[Shop-talk] Stud finder - squeaky floor

[Eric J Russell]

> But where are the joists?

I am not aware of a stud finder that'd work through all that mass. If you're 
willing to drill a 1/4" to 3/8" hole, you can make a U shaped locator out of 
stiff wire (like piano wire). Make the two legs equal length and a little 
longer than 1/2 the distance between the joists.Make the bottom of the U 
longer than the thickness of the flooring & subflooring.

Maneuver one of the legs though the hole. The wire must be stiff enough to 
return to the original U shape once tucked inside the joist cavity. Rotate 
the free leg until the leg inside the cavity touches the edge of a joist. 
The free leg will show you where that edge is located.

Eric Russell
Mebane, NC