Structural reinforcement for indoor hanging?

[OCDave]

I am planning a home renovation which will include gutting all my second story bedrooms. While the walls are down, I will have the opportunity to make my bedrooms hammock friendly. I am curious if you indoor hangers have experienced damaged walls when mounting hammocks into 2x4 studs? Have you reinforced your walls prior to mounting your hammocks?

I'll be replacing 80 year-old plaster with drywall. I fear the first time I hang from my new walls I'll pop all the screws through.

Looking forward to hearing about your experiences.

Thanks

[SilvrSurfr]

I haven't hung from 2 x 4s - just 2 x 6s in the ceiling. However, if you have the walls bare, you may as well double up the appropriate 2 x 4 studs, maybe put a 2 x 6 across (like they do at windows).

[Campdavid]

Here's what I would do:
Double the studs and screw them to one another. Add additional studs so the double stud "sets" are 12" on center (or as close to 12" as is reasonable). Between the "sets" of studs I would secure 2x6 pieces (across from one set to the next) anywhere I might want to hang my hammock and at the right height of course. To secure them I'd probably use angle brackets or similar.

Once the drywall is up, use those D rings people recommend secured with Spax screws.

Lumber is cheap, repairing the lumbar is not.

That should do it.





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[BigE94]

Much to my wife's dismay I just ran eyebolts in the wall and crossed my fingers. I did place them next to the door and window frame. Both near the upper corner. Figured I would pick up more studs in those locations. My boy hangs there all the time as do I. He is a light weight, I'm on the other end of light.

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[bkrgi]

Use a 4x6 piece of lumber tied into the top and bottom plates with metal plates/brackets to make sure it stays put.

[msinklair]

Since it is an 80+ year old house, it may be built with a balloon frame style. This would not have a top and bottom plate like what is used in more modern platform style construction. You will want to reinforce the top and bottom areas. If it is old enough, you may have true 2x4 studs. A lot of times they did not have full length boards and sistered them together. Do not hang from studs that are not full length. I would probably add in a 4x4 or rip down a 6x6 and sister that against a stud. That would be less likely to flex out on you. I would not use a 2x6 turned sideways or a header between two studs. While they would probably hold, you may have issues with cracking drywall.

[oldgringo]

Hurricane clips on the studs, top and bottom.

Re: your comment on popping drywall screws, if done properly, the load is on the framing, not the drywall.

[T- Minus]

Hmmm, Chances are if you house is old enough to have had a plaster walls, I would be guessing that you will have 1x6 or 1x8 decking on the exterior side, and that would be nailed 2x each board/ each stud, and if your studs have a sharp 90* angles you will most likely have raw timber studs. I would think that you would not even have to worry about the studs being strong enough to hold since it may have already the support from the exterior side. My concern would be with how weak drywall is, and what the mounting bracket would do to it... I think that if I were doing it, I may decide to attach they brackets to the studs direct and drywall over it with the drywall fitted to slide over it like an outlet, given the exposed state. This will insure that you are dead on the meat of the stud, and minimize visible hardware in the room.

[TominMN]

I like this last thought but I want to tweak it. With the stud exposed, drill pilot holes and put in hanger bolts. They have wood threads on one end and machine threads on the other. Drywall over them. Mount hardware with a nut and washer with a fender washer behind. If you can't find large enough hanger bolts, use lag screws. Just place a large nail in the pilot hole as a placeholder for the lag screw when you do the drywall. If you ever remove them, you're going to have a relatively small hole to repair in any case.

[OCDave]

Hmmm, Chances are if you house is old enough to have had a plaster walls, I would be guessing that you will have 1x6 or 1x8 decking on the exterior side, and that would be nailed 2x each board/ each stud, and if your studs have a sharp 90* angles you will most likely have raw timber studs. ...

Exactly! Stucco exterior. While still early in my planning, I am hoping to avoid mounting to an exterior wall. Any reinforcement in an exterior wall will diminish my insulating opportunity. Restricting my mounts to interior walls will also give me more options in constructing solid framing from which to hang. In my mind, it would take very little flex in the framing to pop the drywall screws. From others' experiences, perhaps I am exaggerating this risk?

Thanks to all for the input.