How to Transfer Wall Stud Location onto Cabinet Backs
Wall Stud Location. This post provides you with the easy way to transfer wall stud location from walls to the back of cabinets without measuring.
The problem with transferring wall stud locations to cabinet backs…
While researching information on how to hang wall cabinets, I noticed there was extensive measuring and re-measuring of wall stud location marks to the backs of cabinets. Traditionally, you would find and mark your studs then transfer those measurements to the cabinet backs. Making sure that you added and subtracted ever so much for the frame and other things on the cabinets.
While I wanted my stud measurements and marks to be spot on for the sake of cabinet security and stability; all that measuring left me feeling a bit nervous. Nervous that my measurements would be skewed somehow or ever-so slightly off meaning that I missed the stud. Scary.
Then I had an idea that was a little messy but accurate and did not require any measuring. Thus, the toothpaste method was born.
I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the exact products I use. For full disclosure statement, click here.
Supplies and Supplies
- Painters tape
- Toothpaste
- Dry Erase Marker
- stud finder
- Drill
- Drill bits
- Level
- Scrap 2×4
The Toothpaste Method for Wall Stud Location Marks Transferring
1. Find and Mark Wall Stud Locations
Use a stud finder mark where all studs are so you know where to secure cabinets. Dry erase marker
work well. They mark clearly and come off cleanly with dish soap and water. Painters tape is also a go-to for marking on walls.
Here, the starting point was marking all the areas that the stud finder pick-up on. Then, I moved onto where the electrical outlet was. Electrical boxes are usually placed to the the left or right of a stud.
Keep in mind…
Wall studs should be evenly spaced per the code in your area. I noted that a my studs are right around 16″ apart and my stud finder confirmed that. I chose the studs to secure cabinets to based on areas that were 16″ apart from each other (starting with the electrical box). Lastly, reconfirming the location with positive identification from the stud finder.
Avoid any “stud” that was wider than what a 2×4 is (because that is risky). Also, each corner of the room will have studs to use as well. Keep that in mind when planning layout of cabinets.
*When locating studs take care to note things like electrical wires, pipes, and vents that may show up as a “stud”.
2. Attach Brace
To help with stud location transfer and cabinet install; attach a brace (scrap wood) to the wall. This is simple to do, secure a 2″x4″ x (length of cabinet area) piece of wood to the wall where the bottom of the cabinet will go. Make sure this scrape wood(brace) is level and secured to studs.
3. Apply Painters Tape
Apply strips of painters tape on the wall at each stud location. Starting at the brace (or bottom of where the cabinet will be) going up the height of the cabinet.
4. Toothpaste Time
Here are where things get interesting (and easy).
Dab toothpaste on each strip of painters tape.
Once, toothpaste is applied to all strips of tape, take the first cabinet that needs stud location marks and balance it on the brace, without the cabinet back touching the wall yet.
Once the cabinet is in the correct location and any positioning adjustments are made, push cabinet straight back into the wall. Press the cabinet firmly into the wall. Then, carefully remove cabinet from the wall/brace ensuring the tooth paste will not smear outside of the correct stud area. On the back of the cabinet the toothpaste should have transferred from the wall to the cabinet in the correct area where the studs will be. Once pushed back into the wall and toothpaste positioning adjustments should not be made as this till skew stud location.
*This is easier to do with two people if you are on the smaller punier side like I am.
5. Drill Pilot Holes
Remove the cabinet form the brace, carefully setting it on a sturdy surface (floor or table). Drill Pilot holes into the cabinet backs where the toothpaste indicated there will be a stud. Use a drill bit 1/32 smaller than the screw size for pilot holes.
6. Clean up
Once all pilot holes are drilled, wipe tooth paste off of the cabinet and remove tooth past painters tape from the wall. Once clean, start all screws in the pilot holes so that you are not struggling to get screws in while balancing a cabinet and yourself on a step ladder.
Install your cabinet and move onto the next cabinet to transfer markings before the next install.
There you have it my friends, the easy no measure way to transfer stud location marks to the backs of cabinets!
Truthfully, the clean-up took a couple minutes, nothing crazy or hard to clean. I hope you find this method of stud location transfer as easy as I did.
Let me know in the comment section below if you have had the opportunity to hang cabinets. What were your thoughts on the project?
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