Ceiling Bolts
Author: Jeff Dominant
Filed in: toys
There are several ways to install hooks in a conventional ceiling but all will require a hole of some size. However, if you use hardware which is just big enough for the job and install it carefully when it�s removed it will be easy to patch and invisible after you move.
The easiest method is to use wood screw hooks. 1/8 or 3/16 by 2.5 inches long will do the job. These must go into the wood framing in the ceiling, not just the wall board. Do not try to use anything which only anchors into the wall board. These will not hold over 40#s and even if you do not intend to suspend anyone there is always the possibility of a slip or stumble which could be disastrous. Finding the wood framing can be a little tricky. I like to use a small nail or ice pick to probe around. In a �cottage cheese� ceiling these holes will not be noticeable.
Once you have found the wood joist, drill a hole just big enough for the screw you are using. Again, there is no sense using a screw over 3/16 inch because the ceiling framing itself probably wont support as much weight as a larger hook. A 3/16 by 2 inch hook into a ceiling joist will easily support a 200# person. The exception is if there is someone living above you. In this case the framing is beefier to support the floor above you.
To cover your tracks after you move, or when mom comes to visit, remove the hook and fill the hole with some caulk or putty or hot melt glue or white glue. If you use white glue, mix it with some bits of the ceiling to form a paste. Once it is in and dries the hole will be invisible.
A more flexible and less noticeable method I have in my living room uses metal threaded �sleeves�. The sleeves are about an inch long and screw into predrilled holes just like screw hooks. The difference is the sleeves are threaded on the inside to accept bolt hooks, or eye bolts, or long bolt hooks. So you can have an assortment of hardware to choose from. When the bolt or hook is removed the sleeve is nearly invisible. So when mom comes to visit she�ll never notice them and you can delight in knowing they are there, ready to go at a moments notice.
The advantage over installing and removing screws is that eventually screw holes will enlarge and strip out where the sleeves never will. And when it�s time to move you can follow the same process for covering up the hole.
All this stuff is available at Home Depot. If you shop one on Sports Arena in San Diego you�ll find this hardware right across from rope and chain, my favorite department.Related Essays
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