Stud work: Is there a standard width?

[Lupa Monkey]

It's actually lath and plaster walls I'm enquiring about. Reason being, I need to fix a rather heavy towel radiator to an inside wall and the weight of it will probably bring down the lath and plaster (the 'orrible black type )!!

My plan is to locate the studs and position some horizontal battens (which I am going to t&g over) to fix the radiator to. But how the heck do I find where the studs are? I have one of these so called stud finders but can't seem to get it to work properly.

This is probably a 'how long is a piece of string' question but Is there a standard width for stud work with lath and plaster walls?

 

[Nige F]

18 inches

 

[Lupa Monkey]

Thank you

 

[ColJack]

16 inches, that's why some tape measures have markings every 16 inches..

plasterboard is 8' x 4', or it used to be.. so 16" centers would be 0", 16", 32", and 48".

18" would be 0", 18", 36" and 54" = board end drops mid way between studs...

 

[Lupa Monkey]

That's why I mentioned that it was a lath and plaster wall built before plasterboard was invented I thought the distance between studs might've been different back then


So they didn't space them out 18" then as mentioned by Nige F?

 

[ColJack]

no way to be certain..

the only way to find them is a fine drill bit and a series of holes at around the 16 and 18 inch marks from a stud already found.. ( the drill will "drop" into the void once through the lath, if it's still going into something then its either a stud.... or a pipe..

 

[JohnD]

You may only need to drill one hole, then poke a bit of stiff wire through and feel about.

Can't you hear the studs when you tap the wall with your knuckles?

 

[Lupa Monkey]

Tried that JohnD but it sounds the same all the way across.

I'll have to do a few excavational (is that a word?) holes to be sure.

Thanks everyone

 

[ColJack]

exploritory holes...

 

[JohnD]

exploratory?