The Besta cabinets from IKEA are a versatile and stylish option for creating a midcentury aesthetic. They can be easily mounted on the wall using suspension rails made specifically for the Besta, which have several holes for attaching them directly to a stud. To personalize your cabinet, add legs or a top panel to complement the design. For example, you can create a longer hanging TV/Media console by buying two Ikea Besta units and adding a pole wrap behind the TV.
IKEA offers various DIY projects, such as painting the cabinets, adding a pole wrap behind the TV, and building basement built-ins using IKEA Besta cabinets. You can also switch out the legs to elevate both style and height, with brass or chrome finishes adding glamour.
However, it is not possible to hang the BestÅ TV cabinet with a suspension rail. Instead, you can connect multiple units horizontally and vertically, including hanging them on the wall. IKEA offers suspension rails made specifically for the Besta, which have several holes for attaching them directly to a stud. The assembly instructions recommend four mechanical connections per strip, so at least six should be done on each cabinet.
The BESTÅ planner allows you to design your unique BestÅ, and when using this planner, a free design check by a specialist is possible. IKEA also includes little brackets to join shelves together with each shelf, which can be added to the side cabinets.
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Can I stack an IKEA BESTÅ?
IKEA’s Besta range of storage solutions is a popular choice among users, offering various customization options. However, some users may find the Besta frames to be disguised. To address this issue, IKEA has introduced a natural wood option with Scandinavian walnut and white oak wood doors and panels. These doors are compatible with IKEA’s Besta frames and are made of locally sourced wood, finished by artisans in Kentucky. The wood’s natural grain and rich beauty are highlighted in the craftsmanship.
White Oak and Walnut are chosen for their durability and beauty, with oak for a more Scandinavian decor and walnut for a more luxurious look. Upgrading the Besta with these pieces elevates it with the most durable, luxurious material available. By reviving a Besta frame with a sustainable, elevated finish, IKEA is reviving a timeless and stylish piece.
Can you hang an IKEA BESTÅ?
It is recommended that the frames of the Mount BESTÅ be affixed to a wall by attaching the suspension rail to a wall stud, with a minimum distance of 2″ between the frame and the ceiling. It is important to select fasteners that are appropriate for the type of wall material present in the home, as different wall materials require different types of fasteners.
How much weight can IKEA Besta hold?
The BESTÅ TV unit, with dimensions of 47¼x15¾x15″, has a maximum load capacity of 110 lbs and can be mounted on a wall or the floor, with the inclusion of wall-mounting fittings.
How do I make my IKEA BESTÅ more stable?
The BESTÅ combination is supported by a leg, thereby providing stability without compromising the visual appearance from the front. In the case of frames with a width of 60 cm, four legs are required. For frames with a width of 120 cm, four legs are required in addition to one BESTÅ leg. TV benches with a width of 120 cm necessitate the inclusion of either six or four legs in conjunction with a single BESTÅ leg. In contrast, TV benches with a width of 180 cm require either eight or four legs in conjunction with two BESTÅ legs.
How much weight can a BESTÅ frame hold?
The Besta Anna media console is versatile and can be complemented with BESTÅ interior fittings. It can hold up to 44 lbs per surface. The base is a bit wobbly, but smaller bases are more stable. The color is a favorite in the Besta family, but it’s being discontinued. The console is great for its appearance and is rated five stars. However, it’s a two-star product due to the inconvenience of having to visit the store five times due to stock shortages.
How to anchor an IKEA BESTÅ?
To install floating Besta cabinets on drywall, use drywall anchors that hold at least 50 lbs. Pre-drill a sample pilot hole before making the hole for the anchor. Install the anchors on each end of the rail and add at least one stud per rail. Note that the suspension rail cannot be used with Besta TV stands. Floating Besta cabinets with cane doors, sides, and wood top from Norse are also recommended.
Does IKEA furniture need to be anchored to wall?
