Questions and Answers for Zircon StudSensor HD70 Stud Finder

A:  Hello. Yes it will find ceiling ceiling joist up to 1 1/2" deep.

A:  Sure. Would just suggest a small test hole after it gets a hit to be 100% sure.

A:  Yes it will.

A:  Yes

A:  You're better off using a strong magnet, sorry.

A:  Good question, so I took my stud finder into the bathroom to try it. I have the Zircon HD70 and have used it for several years around the house. I found that over the tile it wouldn't find a single stud, but it did find where the studs were doubled up, like the outside corner of the wall. I had no luck with it for the single studs. This was a test on sheetrock with tile and not fiber backer board.

A:  Yes it can but it’s not always consistent. I would suggest you verify with a tape measure 16 inches apart to be sure.

A:  I have to say no for this model. There may be a more powerful unit that advertises detection through tile.

A:  Yes it can.

A:  The only thing this will find is the bottom of my trash can.

A:  Will this find studs on tub walls that have 4x4 inch ceramic tiles on it?

A:  No. It couldn’t find a stud if it was lying in the open with nothing around it. Used my daughters $5.00 Stanley that worked better.

A:  Very doubtful as it can barely find a wall stud.

A:  Outstanding best one I’ve ever used, made me throw my other one away

A:  Yes, if you are using it on sheetrock. I don't know if the stud finder can penetrate bathroom tile. It is easy enough to try the stud finder on to of tile to see what happens. John N

A:  This tool is not accurate I ended up putting screws on the side of studs bring it back its crap

A:  Hello JK. Please contact us at 800-245-9265 mon-fri, 8am-5pm PDT and we will trouble shoot your HD70 with you and help you resolve the issue you are having. Thank you.

A:  It sounds like it is defective i would return it

A:  Great stud finder. Finds leading edge and middle of th stud. Don’t forget to by a 9 volt battery. Great price too.

A:  Return Your Item to your local store and request and exchange. I have the same unit and it works as advertised.

A:  Hello Alex, As long as the texture isn't as heavy as something like stucco then you should be okay. A slightly raised or rough texture shouldn't interfere with the stud finder. I hope this helps. Cheers, Chris

A:  It'll get you close, but it isn't perfect. If you stay in the center, you should be alright.

A:  No it had a hard time on normal things

A:  This stud finder has a deep scan feature which doubles the scanning depth to 1 1/2". However, if the walls are lath and plaster, you will need a stud finder with metal scan mode. I suggest watching this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txFmPUj7wf4

A:  Hello Alex. The L70 has no problems scanning over textured drywall. If the texture is very heavy and is make scanning difficult use a thin piece of cardboard or a manila envelope to scan through. Thank you.

A:  Replacing the battery may help, I believe it is a 9 volt.

A:  Replace the battery

A:  I would try new battery, if it doesn't work then you need call tech support to get it replace.

A:  I have the same item, and although I find it's not accurate 100% of the time, it performs correctly at least 80% or the time I have used it. I'm happy with that because it's so much better and faster than my old one. The first thing I would suggest is to put a fresh, new, battery in it. Some of the things I found while using it is that it must be dead still when pushing the test button, and tight against the wall or ceiling. Then moved slowly sideways carefully keeping it tight against the surface. When it gave me false readings I moved it up or down, and run the test again. I found sometimes nails interfered, or more so, those metal straps placed on the stud to protect plumbing or wiring that passes through the studs from nails or screws. I found one trouble spot where blocking had been placed between the studs for a sink installed on the other side of an interior wall. Hidden things like those are why it can give you confusing readings.

A:  Hello. Please contact us so we can troubleshoot with you. Regardless of the issue, we will do everything possible to resolve the problem for you. We offer toll free support by phone (800 245 9265) during normal business hours Mon. thru Fri. 8:00am to 5:00pm PST. We also maintain a 24/7 interactive online knowledge base and email support that can be found on the Zircon website. Thank you.

A:  Hello. Unfortunately the inconsistencies in density caused by air gaps under the surround make it very difficult for a StudSensor to calibrate properly and will causes inaccurate and false readings. The Studsensors that can work in this situation are the HD800 or HD900 as long as there is drywall or some other material under the surround that is attached to the studs. These tools have a metal scan mode that allows you to locate the nail or screw heads holding the drywall to the studs thus locating the studs. There are instructions and videos on our website that explain how to locate the nail heads. Thank you.

A:  I haven't tried that yet but in did work on a 1" thick plaster wall.

A:  No bad product.

A:  I haven't specifically done that installation but the deep scan feature should work for that.

A:  I seriously doubt it. I had trouble locating studs through a heavy sheetrock texture.

A:  Hello Steve. In general, Zircon StudSensors are not recommended for outdoor use. Outdoor stucco construction often if not always involves wire mesh and varying insulation materials. This makes using the electrical depth scanning technology in our StudSensors unusable. If you can scan and identify the wall studs from the interior side of the wall, you can possibly use a window or door to measure the distances and transfer your measurements to the exterior side.Thank you

A:  I did not test this but yes, it should. You can lay a piece of paper over stucco to allow you to slide stud finder along path. As long as the total thickness is under 2 inches you should be able to catch the stud.

A:  I had trouble through thick sheetrock texture. I would be highly surprised if it worked through stucco but can't say for sure.

A:  This one does do a deepscan. Just press the power button on and let go right away and then press and hold and it should show it is doing a deep scan. Stucco isn't that deep, but if it has a metal mesh in it then it might throw it off or give it a false reading. I had a small piece of drywall and a small roll of wire mess and tried it and when it got to the mess it read it as a stud.

A:  Haven't ttrid that surface yet.

A:  Hello Rose. StudSensors are unable to calibrate properly through plaster walls and as a result are unable to identify studs. The best way to locate studs behind lath and plaster walls is to use a tool with metal detection capability to find the nails holding the lath to the studs. The HD800 and HD900 both have metal finding mode which would accomplish this. You can find an explanation of the metal finding mode and information on how to use it on the Zircon website. Thank you.

A:  NO!

A:  Yes it should work on plaster walls. Watch for a strong or high signal strength to get the best at detecting through thicker walls.

A:  Yes

A:  I believe the next version up (the upgrade) it intended for metal studs (not sure about aluminum). I will go test it out on my trailer and see. But I do not believe this version works on metal studs.

A:  I have used it many times for metal studs.

A:  It will locate metal studs. It's not a metal scanner however. It locates studs by detecting clear changes in density. So, it doesn't matter what they're made of. I hooe this is clear and helpful. Thanks

A:  Yes worked on 5/8 drywall.

A:  Sorry, I haven't tried it on what you describe for your needs. The results from it should give you good clues of what's behind your wall covering, but in the final you will probably have to probe. The devices results should help you keep that to a minimum.

A:  Yes it did fined metal studs on 5/8 drywall.

A:  NO. You need a metal detector type stud finder for that

A:  If you drill an 8th inch pilot hole the screws provided with penetrate the metal stud. and lock it into place.

A:  I don't have metal studs to test it .

A:  Steal studs for sure I was able to find them with no problem. As it is a density detection system I think it needs a reasonably thick wall to detect a difference in the wall density that allows it to say stud or no stud, a trailer wall may not be thick enough for the device to detect such a difference especially with the outer trailer shell being metal, think it will get confused in such a case. Just my guess. It certainly detects wires well in a standard house wall.