I've tried hanging a hammock for my kids indoors once already. I simply pre-drilled holes and screwed eye bolts into the posts of their loft bed and hung it diagonally in the space under the bed. The problem is my youngest son absolutely LOVES swinging in it as high as he can manage, and the bed posts started to split. I'm thinking of revisiting this indoor hang idea but just mount directly to the wall studs for simplicity's sake and to save the bed. Do you think the studs would split?
A lot of that will depend on how much he weights, what size bolts you are using & what size pre drilled hole you make. Your walls studs are 1.5" wide and either a 2x4 or 2x6 that means they are either 4.5 or 5.25 deep. You shouldn't have a problem if you get in the middle of the stud and he doesn't swing too much. You probably wouldn't need more than a 1/4" bolt but look for one that has the eyelet welded close.
I have a Eno doublenest hanging from the wall studs in the walls. I weigh 175lbs. The hammock is my primary bed. It hasn't ripped out yet.
If he were only laying in the hammock, I wouldn't be concerned at all. The problem is, he swings it as high as he can get it, pushing off whatever his legs can reach. My older son knows better, but my youngest has severe autism, so there's no telling him not to do this. Honestly, I wouldn't want to, as he gets so much joy out of it. He's only about 50 pounds, but that little athletic body swinging around violently puts a lot of stress on stuff, and it'll only get worse as he gets bigger.Originally Posted by Therealweaz
That's understandable. I am a Scoutmaster for a troop that is specifically designed for boys that have a special need. So I understand the autism spectrum. I use the eno wall mounts. The kits says it will hold up too 400lbs. Now the only question is how old are your studs & how thick. Like Mtn Hanger mentioned.
From another post,
http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Search?search=l-track
This is a structural thing more than a hammock thing. Having worked and grown up in construction I have seen 2x4's tossed out of the back of a pick up and break on impact with the ground. I have also seen where framers missed the stud or just barely hit it with the nails...still stands vertical till you grab onto it....that's not something you can see with the sheetrock on.
Hundreds of them make up your house not dozens so that the load is carried on many rather than few. Architects build the layouts based on the vertical forces pushing down from the roof and don't take a lot of account to horizontal stress. To be safe I would personally mount a cross bar that runs over 2-4 studs and attach to that so that the loads were being spread out. Take another 2x4 and screw it to several studs then mount your eye bolt.
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Those L-Tracks look interesting. So, if I'm understanding correctly, you mount that across several studs to spread out the load? A bit pricey for the longer ones, though.
I really like this idea, as it uses inexpensive and readily available materials. Only thing is, I'm really not supposed to put holes in the wall at all, as it's a rent house. I could probably get away with two, if I fill them afterwards, but several close together is pushing it. I'm definitely going to hang on to this idea for future reference though! If you beveled the edges and painted it to match the wall, it could look really nice too!
I wouldnt swing from it if its only lag bolted into a stud unless we are talking about a small child, lke 50-60 lbs. The studs arent engineered to handle lateral loads by themselves very well, which is what a swing hammock would be subjecting them too. I wouldnt expect a them to fail, but Id expect popped nail/screw heads in your drywall and possibly cracks at the joints if a joint is close to the stud.
Jon
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