IKEA advises customers to inspect their chests of drawers and dressers to ensure they are securely anchored to the wall using the wall attachment hardware kit provided in the packaging. To request a wall anchoring kit, customers can order one for free. To prevent furniture tip-over accidents, use the tip-over restraint provided with the product and the right hardware for your wall type. The wall anchoring guide provides more information.
It is also advised not to place heavy objects on top of chests of drawers or furniture not intended for TV use, place heavy objects in the lowest drawers, and prevent children from climbing or hanging on items.
What is the max load for the Besta frame?
The frame of this cabinet can hold up to 20 kg per surface and requires 4 legs for 60 cm wide frames. It is important to use different fixing devices for different wall materials. The cabinet has a sadistic design, with small unthreaded holes that require hand-screwing flat-bottom screws. The instructions suggest using an electric drill, but some users have found it difficult without one. The back panels are sturdy, but they can be damaged when slid into place.
The cabinet is easy to drill cable holes in the back, but doors cannot be matched up. The top, bottom, and center vertical panels are thick and sturdy, but the cabinet is not wobbly. The quality of the cabinet is poor, with scratches and instability. The cabinet fits an awkward spot and feels like cardboard, making it unstable and wobbly. The price is ripped off for the quality. While it is neat for table top shelves, it could be easier to put the shelves in.
How much weight can a Besta frame hold?
The Besta Anna media console is versatile and can be complemented with BESTÅ interior fittings. It can hold up to 44 lbs per surface. The base is a bit wobbly, but smaller bases are more stable. The color is a favorite in the Besta family, but it’s being discontinued. The console is great for its appearance and is rated five stars. However, it’s a two-star product due to the inconvenience of having to visit the store five times due to stock shortages.
How to make Besta look expensive?
The elevation of a Besta console can engender the impression of a built-in appearance, thereby imparting a sense of affordability. It is recommended that the molding along the bottom be matched to the existing molding on the walls. In the event that one is confronted with an unorthodox vaulted staircase in the second floor living room or entryway, it is possible to utilize a Besta console and a chic hanging station in order to create a coat check station.
Can BESTÅ be used as a closet?
One may construct a walk-in closet with the Besta inside, utilizing the top shelf for the display of footwear and related accessories. The cabinet space is optimal for the storage of folded denim garments and knitwear. It is recommended that the existing Besta sideboard doors be replaced with cane triple doors, which are conducive to sound and signal transmission, thereby rendering them optimal for the concealment of cables or routers. The IKEA Besta frame with black legs and Marlen knobs represents an excellent choice.
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Also: I am not a carpenter like our friend here. Hell,. I worked on engines in the military, and then went to college to work on finance as a career. But I am a heavy DIYer, as I have spent years fixing up my own distressed foreclosure purchases that I have lived in. So here is what else I will add: Before you do anything else…right now…before you pull out your next power tool: learn to drywall. It is not hard. Once you learn, you can do it before you get any experience to get better at it (you just have to sand more at first). But once you have the confidence to cut open a wall, EVERYTHING you need to do becomes 100 times easier.
A tip for fixing drywall if you cut where there’s no backing: use drywall clips. They saved me when I replaced my bathroom fan and there was absolutely nothing to attach drywall to and no easy way to fix the ceiling from the attic. And a tip: if you drill into the ceiling and don’t get sawdust, you’re not drilling into a ceiling joist. I was hanging an antique lamp last week and my stud finder lied to me.
I LOVED this article!!! Not only did I learn but I highly appreciated that the content was: • well organized • well paced • clear specific verbiage • simple visuals • included only relevant information • tone, speech and delivery of instructor was captive • length of article was great Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Hello! Thanks for this I’m about to hang a sensory swing and I’m afraid of it tearing down the whole roof my kiddo is a 110 lbs I do not have access to the top of the ceiling so I can’t add blocking from the inside… I don’t care about the cleat being seen I’m just wanting safety here so you think this will be better than finding the joist?
