Most of the time, stud finders are sufficient to tell you what’s behind some drywall since most drywall just has 2×4 wood studs behind it. But what if you’re still unsure of what’s really behind some drywall. Here’s a simple way to visually peek behind drywall without making a mess or giving yourself a lot of work.
1. Get a borescope inspection camera
I have this one and I think it’s good.
2, Drill a one-inch hole in your drywall.
You can use a 1″ spade bit.
3. Stick your inspection camera through the hole
You should now be able to see what’s behind the wall.
4. Prepare to patch the hole
Get some joint compound and a joint knife.
5. Spread the joint compound over the hole
Some compound may ooze out the back. That’s okay.
6. Wait 24 hours and add more compound
7. If necessary, repeat step 6 again
8. Sand, (texturize?), and paint
Note: When the joint compound dries, it will become very hard, and you can probably stick a nail or screw in it to hang something. For a one-inch hole, to keep things simple, I didn’t use any joint tape, and this method worked just fine without it.