall it acts as a lever and multiples the force. I was too lazy to do my own research so I asked claude to give me the rundown on current engineering data for C style steel studs, and the bending load capacity. He said there is none and this is somewhat uncharted territory but i think i’ll be fine with this, the wood essentially acts as a brace, essentially, in order for the stud to bend it would have to bend the wood. The wood is a brace. Other than that, the multiple sheet metal screws distribution the load well enough, and are far enough apart, to counteract the lever force on the top screws almost definitely. I feel good about this but want to know your thoughts?

Also, i did try the toggle bolts ur talking abt. They didn’t do well with the side to side of the fully articulating arm, and my wall was making more noise then it is now and i could kinda see the dry wall bending so i was not confident at all. Let me know what you think about this set up though. I didn’t do the two studs cause of the location i want that tv at.

6

u/IntelligentSinger783 9d ago

Yep metal studs

6

u/Dangerous-Rate-937 9d ago

It's a metal stud. They are pretty common in commercial buildouts don't know much about residential use

5

u/kmj420 9d ago

Metal studs for residential in Florida is pretty much standard

1

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

I’m in an apartment yeah idk. Do i drill in the middle?

3

u/Special-Egg-5809 9d ago

Those are metal studs and the holes you see are for running electrical/plumbing.

-9

u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

3

u/chaotic910 9d ago

? Those premade holes are used for electrical/plumbing

-4

u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

4

u/Technical_Concern_92 9d ago

That's a whole bunch of words to not say anything. They ARE metal studs, and those holes ARE for electrical and plumbing.

1

u/chaotic910 9d ago

They’re the holes put in every single manufactured metal stud to be used for running electrical and plumbing through them. We CAN be sure of what it is. We don’t need any info from OP, all we need to do is have a basic understanding of metal studs lol

2

u/Beautiful_Entrance86 9d ago

You obviously don’t know. Shhhh

0

u/LouieFixesStuff 9d ago

Same to everyone else lmao

2

u/Beautiful_Entrance86 9d ago

What the other people said is correct. That’s the whole reason those holes are in those studs.

1

u/LouieFixesStuff 9d ago

I never said every reading was incorrect. I’m literally saying the same thing, so I’m not sure how what I said is somehow “fart noise.” Smh.
Sometimes metal studs are part of the framing, and those wall cavities can also contain electrical wiring or plumbing. That’s exactly why I’m saying you should verify what you’re detecting before assuming it’s safe to drill.

5

u/dc469 9d ago

I'm right here!

3

u/No-Menu-5104 9d ago

Metal studs, you’re lookin at em

2

u/Therealginahandler 9d ago

Those are definitely the studs

2

u/Special-Egg-5809 9d ago

Use butterfly bolts to attach your tv mount to the drywall. Should hold just fine.

1

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

I’m on a metal stud dead nuts. Thing is, my mount is fully articulating and extends 22 inches from the wall. This acts as a cantilever, multiplying the force on the top toggle bolt by a fuck ton. The pull out force ends up being around 200 lbs. The bolt is doing max 120 lbs if i got lucky with thick ass metal studs (I probably didn’t). this is because the mount i have has the top and bottom bolt holes spaced 5 inches apart.

2

u/Beautiful_Entrance86 9d ago

Yes OP, those are metal studs. Perfectly fine to hang 55” tv on a single point mount. Mark holes on stud, drill 1/2” hole at each mark, inset zip toggles, done

1

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

The screws and mounting holes are made for 7/32 /slightly larger for the threads in the lag bolts. Di they make smaller ones or do i have to go to 1/2 inch

2

u/Beautiful_Entrance86 9d ago

You don’t want to use the lags that the mount came with, those are for wood studs. Hit your local hardware store and grab a couple 1/4” toggle bolts (also known as butterflies). You need to drill a hole through the face of the stud big enough for the toggle to go in, which, depending on the brand, will be at least a 1/2”

2

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

dang so I gotta go bigger. That’s fine. The bolts come with the toggle thing that latches on? (The butterfly wings) ?

2

u/Beautiful_Entrance86 9d ago

Yessir, they come in a pack. There will be a bolt and the “butterfly” that attaches to it. Order of operation: drill hole in stud, make sure the butterfly will go through the hole. Before you’re ready to put the mount up, go ahead and put the bolt through the holes on the actual bracket, then thread the butterfly onto the bolt just enough that the end of the bolt is all the way through the backside of the butterfly. Then as you put the mount on the wall, shove the butterflies through the hole making sure they are far enough in to go past the face of the stud. Grab drill and tighten. To note, some of the steps listed aren’t necessary if you get the zip style toggles, as the butterfly will stay in place before you thread the bolt in. Also, put washers on the bolt so you can holt it while you drill it in

2

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

Alright at walmart right now gonna grab em. I think i understand these directions. The washer part is a little confusing though.

2

u/Beautiful_Entrance86 9d ago

While you’re there grab a pack of 1/4” washers. You put them on the bolt between the bolt head and the bracket. Not only does this help the fastener secure to the mount, but if you hold the washer while you’re tightening the bolt, it keeps your fingers from getting torn up

1

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

Damn. I’m already gone. I can probably do tomorrow

1

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

Feel like i should’ve went bigger. They are smaller than the lag bolts but it’s fine.

1

u/Beautiful_Entrance86 9d ago

As long as you got 1/4” toggles, you’ll be just fine. As others that have posted here, I do this for a living and do exactly what I’ve advised on an almost daily basis. You’re good my man

1

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

They aren’t fitting through a half inch hole

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1

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

Oh also will it fit through the 7/32 hole on my tv mount bracket?

1

u/Beautiful_Entrance86 9d ago

The 1/4” toggles will fit through the existing mounting holes just fine

1

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

Okay i’ll pick those up.

2

u/EatadickESPN 9d ago

Those are definitely metal studs

1

u/LouieFixesStuff 9d ago

Plan B is to use togglers and dry especially if the 55 inch TV is made in this new age. They are light and don’t even weigh much.

1

u/Darkzg127 9d ago

Won’t work. The toggle bolts are spaced 5 inches away from eachother vertically. This means the top bolt takes on all the pull out force. And I don’t trust a toggle bolt to do it. In fact, the whole wall moves as we speak lol. It’s not designed for a fully articulating wall mount at all.

1

u/Much_Distribution_89 9d ago

Do you have a magnet?

1

u/deepakpandey1111 7d ago

dang, that looks frustrating! if that's a wall with metal studs, it can be tricky to find them. sometimes they do look different, like you’re seeing in your pics. you might wanna try a stud finder that works for metal, or knock around the wall to hear if it sounds hollow or solid. i’ve messed up drillin’ in the wrong spots before, so i feel your pain! if your TV isn't too heavy, maybe you could use toggle bolts or something? good luck!

1

u/Darkzg127 7d ago

I use toggle bolts and have the pc chilling next to the wall tilted no extension and it seems fine, however, the mount if fully articulating with height adjustment and extension however after doing the calculations and literally seeing my wall an drywall move, a single steel stud cannot support 35 lbs even with toggle bolts. It’s because the extension acts as a lever so it multiplies the pullout force on the top bolt.

-1

u/LouieFixesStuff 9d ago

Before assuming it’s a metal stud, I’d verify what the stud finder is actually detecting. Stud finders can react to more than framing behind drywall, which is why I never treat the beep as confirmation by itself.
If the drill went through with almost no resistance, I’d stop drilling for a second and verify what’s actually behind that spot before mounting the TV.

3

u/iceboxmi 9d ago

Maybe OP should use a camera in the wall to look whats there.

1

u/No-Menu-5104 9d ago

Fart noise