# Help finding stud through vinyl siding of exterior wall



## raggedsweater (Jun 11, 2017)

I'm having trouble finding the studs through the exterior of our home. The walls are vinyl sided and I prefer not to have to lift it up. The purpose is to anchor window boxes directly to studs on 2nd floor of the home.

I tried locating the studs from the inside. There is a power outlet beneath the window, so I know where that stud is. I drilled from the outside and tried to insert a 3 inch screw to see if it bites wood, but it keeps spinning. Even angling the screw to the right and left of the hole does not seem to find anything.

Please help. The home was is a split entry, raised ranch built in 2012. I figure it should be standard construction with 16 inches between the studs.

Thanks.


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## ront02769 (Nov 28, 2008)

There should be a stud on each side of that window...maybe an inch and a half out from the inner part of the window frame.


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## ktmrider (Apr 3, 2017)

get yourself a siding tool and lift the siding up and look for studs and the rest should be on 16" center


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

ront02769 said:


> There should be a stud on each side of that window...maybe an inch and a half out from the inner part of the window frame.


Actually, there should be two pieces at each side of the window, a cripple and a stud and very likely a sill cripple on the inside of the window opening. That makes a decent target for the window box screws as long as the boxes are wider than the windows.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

To the best of my knowledge we won't see a stud by lifting siding unless the house was built about 1925. If that's true and I wanted to hit a stud close to dead center I'd probably make myself about a 6" long 3/32" diameter drill bit, locate a stud from inside and bore a hole from inside out next to the stud. Then on the outside if I moved over 3/4" the correct direction that would be stud center.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

SeniorSitizen said:


> To the best of my knowledge we won't see a stud by lifting siding unless the house was built about 1925. If that's true and I wanted to hit a stud close to dead center I'd probably make myself about a 6" long 3/32" diameter drill bit, locate a stud from inside and bore a hole from inside out next to the stud. Then on the outside if I moved over 3/4" the correct direction that would be stud center.


Being you are working in the proximity of electric power, after boring through the dry wall, with the drill motor off, push the bit in to about 2-1/4" depth. If you detect resistance at that point there is a possibility the bit has bumped Romex and it's time to go to plan B.


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## raggedsweater (Jun 11, 2017)

Thanks for everyone's help. Beneath the vinyl siding is a water barrier, so I didn't think lifting the vinyl would be very helpful.

I was very discouraged yesterday, but I kept going back and forth. I told myself there's no way that I didn't hit the stud with the outlet on it. I went back and took a longer drill bit and kept going. I'm pretty sure I finally hit something. A few observations:

1) The test screw was 3 inches... with the vinyl siding and everything else behind it, it's possible that it just didn't reach. I found a 6 inch long bolt that was smaller than the pilot hole. I used it to probe. I tried drove it in and it definitely hit something beyond the length of the pilot hole. 

2) I noticed that the test screw I was using was a self tapping screw, so I thought that it's possible that because I also drilled a pilot hole I couldn't feel it going into wood.

3) Now I 

3) I decided to go for it. I used a 1/4" drill bit, much longer than what I was using for a pilot and created a path for my lag bolts. They went in and bit into something at the end. I attached the window box.

Now I'm still a bit worried. I shouldn't have used a 1/4" drill bit... in my frustration, I ignored the fact that I was using 3/8 lag bolts... so the thread barely catched onto the wood. I'm worried now that weight will pull the box out of the wall. 

I have two options - I can either find thicker or longer lag bolts (the ones I used were 3 1/2 inches, not sure if they are long enough) or I can assume they are long enough and use some glue and pressure treated shimmies (I'll just make some) and insert them to created a tighter fit.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Test your 3/8" lag in a scrap 2x4 with a 1/4" hole. I have doubts you can pull it out if it's only screwed in an inch.


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## ktmrider (Apr 3, 2017)

you will have a stud on one side of the box, take the receptual cover off and look in and see what side its on,then measure over from the edge of the window then go outside and measure over from the window


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## raggedsweater (Jun 11, 2017)

That's what I did, which is why I did not believe I did not hit the stud.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

if the house was built in 2012.. it will more than likely have osb sheathing.. vinyl siding shouldnt be nailed just into osb it should be into the studs...

all you have to do is unlock the siding and see where the nails are..


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