I have an awesome idea for hanging multiple hanging plants and grow lights from the ceiling, but was sketchy on how to support the load. I started doing a search but couldn’t seem to find the right wording to get the answer I was looking for. Your article was spot-on and answered all the questions I had about how to properly support my project. Thanks so much! I have subscribed and looking forward to seeing other articles in your playlists. 😎
We have concrete ceilings where I’m at, so for me, it’s the usual dyna bolt or other similar expansion bolt designs. The biggest problem with this is hitting rebars that cause drill bits to warble to either side and cause oversized holes. This happens more often with larger holes like 10mm or so. You could use rebar cutting bits but I think they should be used as a last resort as they could weaken the ceiling structure.
This was super helpful. It’s all about finding the joists/studs, which I suck at even with all the tricks. When in doubt cutting out a big piece of drywall, locating the joist and patching it up when done is my go-to. If possible, I’ll install a small 2×4 piece around the perimeter of the hole so I can screw the piece back into place before patching it up. It’s a pain and leaves a mark, but it’s the safest.
Can you please make a article series on simple budget friendly DIY projects with simple hand/power tools? How to make a table, chair, book shelf, TV stands, etc. You explain everything so vividly with real life experience, it’s very easy and pleasant to listen to how you explain things anyone can easily follow. As a man normally I hate another man give me directions, however you have a cool way of explaining everything very clearly. Love your articles man, thank you for sharing these valuable articles. I learn so many new things about tools/way of doing a job pro style,etc… I thought I knew everything about. Turns out I know very little and feel enlightened after perusal your articles. Appreciate you very much sir 🙏🏽
You explained and gave visuals at every step!! You deserve a gold metal 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾. This is literally the only article I found with great detail, education and no fluff. ’m purchasing and installing a heavy bag for my 10 year old in our home and was unsure of how to do it. I feel very confident after perusal this. Thank you!! I just subscribed
Dude, this is the best article I’ve ever seen on hanging stuff from a ceiling. You are a master at explaining super useful techniques in a quick, complete way that makes it possible for amateurs like me to feel confident in considering all the options and knowing why and how to do a job a certain way. Creating the fake ceiling in your workshop to SHOW your work is genius. Btw, a few years ago I helped my daughter move into an apartment with limited space and needed a way to hang her bike in a closet with a plaster/lath ceiling. I eventually came up with something resembling the surface cleat idea. It worked, but I wish I had seen this article first to think about how/where to best install the cleat. I didn’t think about installing it on a diagonal. Duh. That would have helped me. Next time I’ll know! Thanks again!
Thank you so much for this article, I’ve been wanting to hang an 80 pound boxing body bag in our garage but wasn’t sure if the joist would hold, this article made me confident it will. Also Dewalt impact drills are the way to go, totally worth the money, plus Star Bits and screws to match. Love your website!
I know this is a US market website, but I wish you made a portion of this article for us european smucks! Our homes are made of brick walls and concrete, I was looking for some tips for hanging a heavy celling fan, but your walls are made of wood and paper of there so no use for people like me… Joking on the paper and wood, was a joke lol 😀
For my autistic sons swing, I put blocks, 3 on their side, screwed them together and through the joists on the end, then I put some particle board over the top so the load is spread not just on the screws holding the blocks but also across the top of the joists. I know I went overboard, perusal that has made me realise that, but I’m happy too especially since my father in law told me I did it wrong at Christmas.
Wanted to add an additional note about using the toggle bolts with the plastic snap-off guides – I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews on them from customers at Home Depot and other big box stores. The truck up using them successfully is to actually engage and disengage the swivel mechanism several times (CAREFULLY so as to not snap the plastic) to make sure that it can swing into the open position more easily once you slide it into the hole you’ve made. I’ve gone so far as to add a little bit of lubricant to the hinges. What I’ve found is that the dust and grit from drywall, sheetrock or plasterboard can get into the contact areas and make it difficult to swing the metal toggle into position once you’ve got it inserted all the way. Those fancier toggle bolts are not cheap so if you’ve got to use a bunch of them it pays to make sure you’ve got them in correctly. I also err on the side of gently jiggling it a bit more to ensure that it’s properly placed rather than brute-forcing it because the plastic guides are super fragile if any kind of lateral force is applied to them. But once they’re in they work perfectly. I have 2 supporting a protector and another 2 for a motorized projector screen.
