Hanging a Hangboard Help - No Studs in Wall

Hi everyone, I'm a bit confused about this whole situation.

I'm trying to hang a hangboard. I have it mounted to a piece of 2"x8" which is cut to about 42" long since the plan was to hang it above a doorway which is shorter than that. I assumed the doorway would be framed by studs, but upon drilling around a little... It's not. I've drilled a hole every 1/2-1" along the top of the sides of the door and there's definitely no studs.

I'm not sure, but I also think maybe these are lath and plaster walls since it's def not drywall I'm working with here. When I drilled the holes I would typically drill in for about a half inch or so, then I'd hit something that felt more solid, and then I'd drill through that for a short distance, maybe a quarter inch, until the bit then just pushed through.

I started drilling holes when I had trouble tapping in finishing nails to test for the studs. 

Any help or ideas? I'm a little blown away that you can hang a door without studs on either side. I've tried to drill a few holes on a different door frame, same deal.

Wow, you really did that! Crazy.

That is absolutely not how one locates studs. I'm just glad you didn't drill into any wires.

With your level of carpentry skill/knowledge, I'd strongly recommend using one of these instead: https://www.blankslateclimbing.com/product-category/combo-sets/ There are other similar and cheaper options that hang in a door frame with no installation necessary.

I'm sorry, I'm really not trying to be too critical...but wow.

I've had success in similar situations with mounting the hang board to a larger piece of wood like plywood, etc and then mounting that way to the wall. Typically the force you are going to put on it is mostly downward in nature which drywall is fairly strong in.

Apartment? I have seen some funny stuff in apartment construction. Just get a stud detector. 

It could be light gauge steel studs, but even then there is usually a wood king stud or trimmer by a door (but not always) How old is the building? Has it beeen remodeled? When?

Edit: Think about it: there has to be something holding the wall up. Usually, in the US, that is some kind of stud. It could be something like Rastra block, or a SIPs panel, but that is highly unlikely on an interior wall. Even a SIPs panel should have 2x fillers at the openings.

Are you 100% sure you are hitting open air with the bit and/or finish nail?

Drill baby drill.

That is quite odd...never encountered that before.  There should at least be a top plate(horizontal) at the top of your wall.  Check for that and you can mount off of that.  I would probably put a horizontal 2x6 on that top plate and then mount two vertical 2x4s down to the front of your 2x8.  Make sure you see where the bottom of that top plate is and ensure you have enough to work with, and even angle the screws upward a bit through the horizontal 2x, so as to grab a bit more of the top plate.  If you wanted a bit of extra safety/support, run the vertical 2x4s all the way to the floor.  ...or best option, find another door that has studs. 
Good luck and good training!

^Hey not the way I typically search for studs but what he has shown is fairly common so not what I would call "crazy".....

Roots wrote: ^Hey not the way I typically search for studs but what he has shown is fairly common so not what I would call "crazy".....

I’m a professional carpenter, and I often use the “poke around with an awl” method when the holes will later be covered with trim. Like when installing baseboard.

I appreciate everyone getting a kick out of this. I don't claim to be an expert, but I know enough to know there should have been a stud there. I've successfully hung a hangboard in a similar manner before, although that time there was a stud right where I was expecting it to be and I didn't have to do this much work. I don't mind buying a stud finder, but I didn't see the need when there should have been a stud there. I guess I will go buy one now, although I've heard that they aren't super useful on these lath and plaster walls due to the inconsistent densities. 

In any case, I'm attempting to forego purchasing an extra 200$ thing to hang off the door frame.

This an old apartment building that's most likely been redone at some point, but I have no idea how old or when it was redone.

And yeah, it's def just pushing into open air after about 3/4" of drilling. I agree there has to be something there, just not sure where it should be. 

so....
No, a stud finder is less than optimal in lathe and plaster. IE, don't work.
Here is an idea;
On the hinge side of the door frame drill a hole into the jam (parallel to the door if it was closed) you might have to go 3" (jam, firing, air, stud) and find the damn stud! The door has to be hung on something. Now measure over that distance, add 3/4" (half a standard stud width) and you should, i say should, have a stud center. Do the same on the receiver jam (the non-hinged side) and you might find the stud.
Keep the hole in the jam small, you can fill it with calk, paste, gum, whatever. Common on non bearing walls to have no jacks (short studs) above the doors.
Good luck!

Muscrat- In any case it seems there is no stud above the door at all, otherwise I would have hit it when I was drilling around, no?

s.price wrote: Is it truly a door or just an opening?

Could just be an opening. It doesn't have a door hung on it currently, but there used to be some sort of door here. When I was still tapping around with nails I tried to find a stud on a different door frame and there didn't seem to be anything there either. 

I may just have to buy a stud finder and hope it works. 

You might try setting a piece of 1/2" plywood (same size as the hang board) on the molding above the door.  Drill holes just slightly smaller than the biggest molly bolt you can find, perhaps 6 of them at 1/2"  X 2+"   Then mount the plywood.  Then drill out the space on the hang board to match the molly bolt nut heads.  Now lag bolt in the hang board with lengths substantial enough to maximize width and with just enough length to get through the dry wall.  The holes can be patched and painted if you move and will not show if done well.

I had the exact same problem that you described, and no stud finder will not work in this situation. Using 4 inches screw solved the problem but watch out for wires.

Alexander Stathis wrote: Muscrat- In any case it seems there is no stud above the door at all, otherwise I would have hit it when I was drilling around, no?

ummm....i think i addressed that in post. Not uncommon to have NO STUDS ABOVE DOORS

Sorry for shouting. And the frame has to, i mean must be there, have a stud. There is no physical way to have drywall or L&P let alone a door without framing. It's there, just need to persevere in finding it.
I for one would not trust mollies holding my hang board. Lord knows lateral shear in drywall  is high, but the on and off wiggle over time....rrrrrrrippp.
.
$.0002

Goulet Goulet wrote: I had the exact same problem that you described, and no stud finder will not work in this situation. Using 4 inches screw solved the problem but watch out for wires.

How did using longer screws solve the problem.

I may attempt what Muscrat suggested. I guess I assumed the doorway would have studs framing the outside of them that ran from floor to ceiling, but I guess it's possible that they just framed the outside of the opening and no more. 

Get some spackle and fill in those holes... then get one of these https://www.walmart.com/ip/CAP-Strength-Power-Rack/39603695 and mount your hangboard on it. Or construct something out of wood that is freestanding but leans against your doorway. 

Mark Griffin wrote: Get some spackle and fill in those holes... then get one of these https://www.walmart.com/ip/CAP-Strength-Power-Rack/39603695 and mount your hangboard on it. Or construct something out of wood that is freestanding but leans against your doorway. 

i would guess the answer to that is

?

plywood and c clamps

Molly bolts will solve your problem.  Something like this but in the biggest size you can fit through the hangboard:

https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-16-inch-3-inch-Thread-Spring/dp/B072J8GLJV/ref=asc_df_B072J8GLJV/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198090549813&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14071716016969955933&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9060325&hvtargid=pla-551916553912&psc=1

I have a house that's part framed and part lath and plaster. When you drilled through the walls was it HARD to get through? Because lath and plaster generally puts up a fight. If that's what it is you can just mount your backboard for the hangboard right into the lath and plaster using toggle bolts that get behind the lath.