Hanging your swing from the ceiling is fairly easy. The most difficult part is finding a beam in the spot where you want to hang the swing.
In this article, I will go through the important things to think about when hanging your swing from the ceiling.
How to reinforce ceiling for swing?
It’s important to have your ceiling reinforced if you are planning to install a swing. For safety and stability, swings are better attached to ceiling rafters when mounted on a porch area.
That’s why it is recommended that you bolt the support fasteners into the ceiling rafters. Note that simply screwing them into the wood ceiling isn’t enough. Moreover, if the roof rafter is old, reinforcing it first will do the job of supporting the intended weight.
When you’ve settled on the spot where you intend to install the swing, check that it can support your swing. Remember that not all ceilings are able to support real weight. Some are strictly decorative and not designed for that purpose.
You need to find solid ceiling joist where you can mount the swing. Otherwise, you have to find another spot where you can safely install it.
Mounting a board across the joists will provide adequate support for the installation. But this will require you to open up the ceiling to add the extra support to it.
Now, if you don’t want to open the ceiling for this purpose, you might want to consider using a ceiling swing suspension kit instead.
Ceiling swing suspension kit
This kit commonly comes hardware necessary to support the swing you are going to install via a single point suspension to an exposed wooden beam.
You can also use a multi-point ceiling swing suspension to provide distributed weight support for single-point or double-point suspension swings with a larger capacity of up to 200lbs.
How to hang a swing from a beam?
If you’ve installed things in your ceiling, then you should know where the beams are located. Some ceilings allow you can easily see the beams and joists, particularly in your porch area.
If the beams are concealed with plywood or beadboard, it’s important to take a look underneath it to know where the joists run. You’ll be able to determine whether the beam is lined up with the spot you want to install your swing.
Heavy duty ceiling hooks for swings
Ceiling hooks offer strong support for swings inside your home. It’s critical that you install them properly to prevent them from pulling out of the ceiling.
It’s best to choose hooks that are rust-resistant.
How to hang a swing from a concrete ceiling?
A concrete ceiling has much to offer if you’re considering hanging a swing from it. The downside is that the visible surface can be weakened by tension, which can crack if not treated properly.
If you’re going to install hooks into a concrete ceiling, it’s important to do it carefully so that it won’t weaken the structure. A variety of ways can be used to hang a swing from a concrete ceiling.
Drill through the concrete ceiling
You can do this if the concrete ceiling is thick enough for you to drill a hole. If the ceiling is at least 6 inches thick, then you can drill 2-3 inches deep into the concrete. Use anchor bolts that measure 3/8” to 1/2” to fit into the holes you have drilled.
If you're going to use wedge anchors, your drill bit size needs to be the same as the anchor diameter. Measure the anchors depth that will be in the concrete. Your hole has to be drilled a half-an-inch more.
- Place the washer and nut on the anchor. Since you’re going to hammer the anchor into the concrete, this will ensure that the threads are protected.
- Put the anchor into the hole of the fixture and into the concrete. Push the washer and nut with a hammer until it lays on the fixture with no space.
- Twist the nut by hand until it is tight.
- Then, turn it with a wrench until it is snug.
You can also use a 3/8” steel drop-in anchor, and a 3/8” threaded eye-bolt to do the job. However, you have to ensure that the concrete is at least 2 inches deep and must be over a month old.
Attach to concrete ceiling using a powder-actuated tool
You can avoid drilling into the concrete ceiling if you don’t want to use wedge anchors. In this case, you ought to use angle clips and pins instead. Note that these clips have pre-drilled holes that you can use to insert bolts or hanger wires.
A powder-actuated tool will be used to attach them to your concrete ceiling. Check your local building code to find out local requirements for using a powder-actuated tool.
- Clean the area around where you’ll install the angle clips.
- Determine the position of the clip and pin that you’re about to install.
- Then, use the powder-actuated tool by loading a blank cartridge first.
- Position the clip on the marked spot, having the head of the attached pin facing down.
- Securely fit the end of the barrel on the tool onto the head of the pin and apply an upward push.
- Then, actuate the tool with the trigger for installing the pin into the concrete.
You can also repeat this process if you’re going to install more clips to any marked areas on the concrete ceiling.
Conclusion
With a few tools you can hang your swing from the ceiling. Look for beams that are strong enough to support your swing. Reinforce the beam if it is not strong enough by itself. Follow the right steps to hang a swing from a wood beam or concrete ceiling.
