pregnant woman watching a cradle in the kids room

How to install the hardware for hanging to a wooden beam ceiling

Do they not come with the necessary hardware for hanging? Do the swings come with the hardware for installing? How to install my cradle? These were just few questions our costumers ask to our costumer service.

Finally, with the help of some costumer and our technical department, we started to write this first post to explain how to install the hardware for hanging. 

Depending of your house you can have a wooden beam/s ceiling or a concrete ceiling. It may looks the same but you should know if above the white ceiling there are beams of is made by solid concrete.

We start to explain how to install your hanging product, considering the most common North American ceiling: a wooden beam ceiling.

Attach the hardware for hanging to the wooden beam. Valid for one hook style products, as in the pictures

  One hook style macrame swing chair in cream. With a baby sitting on and dad and mum playing with her. pregnant woman watching a cradle in the kids room Hanging chair made in cotton with macrame technique. cream color pattern and cream cushion.

Wooden beam

First, decide how much space you want to give the kids (or your friends) to swing. For baby swing 3 feet (90 cm) clearance from the back wall is pretty good. For cradle and hanging chair leave 4 feet (120 cm) clearance if possible. If you don't have a tape measure, here you can order a cheap one

Yellow tape measure

Use a tape measure to measure the desired length and, using a stud finder, locate a wooden beam for the hook. We suggest two Stud Finders models: a very economic one and a pretty good one (battery included). Both can find wood beams and they can be used for your DIY projects.

Stud finder             stud finder

Please note that the stud should be a structurally-sound framing member and must support at least three times the weight of the person will sit on. Consult an experienced professional if you have any questions regarding safe

illustration of a woman using a stud finder

To hang your one hook style swing, hanging chair or the cradle we suggest a rotatable swivel hook because is silent, effortless, and allows you to just rock without having to use energy to keep yourself rocking. 

Even though it seemed a bit pricey, the kit is complete. It also comes with a metal link chain to adjust the height of your swing or cradle.

Swivel Hook set

If you use the rotatable swivel hook we suggest, here the steps to install:

  • using a drill bit (refer to the package for the appropriate size) pre-drill the 4 holes into the stud

illustration of a woman using a drill

  • screw in the lag screws (twist the screws into the ceiling)

illustration of a woman using a screwdriver

  • hang the chain from the carabiner
  • hang the chair from the S-hook. If doesn't fit, pass the chain into the eye of the swing and link the S-hook to the chain, adjusting the height

Swivel Hook and chain installed

If you have high ceiling, it's important to hang your swing or your cradle at a safe height. So you need to adapt the length of your hammock using a longer rope or chain which you can purchase online here 

Swing under a oak tree

If you want to DIY and you need some tools, here some suggestion:

  • a drill, you can get a Black & Decker  here.

drill black&decker orange

  • 5-Piece 1/4" Bullet Masonry Drill Set with Case here 

simple drill set

  • or a complete 201-piece combination screwdriving and drilling set here

201-piece combination screwdriving and drilling set

If you want to make your lounging experience even better, you can add also this spring.

spring

 

Here the Macrame Cradle Installation explained by Heather (@daughtersandthings)

 

Concrete ceiling

….coming soon…..

 

Back to blog