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Home Decorating The Old House DIY

I'm trying to hang some shelves in my office & I have plaster walls

4 years ago

I'm trying to hang some shelves in my office & I have plaster walls. The house was built in 1925 so I'm having issue using a stud finder to find the studs what do you think the spacing is for the studs?

Comments (3)

kudzu9
4 years ago
Get a better stud finder. Zircon makes several decent models in the $20-30 range; they have a standard and a "deep stud" setting, which can be useful for plaster walls. I just used one to mount a heavy oak stair railing in a house with plaster walls. The stud spacing I encountered was 16" in most locations, but varied, and sometimes there were double studs; I would have missed a number of studs if I counted on consistent spacing. Once I located a stud, I put a piece of masking tape in the location and marked what appeared to be the edges. Later, after I had them all marked, I used a 1/16" bit to drill several tiny holes at each location to make sure there was actually a stud there and where the center was. If your brackets don't cover the little holes, it's a trivial matter to spackle them.
Bruce in Northern Virginia
4 years ago
If it turns out to be too difficult to find the studs, I suggest trying some of these fasteners. https://www.homedepot.com/p/FLIPTOGGLE-FlipToggle-1-4-in-20-x-2-1-2-in-Plus-Bolts-25-Piece-425M/310266136 You drill a 1/2" hole in the wall and push the metal brace and plastic link back into the hole. Then pull the plastic link toward you and it will pull the metal brace up into place where it lines up with the hole in the wall. Then insert the screw and tighten.

This type of fastener is sold in a lot of different package sizes (number of bolts), at least two brands, and a few different diameters. This ones I linked to are supposed to handle up to 3" depth for the wall, which I think should be enough for a plaster and lath wall.

Bruce
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The one I go to is also Cherished Possessions! I got my antique pine Irish corner cupboard there (it came from Mulberry House) and also my beloved Chinoiserie ladies desk in the LR. I think they USED to be a lot better than they are now, so I seldom go there. Yes, the one on Riverside holds nothing for me, either, as it seems to have lots of BIG (ugly, IMO) things for houses larger that ours. eBay and Craigslist are my faithful companions. I check both each day. I can't wait to finish re-doing the old CL $30 pine cottage bureau I got last year above Farmington and get it in here to hold my TV! Come April, when she re-opens, check out the Mustard House in Buxton on Rt 22. (1420 Long Plains Rd, # 929-8558). She has some antiques and beautiful vintage looking accessories. I got my faux berries etc for fall and winter mantles from her. Would you believe that since I so seldom even walk through my dining room that I forgot I had this antique Ogee clock with pheasants on it?? An eBay treasure. Needless to say, I'll be hanging it above my sewing machine as soon as I finish work today. My sister is lusting after the print that I have there now from a Sturbridge Yankee Workshop sale years ago. Here is the bureau. I have touched up one drawer and will do the rest when I can get it outside so I can see the graining well. Pic is from the ad on CL. Before After
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I have this very same situation happening to me all the time at work. Only I'm the quiet one. There are two people in two different offices near mine, one male and one female, who both have what I call "strident" voices. They, as you say, project very well. Their voices are loud and strong, particularly when they are on the phone. The noise is quite disrupting and distracting to me. I haven't had the nerve to close their doors. I wish I did. When they are really really ticking me off, I finally get up and close my door, tune in soft music on my computer, and/or turn on my tiny heater/fan. All to mask their noise. And fume to myself that they have the ability to bother me like that. It's gotten so bad that I have to force myself to be civil to one of them. She just irks me so, especially when she is working on her computer and talking to someone on the phone via the speakerphone option. Augghhhh! That really drives me nuts because then she talks even louder. In a small way, I sympathize with you because you say you just speak loud naturally and don't mean to offend. On the other hand, since you have become aware that it apparently bothers others, I suggest that you investigate every option available to minimize the disturbance you create.
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Benjesbride, where does she lose the 2"? It appears that she is not aware of the loss. Rebeccamomof123, are you pulling permits to do the work, or do you live in an area where the city/town/county inspectors are going to become aware of the work and expect to come in and inspect it? Or is your area more like where I live and anything short of an addition is something that no one will notice and that inspectors don't drop in when workmen are around unless it is really obvious that a big job is being done? The reason I ask is that your clearance for the toilet-to-tub distance is right on the edge of being okay. Some towns will not let you get that close. If you could get inspected by the code enforcement officer, or if you are doing this with permits, you need to draw this up and get it approved before assuming it is going to be approved. If you need to steal back a couple of inches to make it fit, one option is a wall-hung toilet. Your contractor opens up the wall behind your toilet and puts the tank and flushing works inside the wall (not the stuff you have, it is custom made for this purpose) and then the toilet part actually hangs off the wall and never touches the floor. It is much nicer for cleaning. All of Europe has been doing it this way for years, I hear. http://www.geberitnorthamerica.com/en_us/target_groups/enduser/products_enduser/toilets_2/concealed_systems_1/for_toilets_1.html
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kudzu9
4 years ago
Bruce-

Those are good fasteners, and I know they are supposed to handle a lot of weight. My preference is always to find the studs, but I think your hardware suggestion is fine as long as the OP doesn't heavily load the shelves...at least with books ;-)

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