Can you hang a garage ceiling rack on the blocking? It seems my joists are too far apart for the kit I have. I was hoping to use one side on the existing studs and the other side using new blocking per your article. Not hanging anything super heavy on the rack, just bulky stuff, like coolers. I think it would work based on what you said. THANKS in advance. Keep up the good work.
I’ve used a board to spread very light loads over a plaster ceiling, but prefer supports to be many times stronger than necessary so usually attach to joists. However, more often than not the desired position isn’t aligned well with a joist, so I employ a variation of option 3. Instead of screwing a single piece directly to the joists, I screw a block of 4×2 on each end of a bridging member, and then screw the side blocks to the joists with the bridge touching the ceiling underneath, ready to attach the fixture. This way I have screws embedded in lots of material, and all through face or edge grain. I’m only a DIYer so a little more time and material isn’t an issue.
This article came at a great time when I’m going to hang a work light in my garage over my chop saw. It’s not heavy but I want to make sure it’s supported so it doesn’t come down on my head. I can’t see the numbers on my old saw so a light was really needed to get proper measurements. Great options for me, someone who doesn’t normally do this. Thanks!
I’ve used surface-cleats in my garages. When it’s in a garage, I don’t really care if it doesn’t look finished. I used to live in an old building in Chicago with a row of garages behind the building that I think used to be a horse stable 120 years ago. The ceilings were very high — maybe 16 feet. I mounted some surface cleats, attached some pulleys to the surface cleats, and then built hoists to hang bicycles above my car. This way I could store a couple bicyles as well as our car in our 1-car garage. I’m about to do a similar thing to mount a surface cleat plus pulleys across a span of joists in the garage of our current house to mount my wife’s paddle board to the ceiling. I agree with you that you don’t get as much holding power with a screw in 1x or 2x material mounted flat, but if you’re handing something with many individual screws then it’ll probably be fine. In my case, my pulley brackets each have 2 mounting holes, and I’ll mount 3 pulleys plus a fixed-pount pad-eye, which actually has 4 mounting holes. I think I’ll use a scrap 2×6 as my surface cleat. So then the weight of the paddle board will be distributed across 10 screws that will go through the full 1.5 inches of the 2×6. With #10 construction screws, I would guess that it could easily hold 1000 pounds, although I only need it to hold ~40 pounds.
This is really a great instructional article! I randomly came across it via an outside link, and am now subscribed to your website. Information like this is already important for safety, too often ignored, and it’ll only get more needed as people keep downsizing and optimizing their living spaces. I’m sure you’ll just keep getting views and likes on posts like this one.
My dad used a variation of your option 4 to hang a big chandelier. He used a quarter inch steel plate, attached to joists with countersunk screws. There was a hole drilled in its center to allow the chandelier wires through. If you really look at it, it’s not elegant, but almost nobody notices. I suppose you could engrave an artistic design on it and consider it decorative.
I am going to give you another option for finding joists in a ceiling, which came from overcoming my own inabilities. The stud finder won’t work in most cases, in your home, because of the love of that popcorn crap by builders. I do not know why they love it, but they have plastered it on every ceiling of every house I have ever owned. Option B, of knocking to find the joist…well…that’s where my own inabilities comes in. I just cannot hear the difference, and whenever I think I do I end up making a bunch of holes where I “thought” I heard the difference. So, for a ceiling…here is my work around “option c:” Go up to the attic, and drill a hole through the ceiling right next to the joist you want (OR, to figure out what joist you want, drill up from the under side where you want to hang something). Drop a straightened wire hanger through it. Go to the other side, hang what you are hanging…and then fill in the extra hole you made next to the joist with a thumb full of drywall mud. Hey…whatever. It works.
