How to Locate a Ceiling Beam

If you ever need to hang something from your ceiling, the first step will be to find one of the wooden beams that run within the ceiling. Unfortunately, you can't see beams through the surface of your ceiling, and opening up a view of the framework is very difficult. Rather, you should learn how to find the beams in a ceiling without having to look into it. Fortunately, you can learn how to do this with only common household tools.

Ladder
Hammer
Nails

Instructions

- 1
  Set up your ladder. Make sure that your ladder is stable and that you can easily reach the ceiling.
- 2
  Climb the ladder with your hammer and nails.
- 3
  Lightly tap different spots of the ceiling within your reach.
- 4
  Listen closely to the sound of each tap. Places in your ceiling that are not under a beam will make hollow sounds when you tap them. Places that are under a beam will make a more solid, thudding sound.
- 5
  Verify the beam's location by driving a nail a short distance into the ceiling. If that is the location of the beam, you will feel resistance from the beam after the nail penetrates the surface of the ceiling. If not, the nail will drive in cleanly and easily.
- 6
  Drive in additional nails to determine the width and center of the beam.
- 7
  Remove all the nails that you drove into your ceiling.

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