I ;$&?@); hate plaster sometimes

[Superbeetle]

Most of the time I love my old plaster walls. But today I'm trying to hang a shelf, and I just drilled across a 38" expanse without a single stud, not even in the corner. At least 50 holes, every 1/2-1". I had found a 30" expanse before in two different places and later figured out that there had probably been doors there at one time. This one, I've got no idea. It's halfway up the stairs. Anyway, I just wanted to growl and vent a bit. Ninety percent of the time I love my house. The other 10%, I'm surprised it's still standing!

[raine]

Maybe you have no studs. Like post and beams or girts. Try the command stick on hooks.
90/10 %

[Superbeetle]

Maybe you have no studs. Like post and beams or girts. Try the command stick on hooks.
90/10 %

No it's balloon framed. It just feels like I got expert craftsmen in some areas, and their lazy apprentices in others!

[CS in Low Hud]

My folks have an old farm (the original grant was from 1769). Up until the very late 1800's, the only house on the property was a one room log cabin over the spring, then a larger farmhouse was constructed. My parent's bought the farm from an older couple who had first purchased it in the 1950's.

The elderly wife said that when they just after they purchased the property, a truck drove up, and an old man got out and identified himself as having been a boy in the family that built the farm house. As they were talking, he asked if they were having issues with the plaster falling off the lath, as indeed they were. Apparently the house itself was built by professionals traveling around the county selling their services. They would build the shell, and it was up to the farmer to do the finish work. Well this farmer had put his sons in charge of installing the lath while he was away for a couple of weeks. The old man laughed, and said that, never having installed it before, and wanting to do what they assumed was a good job, he and his brothers butted each piece of lath right up against each other, leaving little room for the plaster to form the necessary "keys." He said that they were scolded for using too much material, but that his father had not realized the long-term problems it would cause.

So perhaps you have a similar situation, as you say: expert craftsmen in some areas, and apprentices in others

Chris

[phil]

stick a coat hanger in the wall and twirl it around "feeling " for studs. sometimes if you drill a bunch of holes in a row you just somehow miss one. maybe a knot or crack fooled you.
Phil

[Mick_VT]

deep sensing stud finder - worth its weight in gold

[phil]

deep sensing stud finder - worth its weight in gold

But keep it hidden from your wife or lady friends