It is always great to have a relaxing piece of furniture in your home, especially now that we spend most of our time indoors. And what better than a hammock to relax in! Here’s how to hang a hammock chair from the ceiling:
What Hardware Do I Need to Hang a Hammock Chair?
Hanging a hammock chair is quite easy. You can DIY it even if you are not that handy with tools around the house. Here’s all the hardware you’ll need to hang a hammock chair from the ceiling:
- A hammock chair
- A stud finder
- Pencil for markings
- A large screw hook
- A drill and drill bits
- A rope or chain to attach your hammock to the screw hook if need be
- S hook
How to Hang a Hammock Chair from Ceiling
If you’ve purchased a hammock chair and gathered all the equipment you need, all that’s left to do is to go ahead and hang it. Don’t worry, it is fairly simple. Here’s exactly how you can hang your hammock chair from the ceiling:
1. Choose a Spot
Pick a good spot for your hammock chair. Make sure that the hammock will fit and figure out the exact spot on the ceiling you need to hang it from. The ceiling should be at least 7 feet tall to fit a hammock comfortably.
It is always a great idea to hang your hammock by a window or in your reading nook. If you are hanging it in your office space, choose a spot where it won’t get in anyone’s way and isn’t distracting when you’re not using it.
2. Find a Ceiling Joist
You can’t just hang a hammock chair anywhere. It needs to be supported by a ceiling joist. Ceiling joists are horizontal structures across your ceiling that transfer the weight of the ceiling to vertical structures like walls and pillars.
If you hang your hammock chair straight on plaster or drywall instead of a ceiling joist, it will snap and fall right down as soon as someone sits on it. For a hammock chair to be able to support your weight, it needs to be attached to a ceiling joist.
For people weighing more than 200 pounds, a single ceiling joist might not be enough. The amount of weight it can support depends on the strength of the joist and how much load it is already bearing.
Do some research into how much weight the ceiling joist will be able to support if it is going to be used by an overweight person. You can also use 2 ceiling joists to spread out the weight in this case.
Use the stud finder to find the ceiling joist above the spot you want to hang your hammock chair.
3. Drill a Hole
Now, you need to drill a hole into the joist. Mark the center of the spot on the joist you are going to drill with a pencil.
There are two ways to do this. You can get on a ladder and drill into the ceiling until you reach the wood. Take care that you drill as straight up as possible, crooked holes are not easy to fix.
The other way is to go into your attic and find the ceiling joist from the other end. Make a small hole in the correct spot so that you have a good idea of where to make the hole for hanging your hammock chair.
This method is useful if you aren’t sure about the location of the joist. Once you make a small hole from your attic, you can go down and drill a large hole using the small hole you made from the attic as a guide.
Don’t forget to wear goggles to protect your eyes while drilling. A ¼-inch drill bit is probably enough to get the job done. If the drill lurches once you’re through the ceiling, there’s a fair chance that you missed the joist. Start over if this happens.
4. Install the Screw Hook
Once you’ve successfully drilled a hole in the ceiling joist, it is time to install the screw hook or eye bolt screw.
Insert the screw hook into the hole you’ve made in the ceiling. Start rotating it to the right to screw it into the joist. Fair warning, this will take a lot of force, so ask someone to help you if you can’t manage it on your own.
A good way to get some leverage is to use a screwdriver. Put it through the lower part of the hook and use it as a lever to screw in the eyebolt. This will make it a little easier to install.
5. Attach the Hammock
If you have installed the screw hook, you can take a break and get yourself a treat, the hardest part is over.
If you are using a rope or chain to attach your hammock to the screw hook, you need to attach it safely to the hook. Look up some knots that will be able to bear the weight of the hammock with an occupant if you are using a rope.
Secure the rope or chain to the hook. Now, attach the hammock to the other end of it. You will need to adjust the rope or the hammock to get it to the right height.
Tug at the hammock a few times to make sure it is firmly attached. Test it by sitting on it with your feet on the ground to ensure that it will be able to support your weight.
Once you’re sure that the hammock is secured to the ceiling, you can let loose and hang out in your hammock for as long as you’d like.
If you would like to be able to swivel in your hammock chair, it takes only one extra step. Before attaching the hammock to the screw hook, attach a swivel to the hook. Attach the hammock to the swivel.
Voila! You can now swivel around in your hammock chair.
How to Hang a Traditional Hammock Indoors
If you want to hang a traditional hammock instead of a hammock chair, the process is mostly the same. It does take up a lot more space and you need to put in twice the effort to hang it up, so only go ahead if you’re absolutely sure.
Figure out where you want your hammock and find the ceiling joist above it. You need to install two screw hooks for a traditional hammock, so ensure that the spot you pick has ceiling joists running above it at both ends.
Make the holes the same way you would for a hammock chair. Measure the hammock to space the holes right, if they are too far apart the hammock will be stretched taut.
Install the screw hooks into the holes. There is no point in getting swivels as traditional hammocks won’t swivel. Use a rope or chain to adjust the length if needed and attach the hammock to them.
Your traditional hammock is ready to use.
Parting Thoughts
Hammock chairs greatly enhance the aesthetics of the room and make a valuable addition to any household. We hope this guide helped you learn how to install a hammock chair in your home.