Omg! So, I went to Walmart and picked up the screw and anchors that you show us, then bought a the long loop screw the carabiner. I had everything else except for the string, I’m intentionally not listening to you right now but I must have watched your article repeatedly 20 times! I live in a brand new apartment complex in Plymouth Massachusetts, you know, where we ran all the previously settled families from the their homes and businesses?? Plymouth Plantation? Well, I live 2 seconds from Plymouth Rock These apartments are all brand new so any damage is mine! I can’t even try to blame it on another tenant
Need to mount an aerial silk to the bedroom ceiling, so I’m either going with option 2a (screw 2×6 between joists w/ metal eye hook) or lay wood flat on top of joists and run a longer metal post. I’m wondering if that is overkill & I could have screwed directly into the joist? In any case, thank you!
Awesome article, but I have one question in regards to the Blocking option: I’m looking to hang a hammock from my deck joists. Because there would be a lot of angled-force (ie: towards the center of the hammock), should I angle the blocks so that the screw hooks aren’t twisting/pulling the blocks or joists?
My garage ceiling is 12ft high and is finished but has no insulation above it. The joists look to be 2×4’s. I want to use a strut website system in an “H” pattern and hand an electric hoist from it to lift the hard top of my Jeep wrangler. I plan to use website trolley track to hold the strut website, and plan to distribute the load across 5 or 6 joists with 3/8x6in lag bolts. My best guess is that in total, I’m looking to hang close to 400-500 lbs from the ceiling. Do you think this would work? I can’t access the joists from above, and for me…cutting out drywall ceiling isn’t an option. I plan to just screw the lag bolts straight through the drywall and into the joists. Thanks for your reply and input.
Those heavy duty Toggler bolts would be a waste to use if you only trust them for 10lb. They will easily hold 100lb from 5/8in drywall (as reported on the package, which has specs for both tension and shear load, and from the many tests on YouTube). But there’s also an argument to be made that anything you hang from the ceiling should support 200+lb force in case someone trips and grabs the thing.
Stumbled across this article looking for some suggestions for some attentional projects, good job! Moving recently to South Florida, I’ve found that folks confuse joist with trusses. Trusses are used nearly exculsively on new builds and folks don’t under stand that the bottom load of a truss is drywall weight and nothing else. Without some extensive reengineering of the ceiling support you can’t hang squat.
I hung yesterday a 55 pound object on the plaster ceiling, really not feeling comfrotable about it reading about how much load it can take. The load is screwed with 4 screws (the ones with plastic you show in the article). I have a feeling the load is too much, 4 screws are probably half a foot apart. Would screwing extra 2 screws directly into the concrete ceiling that is 10cm above the plaster wall resolve the issue?
Looking to install a Trx mount into my joist into the basement but don’t have access to add blocking. Do you think just installing into the joist would be enough? I’m not gonna be doing any hanging on it but will be putting weight/pulling with the suspension trainer. Also which method provided the heaviest weight load? Thanks for the great article👍🏻
Im looking to hang an aftermarket rim from my ceiling, its only 23 pounds but lets call it 30 to be safe. Id like to hang this from the ceiling and then put a light bulb through the center cap. How should I go about dealing with this? I was thinking if its possible hanging it from chains would look cool too. Thanks anyone!
Love your articles, but I’m the jerk who nitpicks. You mentioned that placing your 2×4 blocking vertically makes it stronger, but I disagree. The wood is stronger, but with the same screws on the ends, you are holding onto half the drywall area. Screws and drywall are your weak spots, you’re never gonna snap a 2×4 first. So you are stronger lying it flat, and better yet, making it thee inches too long, and mounting it on top of the joist with screws pointing down if you can extend your device that far.
