Drilling into, and fixing things to ceiling joists...

kittypimms

Hi chaps, thanks for all your help last time - I need advice again please!

I need to fit a metal plate to my ceiling - it's a stability holder for a pole. I've located the approprite joist, but have no instruction on fitting said plate. So, if I'm affixing something to a joist do I need to use rawlplugs? Also, is there a recommended screw depth (I know joists are usually 8' high).

Thanks in advance, much obliged,
A

ankspon

If screwing to a wooden joist you do not need rawplugs,pole?

martyn05

No you do not need raw plugs if your fitting into wood. If someone will be swinging around on the pole I would ensure that you fit decent heavy duty screws or coach bolts to stop it working loose. After the pole has been used a couple of times, check the screws / coach bolts to make sure they do not become loose. Get into a habit of doing it on a regular basis.

ormus

we need more information re the pole and its purpose.

kittypimms

Thanks chaps, much appreciated.

Do I still need to drill a Pilot hole first, and if so what gauge (if the screws are 3mm for eg)?

Haven't picked up screws etc yet, so will definitely look for heavy duty ones; thankyou for the suggestion, much appreciated!

And yes, it is a swingy-round kind of pole...

ormus

a good guide is to half the size of the screw for the pilot hole.
or less.
say a 1mm or 1.5mm max hole. for a 3mm screw.

27col

It's always a good idea to use a pilot hole when putting in screws. For one thing it keeps the screw straight as it enters the wood. If you are screwing into a ceiling joist you will need to mount the ceiling plate diagonally and put a screw in opposite corners.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

It depends on your weight

kittypimms

ormus wrote: »

we need more information re the pole and its purpose.

See, no-one was this interested when I was asking for help with re-pointing!

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

It depends on your weight

*shockedface* not a question one asks a lady. Suffice to say it will not be a problem

Picking up bits and bobs shortly, will report later on progress. Thanks again guys

capeverde

firstly remember ceiling joists will usually only be 2 inches (50mm wide) so if you are fixing a large plate to support a pole, it probably wouldnt work. Secondly 3mm screws wont be much good for holding a pole with any force on it. Always drill a pilot as well. What you would need to do to the job correctly is take out a patch of plasterboard and fix say an
8 x 2 timber laid flat in between two joists. That then can be patched over and gives you the surface area to fix a sizeable bracket to. Obviously more work, but you wouldnt want the pole to fall down mid swing so to speak.

kittypimms

Right, thought I'd update on my success; thanks to the good advice received here! Went for 5x50mm screws (I can't remember the exact type, but good ones, anyway), and a 2.5mm pilot hole. The "plate" had 3 fixing points, so I managed to position it on the x between 2 joists. Not too may issues with that fortunatley!

Slight issue when it came to fitting the actual pole; they're pressure stabilised, so require a great deal of adjustment of various bolts etc, and I lost my best ratchet spanner set (probably to the ex), so had to make a trip to local DIY store for an adjustable.

Happy to report all now in position, and thoroughly tested.

Will re-adjust the pressures slightly as it beds in, and keep an eye on the screws/ bolts etc.

So thankyou all for the help - very much appreciated!