for contractors and other people who know about this stuff

I received a porch swing as a gift as seen here:

http://pawleysislandhammocks.com/detail.php?id=S-105

The mounting hardware that came with it is a backet with a screw on each end and a dip in the middle for an S hook. Our farmer's porch has vinyl soffet on the roof so utilizing this bracket isnt an option without making ugly cuts into the soffet. Instead i got an eye hook rated at 330 pounds and predrilled a hole into one of the rafters (not sure if that is the correct name for the big beams in the roof of the porch, anyway..) and it is solid. However when we sit in the hammock the eye hook moves ever so slightly back and forth. i am concerned overtime that it will wiggle itself loose and someone could fall.

Is this a legitimate fear? Are there other options? I have the thing tightened in really good and the motion is relatively minor but I am still worried. I also was considering putting some kinda ring on the eye hook to allow more slipping during swinging so less stress was placed on the eye hook itself.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I will upload a pic once I can.

 

Here is a pic of my setup. The carabiner is there because the S hook that came with the kit is too small for the rugged eye hook I got.

Hope this helps an expert in the field help me out.

Thanks!

 

If the eye bolt is moving, either it's not set properly (you may have pre-drilled too large of a hole), or it's moving the entire rafter. Either way, you need to fix it in my opinion. If you screwed that in my hand and didn't need either a bar in the middle of the eye bolt or a wrench for leverage to screw the bolt all the way in, then the pilot hole was probably too large.

If the rafter is moving, you might be able to stop this by bracing the load bearing rafter against adjacent rafters or bolt a 2x4 pependicular to the rafter for added rigidity side to side since the rafter was originally intended to hold a vertical load, not a swinging load.

 

Is this a flat or sloped soffit ?

 

Looks like it is probably ok. The movement is from the substantial weight shifting from side to side in the hook, so adding another ring wouldn't change anything.

Double check the eyehook is screwed into the center of the rafter, then I would bury the screw shank all the way in until the eye is pressing against the wood.

Then if there is still movement, it is probably actually the rafter flexing a tad with the weight. If the rafters happen to be made of only 2 x 4s, that might be a little on the shaky side for a swing.

 

I don't think the rafter itself is moving, it's just a little wiggle with the eyebolt itself. I have the tool to pull the soffet off but it wasn't cooperating and this is my first time using one so I really am clueless on it.

I will explore that option. The swing holds weight just fine, is it still possible the hole was predrilled too large?

 

Roof is flat underneath

 

I used a screwdriver, there was no putting it in by hand.

 

Then pull the soffit material off, and swing and I'll bet you'll see the rafter flexing since it was meant to take the weight on the roof, not a hanging, swinging weight. If you shore up the rafter that the swing is hanging from, you won't have any problems.

To do this, I'd either brace it against the rafter on either side for additional support using 2x4 or 2x6 blocking or beef up the original rafter by using either a 2x4 on edge for lateral support or kickers so it can't flex as much.

 

So it's not a rafter , it's a ceiling joist or bottom chord of a truss

Drilling through the bottom chord of a truss is not awesome

Having said that , I agree with Pugga , the joist or bottom chord is probably rotating and could stand to be braced .

 

Cool. Argh. I didn't want to pull that damn soffit off but I guess I have no choice to really see whats going on. Thanks!

 

You may have access to this area via an attic access somewhere in your house , try that before ganking the soffit

 

Any anchor point moving when screwed into a piece of wood is bad, it will eventually open the hole up. If you are sure you didnt drill the hole to large then as stated your rafter may not be up to the task. Which way is the swing, swinging IE with the run of the rafter or against it? As against it will cause the rafter to flex even with it could cause flex depending on length of run. Check both ends of the rafter depending on age etc it could be rotted off or not secured very well people have been known to miss with nail guns :}. If the rafter is secured on both ends and structurally sound. Then, as suggested your going to have to brace it side to side and maybe consider sistering in a rafter on either side of it IE install a 2x4 or 2x6 which ever it is along side of the rafter with the eye in it making a sandwich. You must attach the sistered rafters to ledger the porch roof header and to the rafter the eye is in. I prefer screws all the way around but if you have to use nails ensure you drive them in at an angle on the ledger,header and original rafter. Just my thoughts not a contractor but have build a whole lot of things and nothing I have built ever fell down or broke :}

Cypher

 

^^ Glued and screwed, I wouldn't even bother with nails if you're trying to sister up the bottom joist.

 

Sistering the joist will only help with deflection , not rotation

Run some strapping across the top of the joists / bottom chord to stop the rotation

 

update:

thanks for all your feedback. I got the soffit off and indeed it was 2x4's.

I used 2x4 blocks to brace it (2 on each side of the joist thats holding the swing) so its sturdy now. With 4 additional braces the thing does NOT move. No squeaking while swinging either.

Thanks for the great feedback.