Stronger on edge…I think the strength of a beam is proportional to the cube of its vertical dimension, which is crazy,. I remember a problem from Calculus I class to determine the dimensions of the strongest rectangular beam that you could get from a circular log. I just don’t remember how to do the calculus. 🤷♂
OK I have a hard one for you! I had my kitchen remodeled and there is a window over the sink. The backsplash is tile and now in the corner where the sink and window are the tile goes to the ceiling. Now the hard part, the designer created these custom curtains and we do not want to drill into the tile. I have a crazy idea (per my wife) that maybe we could hang them from the ceiling, I thought of some type of toggle bolt but I would want to use the smallest wire I could find and don’t want anything showing in the ceiling. The curtain is very light, maybe a 1-1.5 lb max. Am I crazy to think this might work? Would you know of a way to do this or any other ideas? (I thought of tension rod but would have to have a custom hook fabricated to connect the curtain to the rod). Thanks!
I loved the cleat notch trick. Thanks. I have an engineering degree, installed audio visual equipment for about 10 years and as part of my responsibities in another job I did LOLER inspections and certifications on theatre installations. (LOLER = Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 – they are UK regulations). My perspective might be too belt and braces for most people but I like to consider the following: Load path – for example even if your toggle fixings can do the job will the ceiling stay up ( well it depends on the dry wall screws) or have to flex too much and crack the finish? Rated fixings when possible – eg the Zip Fix toggle fixings have a rating and probably a test certificate. Fit for purpose – if you don’t have rated fixings then does common sense tell you it’s fit for purpose -eg hanging a bicycle from a big screw into a ceiling joist = probably OK. Dynamic loading – or… will somebody try swinging from your fixing even if it’s not what you intended. Risk assessment – what’s the consequence of a failure – could it fall and kill somebody? Or if you are leaving an eye bolt sticking out of a ceiling could somebody at a later point assume it’s good to hang something much heavier than you intended (I know North Americans will probably say “..not my problem, sue me” but I practice Zen Buddhism and we say “may all beings be joyous and live in safety”). If it’s something bigger like a chandlier then you might want to think about a method of installing it safely not just a single hanging point .
Well, that’s all really nice to know about and only after I watched it all I realized that none of this will work in my flat because I got some weird old ceiling made of plaster and straw and old, brittle wooden beams holding this together. Yes, I’m in Europe and we got old houses here with massive walls but shitty ceilings…at least to hang stuff from. ;-)
Would adding 2×4 blocking between two joists in my loft be stong enoough to support a heavy bag on such hardware as say an eye bolt or similar. Ive heard it has to be able to hold 4 x the weight of the bag. I glued two pieces of 6×2 together and fixed them between two 2×6 joists in my workshop for heavy bag fixing and no problems have arose from that. Though i dont want to have the bag in there anymore and want to move it to a spare bedroom. So would this be fine to do to my house joists? TIA
So I want to hag a double ended bag in my bonus room. It is a vaulted room but there is a cross beam at one end that I would like to use as my top anchor. Only issue is I have no idea whats inside. Its like they put a drywall box around it. I drilled a small hole in the top part and its like there is a half inch of what looks like drywall. I stuck a thin rod down in there and it can go almost to the bottom. I cant tell if there is a metal beam in the center or any wires or anything at all. Trying to figure out the best way to hang the bag. Keep in mind it will be for a double ended bag with a weight on the floor end and the bungee cords, so no real heavy weight load on it. But it will take the smaller force of the bag strike and it bouncing back and forth. Any tips on what might hold well for that situation?
Great article. I have open truss floor joists. In my basement, they are fully accessible. I want to hang a boxing heavy bag. Is it ok to screw into the bottom of the joist? Or even making a small hole in order to pass hardware through. I’ve always been hesitant to hang anything heavy from my floor joists. I’m under the impression that the joists are not as strong supporting weight from below as from above. I don’t want to compromise the integrity of the joists.
