Hit metal when drilling into a wall. What is it?
Hitting an unknown metal obstruction behind drywall leaves people guessing whether they've struck a safe lintel or accidentally ruined a structural stud. Without knowing what is hidden behind the plasterboard, attempting to continue drilling risks damaging crucial building supports or utility lines.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Hit metal when drilling into a wall. What is it?
- 1Using an electric stud finderDid this help you?
- 2Asking the building maintenance person for guidanceDid this help you?
- 3coating a dowel in wood glue and hammering it inDid this help you?
- 4drilling a new hole in the correct spot and ignoring the mistakeDid this help you?
- 5doing nothing and leaving the hole as isDid this help you?
- 6Checking the water meter for movementDid this help you?
- 7Checking for water leaks or listening for running waterDid this help you?
- 8Using a strong magnet to test if the metal is a stud or plateDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I measured out from the wall as best I could to translate where to drill up from the basement to hit the wall cavity, but ended up drilling a 1-3/8 hole directly into the bottom end of one of the studs.”source ↗
“Depth of the hole from the underside of the subfloor is 5-1/4 inches, so it extends about 3 inches into the stud”source ↗
“I’m obviously concerned that I’ve accidentally hit a pipe or cable and don’t want to drill through something I shouldn’t.”source ↗
“I’m stressing myself out that I’ve drilled through and hit a pipe or something equally as dodgy, so any input would be greatly appreciated.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2How to retrieve something dropped down a wall cavity
- 14Unexplained clicking or tapping noises inside the walls
- 7How to anchor heavy shelves or curtain rods in old plaster and lath walls
- 2How to fill a deep concrete void under a slab or wall
- 2Is it safe to use a big jackhammer for DIY demolition without experience?
- 4Crack along ceiling and wall joint