What is going on behind this wall?

[Geertsen]

I would like to put a 65” TV on this wall but it’s causing me a bit of a problem. The wall is plasterboard so it’s either a stud wall or dot & dab. I have run a magnet over the wall and there are strong magnetic areas all over the wall with no discernible stud formation so I cannot work out where to drill.

I used a Franklin stud finder on the wall and it goes haywire which makes me think it’s not a stud wall. But why all the nails/screws??

This is the wall:



The red dots are the magnetic areas (nails or screws I’m guessing), the green dots would be the corners of the TV, the blue circle is the magnet I used:



The wall is concave at the centre (when a long spirit level is held against the wall horizontally at waist height there is a 10mm gap from the wall to spirit level straight edge).

[smokey mow]

If you take one of the sockets off the wall it should be much easier to work out if the wall is dot and dab or stud work.

[Geertsen]

smokey mow said:

If you take one of the sockets off the wall it should be much easier to work out if the wall is dot and dab or stud work.

That’s actually a brilliant idea!

[Geertsen]

I should also probably add, it’s the only plasterboard wall in the house. Which makes me wonder further what it’s hiding.

[Acuity31]

Drill an inspection hole and use an endoscope

[5s Alive]

Geertsen said:

smokey mow said:

If you take one of the sockets off the wall it should be much easier to work out if the wall is dot and dab or stud work.

That s actually a brilliant idea!

That's what I did, removed the socket and back box. There was sufficient wiring to enable pulling it out of the way. There was then enough room to use a small inspection mirror and torch, or alternatively, an endoscope as above.