Roberto Giannetti, Purchasing Manager of Preston
Hardware, and independently owned retailer in Ottawa,
Canada, agrees.
“The accuracy is what caught my eye, because it is very
important for our DIY and contractor customers to
know where the stud starts and where it stops,” explains
Giannetti. “That way, when they are hanging items on
walls they know exactly where to drill to get the strongest
support for the items they are mounting.”
Improving Accuracy and Ease of Use
Although there is no shortage of stud finders in the
hardware market, traditional units with one or two
sensors may not delineate the location of studs clearly
enough.
These units typically require the user to calibrate the unit
by sliding it from left to right until a stud is identified
by a single LED light and an audible beeping sound.
Additionally, because most traditional stud finders are
vertically oriented, the units sense a narrower segment
of the wall – usually 2-3 inches – and the single LED light
does not show the full width of the stud. Furthermore,
textured walls or even an unsteady hand can cause the
unit to error out and the process re-started again.
As a solution, more advanced units with a greater number
of sensors can more accurately delineate the location of
the stud. Because these units are available in a horizontal
configuration, the sensing area is much wider and can
locate the edge and center of studs simultaneously.
Unlike traditional designs, the units by Franklin Sensors,
a Meridian, Idaho based manufacturer of professional
stud finders, utilize up to 13 sensors. The 7-inch,
horizontally oriented device includes LEDs spaced
across the entire width of the product that illuminate to
show the full width of the stud – usually 3 lights for each
standard 2” x 4”. Studs are shown, as well as any gap
between them.
Giannetti decided to carry the advanced stud finders for
the increased accuracy of the readings
and the improved fastening security it
brings to homes and jobsites, which is
important to his customers.
“With the advanced stud finders, you
know where the stud starts and where
it stops, so you can fasten securely in
the center of the stud,” says Giannetti,
who appreciates how the lit LEDs
denote the full width of the stud.
For Nelson, enhanced accuracy and
ease of use was the deciding factor
in initially splitting a case of the
more advanced stud finders between
Caldwell True Value and a nearby
sister store.
Conventional stud finders typically
require six steps to take a stud reading:
placing it on the wall; pressing a
button; selecting correct mode; waiting
for a calibration beep; sliding it to find
8
NCP Magazine • March ‘19