When you purchase your Flow Wall garage storage system, you'll receive the components to install the products. You don't have to be a construction aficionado to hang the panels, cabinets, hooks, etc., properly, you just need a little help. The installation guide will take you through a step-by-step process, ultimately leaving you with a ready-to-use storage system. First, you'll have to find studs in your garage walls where the system will anchor. If you don't secure the wall panels into studs, the system will be less secure. Here's how to find studs in your garage with and without a stud finder: Using a stud finder Stud finders are gadgets you can purchase at a hardware store that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to read the electromagnetic field in your wall. The device displays readings on the field to indicate when a shift has occurred. Additionally, stud finders locate nails within your wall. You will use the device to find the edges of studs. Here's how:
- Turn on the stud finder. Some models only require you to hit a single button to make the device live.
- Place the finder against your wall. Depending on the model, you should see some light indicating that the finder is indeed against a wall.
- Slowly drag the stud finder over the wall. The closer you get to a stud, the more lights the device will illuminate.
- Stop at the beep. Many models emit a beeping noise when they have detected an obstruction. Stop at the point when it screeches, then very slowly drag the finder back and forth to find precisely where the stud begins.
- Verify your discovery by inserting a nail into the wall using a hammer.
- Mark the point with a pencil.
You'll want to find both edges of the stud and mark them. Once you have the edges, you can locate the middle. When prepping your garage to install your wall mount storage, you should find as many studs as possible along the walls where you'll be hanging your system. We recommend you use the stud finder method, as it's the most reliable way to locate secure anchoring points. Using a tape measure When you don't have a stud finder, you'll have to locate your studs using a tape measure and common home construction knowledge. These facts are important for measuring your way to a stud:
- Studs are typically 16 inches apart, on center, horizontally.
- Studs run vertically in the wall (though a few are horizontal).
- There is always a stud in a corner, around a door or window frame, and next to an outlet.
Armed with this information, you can begin your manual search for studs. Here are the steps you should take:
- Locate a corner in your garage.
- Measure 16 inches from the corner and mark your wall.
- Find more studs by measuring another 16 inches from where you placed your last mark.
- Continue this process until you have located all the studs you'll need.
- Verify your discovery by inserting a nail into the wall using a hammer.
Remember, this method finds you the center of each stud. You'll have to measure out from the center mark to find the stud's edges. This can be tricky, as studs can be anywhere from 2 to 6 inches wide. You can also knock on the wall at the 16-inch mark to try and listen for the stud, though this step should not be necessary.
