Can't find ceiling joists, please help!

Solya started this discussion · 6/30/2010

So, I want to put up my new pole in my room but I totally can't find the joists in the ceiling 🤔 I have a stud detector and I ran it across the whole ceiling basically, and it just beeps continuously. It's on the lowest possible setting (where it only detects stuff very close by) and it still doesn't stop beeping wherever I move it. Am I doing something wrong? I tried knocking on the ceiling but I just can't hear the difference. I live in the UK in a relatively new-looking red brick house, does anyone know how far apart the joists are and what ceilings are made of? I can't hammer nails into the ceiling or something like that to test it out because it's rented accommodation and the landlord will tear my head off if I do that. Please help!

6 replies

loopielou · 7/1/2010
Those stud finders are about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. I live in a really old terrace so the joists, etc. are probably different. Mine run from the front of the house to the back. If I put my xpole dome up between two joists, it would have it's edges on both of them (if that give you an idea of how far apart they are). I did resort to getting the thinnest nail I could find and just putting tiny holes in the ceiling to get where the joist was. Then I put a piece of wood under my xpole dome to ensure the weight was distributed evenly (and so I didn't damage the ceiling as I have left a ring on the ceiling before now). That's probably of no use to you whatsoever. Have got to say, you would need to get a ladder and go up and inspect the ceiling really careful to find the three holes I have put up there so I don't know if your landlord would spot them or not. Hope you manage to get it up soon 🙂
Veena · 7/1/2010
Sounds like you may have a plaster ceiling. A stud finder wont work then.
loopielou · 7/1/2010
Ooooooh - is that why they don't work 🙂 Didn't know that. I have a plaster ceiling so that would explain things 😀
amy · 7/1/2010
there's a difference between plaster and lathe (where a studfinder won't work because you have a layer of thin wood slats screwed to the studs, and the studfinder can't see through them) and a layer of skimcoat plaster on sheetrock with regular wood or metal studs. that being said, i think studfinders are complete crap. they have never worked for me, and i dont know anyone in construction that actually uses one. if you have plaster and lathe construction in your ceilings, my understanding is that you can't mount an xpole unless you are able to get above your ceiling (in the attic or something) and actually see where the ceiling joists are located, and place your pole directly underneath one of them. in the US studs are typically 16" apart, and either 16" or 24" for ceilings. your best bet is to locate a ceiling fixture or measure from a wall in increments of 16" till you get close to where you want to put your pole... and do the same from an adjacent wall (because you can't be sure which direction the studs are running) and then, where the two lines intersect, start making tiny nail holes (use a finishing nail, the kind that you use to hang picture frame hooks) or use a very very fine drill bit until you hit a stud. i thought i remembered reading somewhere that studs are closer together in the UK and that you can center the dome under two studs? but i'm not sure. sorry, but there's no science to it. good luck!
litlbit · 7/1/2010
Studs/stringers (studs if there's a floor above the ceiling, stringers if there is an attic/roof) I have done construction and they are spaced every 16 inches in the US. Once you find out which way they are running then you can measure out from a wall.
Solya · 7/1/2010
Thanks so much for the input guys 🙂 I might have found a joist (there's a line on the ceiling lol) so I'll just put my pole up and pray that it doesn't demolish the house 😛 It's not an X-pole btw so God knows what the top dome will do to the ceiling. Considering that I've been craving for my own pole for more than a year, I don't even care.