Securing eye bolts through drywall ceiling

[auzzzie]

This is probably pretty basic for most but I'm struggling to come up with an acceptable solution.

In order to hang my radiant heater, I've installed 2x6's between the i-joists. I intended to fire an eye bolt through the 2x6 and hang from that. What I glazed over was what to do once the drywall ceiling went up.

I wouldn't be able to reach the backside to secure the nut and I can't leave the eye bolt in place without creating a decent size hole. I've only come up with 2 solutions.

1. Measure and transfer a hole onto the drywall, pre-install, big enough to feed the eye bolt through then patch the drywall.

2. Use eye screws instead. Heater only weights 100lbs total spread between 4 hanging points, something about this still makes me uneasy though. I'd rather a bolt.

Any better options I'm not seeing? How would you do it?

 

[manwithtools]

Eye screws with full thread engagement (i.e. 3/8" screw in a 1/4" hole) and no worries from my point of view. I've hung way more the 25 lbs from a good eye screw installation.

 

[Ray-CA]

You can always get some large toggle bolts and swap the standard bolt with an eye-bolt.

Ray

 

[CraigStu]

For 100# I'd be fine w/ 4 eyebolts. Heck 1 bolt would hold up 100# if the threaded section is long enough.

 

[jtbinvalrico]

With a long enough thread, a screw-tipped eye bolt of say, 4” would be beyond sufficient. Consider all the apparatus that holds up most garage door motors and rails, all screwed through wood....or the storage racks I’ve hung from the ceiling in my garage. Lag bolts into wood. 8 lag bolts hold this up, easily a few hundred pounds up there. You’re good. Be certain to hit the wood dead center.




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[Kaizen]

Use eye screws. This swing supports my 250 pounds from one screw. You will be fine.



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[ItsNemo]

I just did 4 lag bolts through strut channel into 2x6 ceiling joists and hung the heater from the strut channel...I could hang from the heater and not even come close to the weight limits.

 

[rkevins]

I have hung many heaters heaver than that with 5/16" cup hooks just get some long enough to go through sheetrock and into board

 

[DIC]

I have screw eyes supporting my porch swing. It has had two people totaling almost 500 pounds on it.

 

[wssix99]

A Tee Nut is purpose built for the situation you are describing and is probably used to screw your couch's feet into its frame:

However, I would not use this or screw eyes or any of the other options discussed here for something installed overhead.

I would use a threaded rod. You can then back it up with the proper washers, lock nuts, lock washers, etc. so it will stay solid under vibrations and loads.

Once you drywall over the threaded rods, you can use an Eye Nut to attach to the threaded rod. (Using a lock nut again so this piece stays put.)

You can get the special HVAC cable suspension systems that pro's use for this situation, but they will cost a fortune and the threaded rod should be much stronger.

 

[Matti]

I just did 4 lag bolts through strut channel into 2x6 ceiling joists and hung the heater from the strut channel...I could hang from the heater and not even come close to the weight limits.

Lag bolts are the way to go and how I mounted my heater as well as a pull-up bar.

 

[wssix99]

Lag bolts are the way to go

Why? A small diameter lag bolt has nowhere the strength/holding power of a thru bolt on a 2X.

 

[Kenstone1]

This is probably pretty basic for most but I'm struggling to come up with an acceptable solution.

In order to hang my radiant heater, I've installed 2x6's between the i-joists. I intended to fire an eye bolt through the 2x6 and hang from that. What I glazed over was what to do once the drywall ceiling went up.

I wouldn't be able to reach the backside to secure the nut and I can't leave the eye bolt in place without creating a decent size hole. I've only come up with 2 solutions.

1. Measure and transfer a hole onto the drywall, pre-install, big enough to feed the eye bolt through then patch the drywall.

2. Use eye screws instead. Heater only weights 100lbs total spread between 4 hanging points, something about this still makes me uneasy though. I'd rather a bolt.

Any better options I'm not seeing? How would you do it?

Install a T-nut on the top of the 2x6, the prongs keep it from turning and it'll stay in place without using a wrench.

Remove eye bolt to install dry wall, replace.

edit: sort for the echo post...

 

[Matti]

Why? A small diameter lag bolt has nowhere the strength/holding power of a thru bolt on a 2X.

Because its commonly used by pros, will hold up a heater with no issues and it would be done by now if he used these

 

[matt_i]

Here's a wild possibility.

Take a piece of steel flat bar, lets just say 1/4" x 1" x 3" long.

Tap a 1/4-20 hole in the center, drill a couple of 3/16" holes about 1" away, each side. Paint to suit.

Shoot #10 torx drive deck screws thru the thru holes and into the buried 2x6.

Install 1/4-20 machine-threaded eyebolt into the center hole.

The above will be very strong. Easy 200# capacity.

Extra bonus: countersink the outer holes which receive the flat-head torx screws for a more finished look. Round corners and remove sharp edges with a single cut file.

 

[wssix99]

Because its commonly used by pros, will hold up a heater with no issues and it would be done by now if he used these

Oh, no... (Unmanaged) Pros around here choose to take a claw hammer to the drywall, make holes, drill the joists, and then run the cables directly through. <- This is free. Those eye bolts cost money.

 

[LifeLongWNYer]

Look up some "Sammys® Threaded Rod Anchors". Most electrical wholesalers have them.

Basically, they are either a wood screw, or a machine screw, on one end, with a receptacle for standard threaded rod on the other end.

You can screw the wood screw ones into the bottom of a joist, etc, and the machine screw units can be hung from either a hole drilled and tapped in the bottom of an "I" beam, or screwed into a beam clamp.

They make quite a few variations,you should find something that will work.



.

 

[ItsNemo]

Why? A small diameter lag bolt has nowhere the strength/holding power of a thru bolt on a 2X.

LoL you're kidding right? A unit heater weighs under 100lbs...a SINGLE 1/4" lag bolt 2" into has a pull out strength of 450lbs. I used four 3/8 x 3" lags to hang my heater which is good for around 3600lbs pull out strength. Plenty of capacity and then some.

Funny, a through bolt might actually have less capacity when you think about the surface area of the washer versus the surface area of the threads embedded in the wood.

 

[wssix99]

LoL you're kidding right?

I'm not saying that lag screws won't do a fine job. The right one will.

I'm saying that its easier to get a stronger mount by installing a threaded rod before drywall.

Lag screws in to a 2X, after drywall have a lot of drawbacks. As the diameter gets larger/stronger, it's harder to hit a good center, more of the wood member is removed, etc. (Lots of small deviations can whittle into the theoretical holding power.)

Funny, a through bolt might actually have less capacity when you think about the surface area of the washer versus the surface area of the threads embedded in the wood.

These variables are important, but the full surface area of the thread doesn't "count" for load bearing capacity. (If I recall correctly, only a fraction of it does, depending on the wood species.) The threads closer to the exit of the screw also have less holding power than the ones deeper in the wood - so overall, the threads are generally going to be dwarfed by the holding power of a proper fender washer installed at the back of the member.