Suspend child's swing from ceiling

Pending

Can anyone advise on the best way to do this and what sort of fixings to use?

It's a 2 point yoga hammock type swing, and we are considering a single fix climbing rope also.

I have access to the ceiling joists in the attic space above where I want to hang the stuff, but I'm not sure what to use. Any suggestions?

Victor

What does the manufacturer say?

Do not cut or drill the top or bottom edges of the joists - only drill mid-height on the joist.

Ideally, you want to avail of more than one joist.

Zebbedee

Victor wrote: »

Do not cut or drill the top or bottom edges of the joists - only drill mid-height on the joist.

I can understand not drilling into the bottom edge of the joist.
But why not the top edge? Would it not provide more support?
Or simply wrap cable/rope around the whole joist or joists?

Rancid

A suitably strong length of wood (or metal) long enough to span 2 or more joists in the attic, loop a strong chain around it, feed it through a hole drilled in the ceiling and attach your swing or rope to it.
That way you distribute the weight and strain over several joists and easy enough to set up or remove when required.

Victor

Zebbedee wrote: »

I can understand not drilling into the bottom edge of the joist.
But why not the top edge?

The strength of a joist (a beam in structures theory) is proportionate to the width of the beam multiplied by the depth squared. Any reduction in depth can adversely affect the load-carrying strength of the beam.

The top and bottom of the beam deal with compression and tension respectively - impairing either impairs the beam. The vertical centre is neutral and drilling here has less effect on the beam's strength.

Or simply wrap cable/rope around the whole joist or joists?

Yes. Spreading the load would be important.

It's much the same logic as these beams.
http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/Philip_S_Avatar/media/cGF0aDpTY2lyb3IvQXJjaGl0ZWN0L2xvbmctc3Bhbi5qcGc=/?ref= These beams are used because they are lightweight and allow building services to pass through. Some of these beams are designed to allow the floor to be supported by the bottom flange of the beam, reducing effective 'floor plus beam thickness' and therefore floor to floor height.

Calahonda52

OP, as above p[lus this
Google hook bolts or T bolts.
Am 8mm hook bolt will hold more than is needed here so you could consider, if you have the tools and the skill set, drilling vertically down through the centre of the joist, using say a 9mm bit for each end of the hammock, fitting the spreader beam as above.
The one downside is that with excessive sideways motion on the hook bolt, you may get some rotation on the joist which will crack the plaster board.
However fitting noggins will address this problem

You could also spread the load by screwing a bit of 18mm ply across several joists , so a bit of flooring as well

Pending

Wow, lots of options! Thanks guys.

I can see the value of spreading the load across more than one joist, but I'm confused as to what to do then - if I attach a chain or something from a piece of wood going across the top of a couple of joists and thread it through a hole in the plasterboard ceiling, wouldn't that just move with the force of the swing and absolutely destroy the ceiling? Or is there a way to fix the bit that comes through the ceiling?

I tried the local hardware shop and was sold a pair of eye bolts to just screw up into the joist, but I'm not sure they would do the job at all.

Calahonda52

Pending wrote: »

Wow, lots of options! Thanks guys.

I can see the value of spreading the load across more than one joist, but I'm confused as to what to do then - if I attach a chain or something from a piece of wood going across the top of a couple of joists and thread it through a hole in the plasterboard ceiling, wouldn't that just move with the force of the swing and absolutely destroy the ceiling? Or is there a way to fix the bit that comes through the ceiling?

I tried the local hardware shop and was sold a pair of eye bolts to just screw up into the joist, but I'm not sure they would do the job at all.

eye bolts Not designed for vertical load

read my proposal again, in detail

Pending

Calahonda52 wrote: »

OP, as above p[lus this
Google hook bolts or T bolts.
Am 8mm hook bolt will hold more than is needed here so you could consider, if you have the tools and the skill set, drilling vertically down through the centre of the joist, using say a 9mm bit for each end of the hammock, fitting the spreader beam as above.
The one downside is that with excessive sideways motion on the hook bolt, you may get some rotation on the joist which will crack the plaster board.
However fitting noggins will address this problem

You could also spread the load by screwing a bit of 18mm ply across several joists , so a bit of flooring as well

I'm not sure I would be happy attaching the swing to a simple open hook, no matter how well it was secured to the ceiling. And with a T bolt I'm not sure how to fix the swing to it. I need something with a closed loop I can thread the rope through.