How do you hang a wind chime from soffit?

[NewShockerGuy]

Feel silly for asking but I've never hung anything from soffits before.

I bought a wind chime and would like to hang it on our deck. Problem is it's not enclosed so there are no wood beams I can attach it to with a bracket. I know the spot I would like to install it so it won't interfere with anything but the ceiling part has soffits. The wind chime isn't heavy but I can't imagine weight on the soffit being good.

So what is the best recommended way to hang something? Is there something behind the soffits that I can get to?

Took two pictures. One of the soffits under the roof/deck area, the red circle is where I'd like to roughly hang the wind chime from.., and then the hook of the wind chime. I was ideally going to use some type of an screw in eye hook if it was wood, then just put the hook in the eye hook opening. But the soffits are screwing with that plan :-(

Thanks,
-Nigel

 

[MoonRise]

Behind (above?) the soffit is (should be ) the rafter tails (or other pieces of usually 2x wood framing members).

Locate where the wood is behind the soffit and install your screw through the ventilated soffit metal and into the wooden 2x piece. Done.

 

[G McKay]

I'd hang it outside of the deck. That way you don't walk into it.

Just get a J hook and screw it out onto the corner of the under hang of the deck roof. Right there on the corner where the downspout comes down looks like a good spot. Then you can start getting more until you have a half dozen of so.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

If you really want in hanging from the soffit you can get a small threaded rod lag screw, a coupling and a piece of threaded rod. Locate a rafter tail and screw in the anchor. Run the threared rod down through the soffit and bend a hook on the end.

Tommy

 

[gregtwojeeps]

These come in assorted sizes.................

 

[92GreenYJ]

These come in assorted sizes.................

This.

Seriously how much can the chime weigh? Like a pound or two? A small screw hook thru even the 1/4" or so wood of the soffit should be plenty for a wind chime.

 

[NewShockerGuy]

Cool.. I wasn't sure how the soffit was attached to the house honestly. When I poke it with my finger it's feels just like vinyl siding, it's flexible. I didn't know the sofft was actually attached to the house since I didn't see any visible screws or nails. It just looks like the picture of it overlapping each other.

Is there a way to remove a piece and see where the pieces of wood are behind it?

Thanks again!

-Nigel

 

[barks]

Flashlight through holes should discover location of rafter tails.

 

[TommyD]

I made some "S" hooks about 12" long and hang stuff off the gutter. Gets it out in the wind better, sometimes too close to the house they don't catch a good breeze. They can be bought at home and garden centers.

 

[MoonRise]

Cool.. I wasn't sure how the soffit was attached to the house honestly. When I poke it with my finger it's feels just like vinyl siding, it's flexible. I didn't know the sofft was actually attached to the house since I didn't see any visible screws or nails. It just looks like the picture of it overlapping each other.

Is there a way to remove a piece and see where the pieces of wood are behind it?

Thanks again!

-Nigel

Flashlight shining through the vent perf holes, or push up (gently) on the soffit material until you can feel the 2x behind it, or gently push a thin wire through some of the vent perf holes until you feel the wire hit the 2x up there or ...

use a stud finder.

No need to remove any soffit pieces.

Yeah, the actual ventilated soffit material is just overlapping or butting together and usually just kind of laying in the F-channel up on the house wall and the facia board.

That's why you have to screw your eyehook (or whatever) into the 2x framing that is somewhere 'behind' the soffit.

 

[Vettman]

I would use Velcro. It could be easily removed later. I've used heavy duty (3" wide, adhesive backed.) for much heavier items.