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I have 2x6 ceiling joists in my finished garage and have attached a ring hanger on a single joist. When I hang my entire body weight there is an almost imperceptible amount of sag on the joist. Because of this I want to strengthen the joist to prevent any movement. Access to the joists from above is not possible and I prefer not to remove the drywall on the ceiling.

I was thinking of adding two 2x4 bridges that run perpendicular across several joists to strengthen the joist which holds the hanger. These will be attached on the ceiling using lag bolts that run through the drywall into the joists.

Does this sounds reasonable or is there a better approach to strengthen the joist?

isherwood
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Sergio P
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2 Answers2

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If I was doing this, I'd remove the ring hanger from the single joist and add three 2x6s across several joists, three or more, and then bolt the ring hanger across the three 2x6s. Using 2x6s give you room for two bolts at each joist.

The problem with leaving the drywall up is that compressing it by bolting the 2x6s through the drywall to the joists could start it to crumble. you might want to think about removing the drywall just where the 2x6s will attach to the joists.

isherwood
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JACK
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  • As a strength issue, would having the 2x6s on top of the joists be stronger, than under the joists? If access was possible. – crip659 Sep 19 '22 at 14:24
  • @crip659 Yes, but then you wouldn't be able to bolt the ring hanger into them. – JACK Sep 19 '22 at 14:35
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Well, no, mostly because there will still be an almost imperceptible amount of sag. You won't have accomplished anything.

Now if you're concerned about the ability of a single joist to actually hold the load you intend, then sure. That's a common strategy.

isherwood
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