Any recommendations please regarding choosing a drill/driver and bit set. I bought the Dewalt corded drill/driver with a Dewalt bit set. The screws I was inserting were above my head and I didn’t see that the screw striped the screwdriver drill bit. I know I made a mistake and will probably make more. Is there a drill/driver bit (especially screwdriver) set that is particularly strong and resistant to wearing down? Titanium? I need to drill into a hardwood desk.
Hi! I have a question about the third option – blocking. You say you can hang stuff from it, but what about putting up a pole? This was the best articles I could find for showing the different options: Ball mount, for a more permanent installation: youtu.be/O2aSoUZ5OCc Or pressure mount: youtu.be/VHEiSJVVoHg Do you think either of this will work? And what would be the best one if both works? I have my fingers crossed that this could be the solution for my problems 🤞
I love your website But, please address the echoy and mediocre sound quality. It can be harder to understand than other websites I watch. Maybe to the voice-to-camera stuff from an office? I’m sure it won’t be easy but I do think it’ll help. I’ve been a fan from the beginning and I will keep perusal and taking your advice! Thank you.
All excellent methods, here’s one I’ve used twice to support a really heavy load: I use a Harbor Freight electric hoist to lift the hard top off of my Jeep when summer comes ’round. It’s about 200lbs of fiberglass and glass that you do not want to drop! In neither case could I access the joists from above (there is living space above, not attic), so instead I cut out the drywall, then ran a hole saw through two adjacent joists. Then I fitted a hollow steel tube that is longer than the span between joists, and hung the hoist from the tube. Since there are no fasteners involved, the load is bearing down directly on the entire joist/wall structure. I have 100% confidence in this method.
During the blocking section I wondered, “Wouldn’t it be stronger to bridge across the top of the joints and hang from that? You’d be relying on the strength of the wood, rather than the fasteners in end grain.” Good thing I kept perusal and saw the threaded rod part before commenting. I would’ve initially thought a wire/cable would be sufficient, but I suppose if the object starting swinging it would cut through the ceiling like cheese wire!
Here in Florida, I would bet 99% of homes have popcorn ceilings. I’ve really never found a good way to find joists with that stuff on the ceiling. Yes, I have read the tricks about holding a thin flat sheet of something against the popcorn for the stud finder to slide across. Unfortunately, I was born with only two hands! Besides, the added extra spacing from the surface of the paper and the thickness of the popcorn, then thru the drywall seem to result in a bewildering for most stud finders. Have you had luck using any particular studfinders on popcorned ceilings? And, yes, magnets still help….though, again, sweeping a magnet across a popcorn ceiling is a good way to generate a helluva mess down below!
I have done the threaded rod suspended shelving. I did one shelf 15’ long, 24″ deep anchored to the wall and held by 3 ….5/8″ threaded rod through the end corner, in the middle and 3’ from the end. I supported it from the attic with blocking and through a partial floor. I also addded a 9’ x 3’ going down an adjacent wall with 2 threaded rods. I had room for another shelf, so I added another shelf, 4’x 3’ with 2 threaded rods on each end. I used flake board, on all. I have $50 in this whole project because the lumber was free from a neighbor getting rid of a platform bed. The threaded rod was $1 a foot from Craigslist and the nuts, washers, and lock washers were the rest.
Thank you for this brilliant explanation as I’m completely clueless. I have two children and we have hung swings indoors before but they were light and now they’re older. We need an adult swing with heavy loads. We have a plasterboard ceiling so I’d love your advice. What’s best as there is a specific space I’d like to make sure its robust and strong. Thanks so much.
Any ideas on how to measure the amount of weight the joists can support without collapsing the house? For example, I’d like to install an elevator-like thing to get stuff in and out of the garage attic more easily. I’d guess with elevator parts and a load, we’re talking 500-800lbs. Any idea how to determine whether the rafter in the attic can handle that? Or is this a laughable amount for the existing strength of the home?
