need help with ceiling mounts

[Flash]

we cannot for the life of us find a joist with the 3 stud finders we have tried. I have to hang a light tonight from my ceiling. the light weighs a good 50lbs...
can anyone give me a suggestion? are there ceiling anchors? I have 2 points to hang, 30" apart. it's a 48" light... I just don't want it to tare down my ceiling.

[Cal_stir]

How old is the house?
Is it a plaster ceiling maybe?
There could be lath behind the plaster which would explain why the stud finder won't work, if so, it would be hard not to hit wood but I would use butterfly anchors in case.

[Flash]

house is 3 years old... we punched a few screw holes and hit nothing....

[gregzz4]

Ya, what year was your home built ?

I'll assume you looked for joists running in both directions ? Ie; north-south and east-west

We have a popcorn ceiling and I had to use a sheet of paper to get the stud finder to work correctly

I don't recommend using anchors in any thickness of drywall for your light. The drywall won't stand up to it long-term
Best info I could find was a rating of up to only 10lbs in 3/4" drywall

[muck]

Trust me... You will want to find the joists for a light that heavy.

[gregzz4]

Is there a ceiling fixture you could take apart to find where the joists are ?

[Flash]

nothing in the area such as a light... and we tired paper, cardboard and still got nothing... I went and picked up a $60 stud finder maybe this one will work... and yes I tried all directions. my basement is 16" centers and they joists run north to south...If I had the option to cut out a small peiece I would... but i'd never get that fixed and the other half is already wanting to murder me!

[Mandosh]

Depending on how thick the drywall is and how much the light weighs, you could go with toggle bolts. I think the tension rating on a 3/8 bolt in 1/2" drywall is somewhere around 50-60lbs.

[ensquire]

Old drywaller here, and I would find the joists or you will eventually have a fixture in your tank. is it a painted ceiling or textured?

[Mandosh]

Originally Posted by ensquire

Old drywaller here, and I would find the joists or you will eventually have a fixture in your tank. is it a painted ceiling or textured?

I never said it was a good option...