We have just bought hanging chairs for our daughters’ 8th birthdays and they are to be fixed to the ceilings in their bedrooms. I was initially thinking about putting a baton across two joists or drilling straight through a joist and fixing using eye bolts however my father in law suggested simply using heavy duty screw in hooks straight into a joist. Obviously this would be a far simpler thing to do but I can’t help but think it wouldn’t take too long for them to be ripped out with small children jumping into the chairs, swinging in them etc.

Has anyone done similar and have an opinion?

Cheers

Straight into a joist, with a gert big hook, the kids will not be able to pull it out.

Big f***ing ones…

I assume I’d need to pre-drill pilot holes?

Something like this then I assume….

r my father in law suggested simply using heavy duty screw in hooks straight into a joist

I think he’s probably right.

Something like this then I assume….

No, I’d be looking at something quite a lot bigger, like this

Hammy – yes, those are the eye bolts I was originally considering (as mentioned in the OP). However simply being able to screw something into a joist would be a preferable solution. 🙂

If it’s an old house you’ll need to consider how much the joist will flex with the weight of 4 +kids on it and the effect that might have on any non-flexible lathe and plaster ceiling sharing the joist…

Is there access to the bedrooms from an attic?

I’d spread the load across multiple joists if I were you by adding a cross member attached to 3 or 4 and then using an eyebolt etc into that

An eye screw is what you need.

Fix it the same way as you fixed your sex swing.

Get bent!! This a love swing you’re installing aintchya!

Gah, beaten to it while searching for a “suitable” image!!

A love swing sounds more romantic though 😆

I have a couple of those eye screws in the garage for… reasons*

1 holds my +100kg no problem

*actually for holding a canoe but the image above gives me an idea…

If it’s an old house you’ll need to consider how much the joist will flex with the weight of 4 +kids on it and the effect that might have on any non-flexible lathe and plaster ceiling sharing the joist…

Is there access to the bedrooms from an attic?

I’d spread the load across multiple joists if I were you by adding a cross member attached to 3 or 4 and then using an eyebolt etc into that

Well is is actually a 1980s house with plasterboard ceilings and yes I have very easy access so your point brings me full circle to what I originally thought about spreading the load – I was thinking I could coachbolt through a couple of joists and attach a cross member to take the weight of the chairs.

db – Member

I have a couple of those eye screws in the garage for… reasons*

1 holds my +100kg no problem

db hanging out in his garage

Well is is actually a 1980s house with plasterboard ceilings

Even more reason to spread the load…

Well is is actually a 1980s house with plasterboard ceilings and yes I have very easy access so your point brings me full circle to what I originally thought about spreading the load – I was thinking I could coachbolt through a couple of joists and attach a cross member to take the weight of the chairs.

OH wanted one of those egg shaped chair things, but never got around to it.

Something to bear in mind is that it will swing around, so a long bolt up through a beam above across several joists will move quite a lot (ripping up the plasterboard).

My idea was to do that, but run the bolt up the side of a joist and firmly affix it to the side to take sideways loads. If the joist’s big enough you could drill straight up through it with steady enough hands?

OTOH, a screw straight into the joist will be more than upto the job. I have an eyelet into the ones in the garage for a suspension trainer held in by 4x 5x40mm wood screws which takes my weight (100kg), plus reaction forces from my feet on the wall, plus the fact that the load isn’t acting straight on the screws, plus dynamic loads. It must be taking 3000N easily.

I recently did this and used a fitting that was designed for a swing. I got it from a retailer who supplies jungle gym equipment. It is like the eye screw posted above but it is open. We had to reinforce the beam in the roof space as well as it was weakened by the attic hatch. Worth checking the beam if possible.