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freeman
Junior Member
Joined: 20 Feb 2007
Posts: 10
Location: East Kilbride, Scotland
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 Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:59 pm Post subject: Ceiling Question |
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| What's the best way to find a ceiling joist? I've got an electronic stud detector, is that the best thing to use? |
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ultimatehandyman
Site Admin
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 9740
Location: Darwen, Lancashire
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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You can often find them this way as the nails or screws that hold up the sheets are metal. They are often 18m inches apart, but could be more.
If you find the first one and then measure between that one and the next one then you will have the measurement for the joist spacing 
Or you can lift the carpet in the room above and measure the distance between the screws or nails holding down the floorboards.
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Gadget
Jack Of All Trades
Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 3557
Location: Whitley Bay
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry to correct you Chez, but the joists will be 16" apart, or near!!....18 meters is one hell of space!!.... 
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petengade
Member
Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 72
Location: Sussex
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:57 am Post subject: |
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| I normaly tap the plaster board ceiling with a hammer and where solid (does not sound hollow) is the joist, then bang a 2inch nail in a little to find the width then find the centre and go 16in centres, on lath and plaster hit a little harder to find the joist. |
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panlid
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2006
Posts: 3536
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 6:26 am Post subject: |
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have a look in the ceiling  |
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petengade
Member
Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 72
Location: Sussex
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:00 am Post subject: |
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In a top floor flat with a flat roof? I didn't think of that  |
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panlid
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2006
Posts: 3536
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:20 am Post subject: |
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| ok i'll be serious. normally you will find a joist at the edge of a ceiling. use a small drill to find which edge. then as stated before have a look at 16 inch centres. you wont be far out. depends if you are replastering or not. also as stated before you can normally tap with a hammer and find the solid sound of a joist. stud finders are ok if a good one. if not it is as much use as a dildo in a morgue. |
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petengade
Member
Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 72
Location: Sussex
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:37 am Post subject: |
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Nice turn of phrase  Have found in the past joist's are not always at the edge of a ceiling when stud walls have been erected, 2inch nail quicker than a drill, can always put the nail back in my pocket. |
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big-all
Pro Carpenter
Joined: 16 Dec 2006
Posts: 2775
Location: redhill surrey an auld reekie laddie
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:58 am Post subject: |
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just keep in mind any" odd inches " will be lost at one side or the other so the next joist mat be an odd amount away from the first so if you can locate the second it should be even spacing from that point
also some measuring tapes have diamonds /dots or squares marked on them for marking out
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panlid
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2006
Posts: 3536
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| petengade wrote: |
| Nice turn of phrase Have found in the past joist's are not always at the edge of a ceiling when stud walls have been erected, 2inch nail quicker than a drill, can always put the nail back in my pocket. |
so is this a room that is in the middle of the house and not joining an outside wall?
no..... at the moment i am thinking of every room in my house and everyone except the cupboard under the stairs is connected to an outside wall..
as for the nail versus drill decision. use whatever you want. i only use a drill because have you ever tried knocking a nail through a lathe and plaster ceiling to find a joist? it may not but sometimes does create cracking if you hit the lathe.
but hey ho ill let you find that out yourself one day
oh sorry, do i insert a wink here? |
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bathstyle
BATHROOM DESIGN AND INSTALLATION
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 796
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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How on earth is nailing a ceiling quicker than drilling it to find a joist?
I either use a drill from below or hop into the loft and drill a hole either side of each joist, then snap a chalkline on from below. |
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petengade
Member
Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 72
Location: Sussex
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| Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Had to fire board a lot of ceilings and corridors, and hang one hour fire doors, not just one bathroom, so found nail quicker than keep picking up and putting down a drill, have retired now Panlid. sorry if wink annoyed you. (but still not too old to learn) |
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panlid
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2006
Posts: 3536
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| Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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no worries peter. more than one way to skin a cat.
by the way, you wink all you want . by the way, is a past wink a w*nk?  |
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jason123
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Dec 2006
Posts: 1239
Location: Stellaville
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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I found mine in a local timber merchants, you can find them in yellow pages.
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petengade
Member
Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 72
Location: Sussex
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| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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| A cat or a w*nk or 2inch nails you found in Yellow pages Jason? |
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