I hanged my projector to the joist with wood going across going to the other joist on the ceiling with 2 screws that is 2 1/2 inche long and my projector is 7.11 pounds do you think this will hold I’m new doing this iv had it up for a few hours now and it’s not shaking not even when the train goes by
Nice! We have a corner by a door that’s always seemed empty to me. It’s too dark for a plant, but a hanging Honest Carpenter would be a great idea. It would balance out the room, and be a conversation piece: when people came over, they’d be like “hey what’s that?” And I’d say “it’s my hanging Honest Carpenter, looks cool, right?” And they’d be like “damn straight…now where can I put my shoes?” I’d reply “on the rack, under the Honest Carpenter”, because that’s all that’s there right now.
Great stuff as always…I’ve used Raco braces for a lot of ceiling fans now as well as some heavy-ish lights…the Raco’s are actually a very strong solution PROVIDED they’re installed right…I hung 140 lbs. on one once just to test it and it didn’t flinch a sixteenth of an inch…most 52 inch ceiling fans feel like a ton but they actually run like 18-25 lbs fully installed
Cool article bro I came for a very small question but learned a bunch of other stuff. I always knew those building designs were for a purpose. I was wanting to attach one of those eyelets for a handicap trapeeze and was wondering which fastener you would recommend to the ceiling beam. Either the expansion sleeve that expands when the nut is tightened or just a standard hex bolt. Is one safer than the other?
Is there any attractive way to create some type of internal frame within a room to mount things on the ceiling without actually attaching it to the ceiling itself? For instance, if you can’t use strong adhesives or drill anything because you’re renting, but want to have very heavy items suspended in the center of a room. Is that a known conundrum, or unheard of?
Ethan – love your website. Got an interesting challenge/question for you: I have an unfinished garage with vaulted ceiling, and joists are exposed. Joist/ceiling height is 8 ft. Question: What’s the safest/optimal method to hang Olympic rings from the vaulted ceiling so they’re hanging down through the joists?
Spot on vidio . I plan to hang gymnastics hoops from my ceiling. So need something to hold my weight plus the exercise movements. (No circus tricks or acrobatics just dips and pull ups etc) I have access to my loft space above. Wich method do you think holds the strongest enough for my workout? Any advise anyone? Thanks in advance
We had a project to hang swing about 250 pounds. We have added two 4×4 over 4 vertical trusses similar to option 5. Instead of wood below ceiling, added two 1/2 hole bolts on four corners from where swing hooks would hang from. Made 4 holes in ceiling from where hooks would come down from attic to look neat . The whole system works fine. I haven’t drilled 4×4 into the trusses and it’s floating on four vertical trusses and is stable. Wanted to check if I should drill 4×4 into trusses or drilling into trusses can hurt the integrity of truss? Not a professional so wanted to confirm before creating holes into trusses. Thanks
I watched this article and was thinking when are you going to get to my idea. And it’s number 5. I have a 20ft threaded rod I’m about to cut and do this exact thing to store my wood scraps. I don’t have a lot of space in my garage so I’m going to hang a 4×8 piece of ply wood right above the garage door and stack my wood scraps on it.
How lucky am I to have found your website! Thank you google! This was the best explanation, and you got right to the point. Great illustrations and organization of how information is presented. I also like the “better safe than sorry” approach. Very responsible. I’d say you must be a great carpenter but you’re also a great teacher as well.
I’m trying to come up with a safe way to hang an auto belay for a home climbing wall. I’m thinking about essentially doing the the threaded rod method, but using a 4×4 above the joist instead of a 2×4, and using a long eye bolt rather than a threaded rod. Do you think that this will be sufficient for holding the weight of the belay + body weight?
I ran into this problem recently! I ended up devising a solution similar to the threaded-rod option described in the article, but using giant lag screws driven in from below into a 4″x4″ crossbeam spanning three rafter frames. I cut shallow dados into the crossbeam aligned with the three frames (an eighth of an inch deeper on the center dado) so the crossbeam would flex slightly under load and distribute the weight across all three roof frames.