Hanging from stucco pillars?

**njsurfer** · 06-15-2015, 12:09

Something tells me that wasnt built to UCC standards. Regardless, attaching a hammock suspension to stucco columns is a very bad idea. You will crush the substrate and have a costly repair on your hands. Hanging from porch columns is a bad idea in general unless you know how its constructed. Some columns are purely decorative and not load bearing and will not support you anyway. As someone else said, if you hang from the rafters you can be sure they are load bearing and strong enough to support you.

**Tarheel Hanger** · 06-15-2015, 12:20

One more vote for no. I've been in the construction industry for years. I just had to hang a tv on stucco and it was a pain to find proper support without damaging the veneer. Your straps will most likely crush the veneer and Styrofoam causing costly damage. There are lots of good stands from the vendors on here. Check Wilderness Logics, they have a cool one

**sargevining** · 06-15-2015, 12:29

What is called "Stucco" today is actually EIFS: Expanding Insulating Foam System. If you've ever watched Mythbusters, they use it a lot. I am a draftsman in the metal building industry and I can tell you that there is likely 1 1/2" to 3" of this foam applied to sheet rock or some other lightweight substrate and supported by two by fours or a steel column as mentioned above. Your hammock would be supported, by the "stucco" would be irretrievably damaged and need to be replaced---likely the whole column as a patch would never look good.

**dman** · 06-16-2015, 13:29

Well, I guess I'm the exception here. Been doing it for a while now with no signs of damage. My columns are 18" square and support a 24X18 tile roofed awning. I'm hovering at the 200lb. mark right now and using my standard 1" straps.

**sargevining** · 06-17-2015, 23:21

Are the columns covered in stucco?

**Daddio** · 06-18-2015, 09:29

Yes they are 2x4 construction with stucco on all sides. They are about 18"x18", well the footer is about 18"x18" so they are a little larger.

**Rain Man** · 06-18-2015, 13:03

I am SO GLAD someone had this to post! I couldn't recall where I had seen it, but was about to go looking for it. Thanks!

And a hammock would commonly be hung higher on the column, thus putting even more leveraged force on it.