Ceiling anchor point

[squisher]

Heh Treehousers. I need some advice, my analysis paralysis is slipping into play. Lol.

My daughter the dancer is getting into aerials which is like a silk swing sort of. So to practice at home and her hearts desire for Christmas was her own setup she could work with to practice. Obviously very limited height wise but still endless fun I suppose for a 12 year old.

So my plan was to anchor it in the ceiling of a spare upstairs room something like this:




Then I'm finally healthy enough today to access my attic and it's filled way up with blown in insulation. If I try to access it I feel like I'm really going to mess things up. If I even get up in that attic I'm worried I'm gonna put to much pressure on my ceiling from above.

So what sort of anchors do y'all have and what would you consider doing in this scenario. Would a anchor point lagged into the bottom of a rafter be enough? I could split it into two anchors and have one in each rafter adjacent each other but it would seem regardless that either one anchor should be able to take the weight/potential loading that a crazy kid could put on it?

Any thoughts or pics of setups that you guys have would be appreciated.

 

[Altissimus]

Have done some of this , always stronger and safer w grade 8 bolts backed w washer and nuts. I believe you'd be okay w Lags if you use more than one w solid penetration ... Say wasn't a member here talking awhile back about mounting X Ray or some Medical equipment ( though that was vertical surface)

 

[Raj]

3/4 inch Eye bolt right through a joist would do the trick, and then some. Might need to install it in line with the bridging.

 

[MrMoon5shine]

i would put a 4 x 4 beam between two rafters using joist hangers and bolt through that

 

[squisher]

Thanks alt, I was thinking for sure. More than one lag if I come up from below. Two would be relatively straight forward. My concerns with lagging from the bottom was what size to use to be strong enough but not compromise the strength of the rafter.

Thanks too Peter. I'm not quite following what you mean though? I'm not familiar with building jargon. My roof I know is rafters not trusses and my pseudo new plan is to lag into it from below. I can't go right through as I can't access it from the attic(atleast not reasonably and I'm hoping to avoid that can of worms now). It also seems to me to go right through would signifigantly weaken the board, my rafters are 2" lumber construction.

 

[squisher]

If I could access the attic, so everything above my ceiling. I would just do what I threw a picture up of in the first post. If I'm misunderstanding you mr. Shine my apologies but I assume you mean to mount that essentially in the attic.

 

[squisher]

Thanks again guys for helping me spitball this out. Appreciated.

 

[flushcut]

Threaded rod with an amon eye and a 12"x12" plate would work. Where's jomo he'll know. lol

 

[SeanKroll]

I'd just use 2 2x4s, about 40-50" long as "snow shoes" for access. Through- bolt through a 4"x4"x8-10' spanning 4 rafters.

Part of aerial work is twisting up, then dynamically unfolding, with a semi-sudden stop.

 

[flushcut]

What's a 12yo weigh? 70lbs?

 

[squisher]

Again. If I was going to access it from above, I'll just do what I posted a picture of in the first post. I'd be very confident with that, it would span four rafters as you mention Sean.

This isn't my attic, but you get the idea. I am wanting to avoid opening a giant can of worms by messing with my building envelope.

 

[squisher]

I want this to be strong but I only have 8' ceilings. The kid is going to be limited by the available height in as far as how much dynamic loading she could apply.

I don't honestly know what a 12 year old punk weighs. But I do know she seems to still be growing!

 

[squisher]

These are a bunch of great ideas gents but I'm looking for more ideas from below the attic only access if it's at all possible?

I guess I should look up lag bolt strengths? As that seems to be the best or possibly only option staying strictly from below?

 

[SeanKroll]

Bolt through a 4x4 into multiple rafters from below. Hang the silks over the 4x4 in precut, sanded notches

 

[flushcut]

How about welding an eye to a length of c-channel and then lag that to the underside of the ceiling into the rafters. I would think that if you can hit two of them you should be golden as long as the roof flex doesn't bust up the sheet rock.

 

[SeanKroll]

I'm not familiar with large attics not having floors, in the limited number of hours I've lived in. I guess that's modern.


The flexing is possibly going to cause a much harder to fix problem with sheet rock than extra 3/8" holes from a wider beam. I'm kinda prudent.

What is the span in the room?

 

[squisher]

The ceiling isn't Sheetrock. I'll snap a pic. My house isn't modern by far, hence the rafters not trusses. Blow in insulation is a common 'upgrade' to up insulation value.

I'm not opposed to bracing across 2-4 rafters from below with like a 2x6 or something that the aerial silks would then mount to.



If I was to do that now I'm seeing structural screws vs lag screws? Normally I try not to get so hung up on the details of things but I certainly don't want my kid dropping on her head or anything.

 

[squisher]

I'm not familiar with large attics not having floors, in the limited number of hours I've lived in. I guess that's modern.


The flexing is possibly going to cause a much harder to fix problem with sheet rock than extra 3/8" holes from a wider beam. I'm kinda prudent.

What is the span in the room?

Yah so no Sheetrock. I'd say the span of the room is small like 10' the direction the rafters run. A very smallish bedroom.

 

[squisher]

Thanks again everyone. I need to get this sorted or risk a very unhappy tween. Lol.

 

[pantheraba]

This is how I hung a heavy bag for training in my garage. The steel plate I found at the RR tracks near here on a bike ride. It is called a "tie plate".

Not sure if it will help your project but it was a strong way to get a good eye bolt mounted. I suggest a rated stainless steel (?) eyebolt since it will be life support.

Maybe you could mount a 30" x 30" x 3/4" piece of plywood on the ceiling, lagged into several rafters (assuming rafters on 2 foot centers) and have the eye bolt in the center of that plywood...with a large washer or metal plate on the back to disseminate the pressure. Seems that would spread out the force along the plywood. Kind of replicates what I have in my garage but with wood....and quite bit larger to accommodate the spaced out rafters.

 

[Levi]

If it were me I'd just go directly into the structural members supporting your ceiling, probably 2x4's or 2x6's. Easy peasy

 

[Levi]

Exactly like Gary's photos show.

 

[Cobleskill]

I like the bamboo Gary.

 

[pantheraba]

hahaha...you caught that, huh?

If you like bamboo you can see some I grow here:

https://garylayton.smugmug.com/Bamboo

 

[squisher]

Well Gary's photo shows his plate, which I think is a fantastic idea I like it a lot. I'm torn between trying to go four rafters wide with a 2x6 vs what it looks like to go say two or three rafters wide with a square piece of 3/4" plywood. I have 3/8lags on hand in 3" plated and 6" galvanized. So the 3" on the plywood seem like they could work well. I just need to source my eyebolt rigging point and washer/backplate setup for that I think.

Levi I thought just to throw an eye in a rafter too but then started to wonder about what sort of forces might get imparted and how was the roof designed for holding weight below it. I started looking around for what others had done and next thing I know. Analysis paralysis.