You can find studs with an electronic stud finder or you can try to find them manually. If you have drywall walls, a stud finder locates studs quickly and accurately. It's less effective on lath / plaster walls, but some have a metal-scanning feature that may locate the nails securing the lath to the studs. Several of the manual methods below are helpful if you have lath / plaster walls.
Whatever method you use for locating studs, make sure you find studs rather than objects such as pipes or conduit. When you suspect you've found a stud, locate multiple points on it to confirm that it runs vertically. Locate several studs and measure between them to confirm they're 16 or 24 inches apart. If you get a different measurement, you've likely located something other than a stud.
Check out the stud finder reviews before buying one for your home.
