How To Hang A Hammock From The Ceiling

There is nothing quite like an afternoon nap in a hammock. Ideally, your hammock is hanging between two trees. While the hammock sways gently, you are enjoying the shade, a cool breeze, and the sounds of nature around you. However, you may need to improvise and hang your hammock from the ceiling.

You can safely and easily hang a hammock from your ceiling. With the right tools and hardware, you can quickly be enjoying a peaceful afternoon swinging in your hammock. Our step-by-step instructions can help you avoid the most common pitfalls.

In most cases, hanging your hammock from the ceiling doesn’t involve any construction or additions to your home’s framing. Finding the space to hang your hammock properly may be the biggest challenge in many homes.

Before you do any drilling or attach any hardware to the ceiling, you should have your hammock on hand. Many new hammocks come with hanging hardware as part of the kit. The hammock may also include instructions for hanging the hammock. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

It would be best if you also gathered the tools that you will need before you start. At a minimum, you will need the following.

An Electric Drill and Drill Bits: Installing the hardware to hang your hammock will involve drilling at least two holes. An electric drill and the proper size drill bit will make this job much easier.

A Measuring Tape: Finding the right place to hang your hammock for comfort is important.

Stud Finder: While not entirely necessary, a stud finder will locate the structural members in the ceiling much easier. There are other ways to locate the framing members, but a stud finder is much more accurate and quicker.

Hardware: If your hammock doesn’t include the hanging hardware, you will need to get 2 3/8 inch eye hooks with threads at least 4 inches long. This type of hook, when installed into a ceiling joist, should support at least 300 lbs.

You will need several lengths of metal chain and S-hook connectors. These should be large enough to support at least 300 lbs. Using a chain will allow you to adjust the angle of the hammock

Finding just the right place to hang your hammock is important. You certainly want it to be convenient, but you must also consider traffic patterns. No one wants a hammock hanging across a doorway. Neither do you want to impede the flow of traffic through your house. Find that spot that is free of obstructions but where you can enjoy your home.

The space you choose must also allow enough room for the hammock to hang properly. Generally, hammock hanging points should be 15 feet apart. This spacing allows the hammock to hang at the best and most comfortable angle.

Use the stud finder to locate the ceiling joists in the vicinity of your first mounting point. You must locate the joist precisely. The hook from which you hang your hammock must be in the center of the joist. Remember that most ceiling joists are only 1 ½ inches wide. If you fail to get in the center, you risk an unsafe hook installation.

Mark the location of the first hook with a pencil. From this point, use the measuring tape to find the area in for the other support hook. If you have the manufacturer’s instructions that came with your hammock, refer to these instructions for the proper distance. If not, measure 15 feet and mark this location on the ceiling.

Using the stud finder again, locate a ceiling joist as close as possible to your mark. If possible, don’t go shorter. It is better to have your hanging points further apart rather than closer than the 15-foot length.

When you have located the ceiling joists’ center, it is time to drill the pilot holes for the screw hooks. Use a drill bit smaller than the diameter of the threads on the screw hook. For a 3/8 inch screw hook, we suggest that you use a 5/16 inch drill bit.

You will know you are on the ceiling joist if the drill bit produces wood shavings on the drill bit. When both pilot holes are complete, thread the screw hooks into the holes. Turn the screw hooks until at least 2 inches of the threaded shank is into solid wood. Remember that there is ½ inch of sheetrock before the threads find wood.

You probably aren’t lying in the hammock correctly. The best position for sleeping or relaxing in a hammock is not to lay perfectly centered. You should lay slightly across the curve of the hammock.

Do this by starting laying in the center of the hammock. Shift your feet slightly to one side off the centerline of the hammock. You should notice that the hammock becomes slightly flatter. Next, shift your shoulders to the opposite side just a few inches. If you moved enough, you will find yourself lying almost flat in a curved hammock.

The idea is not to lay centered in the hammock but to lay across the centerline at about a 30-degree angle. The centerline of the hammock is where the most tension is on the material. By laying slightly off-center, the hammock material is looser and allows you to find a flatter surface.