The mirror hangs from a single strap, and is heavy enough that whatever I use needs to go into the stud.I know that the water pipe is there, running along the side of the stud. I have tried using a stud finder, and there appears to be a gap in the stud – I assume the break between the stud and the pipe. But I still can't tell which side is pipe and which is stud. Because the strap hangs well above the mirror, I don't want to go poking around in the drywall if I can avoid it as this will leave an unsightly mess. Help, please!
Plumbing – hang a mirror above a vanity, with plumbing running down alongside the stud. How to make sure I hit the stud, and not the pipe
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Related Solutions
I've had to use one a couple of times, and haven't had any problems with it marking the toilet. The auger is flexible, so it's going to bend before you damage the porcelain... that is, unless you're using a lot more force than you should be. IME, the clog is softer than the porcelain: the auger will take the path of least resistance through the clog, so you just need to apply enough pressure to keep the bit moving forward.
More instructions for using one are on about.com, ehow.com and acmehowto.com.
Maybe there was a drywall patch and this is a back brace?
From your description, it appears that trimming this piece will do no harm (and a lot of good).
The easiest method is to use a multitool.
There are numerous good brands, and they come with a variety of blades and other attachments.
These versatile tools make cutting, sanding grinding in tight spaces much easier. They vibrate their blades and other attachments very rapidly in short strokes from side to side. If you buy one, you will be surprised how often is it the easiest way to do a job (e.g., trimming the bottom of door jambs to insert engineered floor boards).
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Best Answer
Use the stud finder across a wider swath of wall. Using a pencil, removable tape, or other method mark the edges of every stud you can find, including the possible edges where the mirror should hang. Measure the spacing of several studs. Do you find two or three that are spaced the same - 16 inches, perhaps? Builders like to place the studs with consistent spacing.
Does one of the "maybe a stud, maybe a pipe" markings follow the spacing pattern you observed with the other studs? If so, that's where your stud is.
You could also look inside the vanity. The pipe emerges from the wall in there, right? Measure how far it is to some reference like an adjoining wall. The pipe will probably go straight up from there, so you can use the same measurement up at mirror level to identify where the stud isn't.