I’ve got a small project I’m doing for helping a friend who is recently in a wheelchair. She wants a set of hooks in the bathroom ceiling to help her move from the chair to the toilet with a lift. From what I’ve gathered from looking at the lift, it needs two hooks in the ceiling. The problem is that there is a drop ceiling in place with the old locking fiber ceiling tiles. I can get access to the attic above, and from what I have seen, the drop ceiling is down about 16″ from the old plaster and lathe ceiling. I doubt the drop would hold anywhere near the weight without risking serious damage. I’m trying to figure out a way to get the hooks somewhat hidden, so if she sells the house, no one will be stuck with some ugly mess in the ceiling. Anyone dealt with a similar situation?
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Maybe all-thread rod up to a 4x4 laid across trwo or three rafters. That way you could place the hooks where they do best, regardless of the ratfer layout. And if she moves, pull the all-thread and caulk the holes.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
How is the existing drop ceiling suspended? There is a type of ceiling that is ceiling tiles that are fit together with metal splines between them. This type will come apart (and go back together) fairly easily, once you get it started.
Otherwise, I'd be inclined to just rip it out and put in a regular suspended ceiling, with lay-in panels. This is real quick to do, and pretty cheap. (Use 2x2' vs 2x4' panels -- looks better and won't sag with moisture as much.)
Be sure that however you hang things from the real ceiling, it's suitably constrained against swaying, so the hanging parts won't bang against the opening in the suspended ceiling.
The existing tile is the 12" tabbed kind, where two sides get stapled and the other two lock into tiles. I don't know the exact name for them. I've seen people cut them out before, but I'd rather not if I don't have to. I'm pretty sure that the ceiling drops down with 2x4's and then has 1x perpindicular spaced 12" apart. I'm not sure how far apart the 2x4's are, since it has been a while since I have done anything on her house, but I'm sure they aren't close enough to trust for bearing a load. I had thought about the threaded rod, but I was wondering about potential damage from it swaying when she moves. I'm worried that 16" is quite a long distance, and the leverage of swaying might cause too much torque and break it free.
OK, you've got interlocking tile stapled to furring strips. I'd be inclined to rip it out and put in the suspended ceiling. (BTW, note that there is a good chance that the tile contains some amount of asbestos.)In any event, though, you need some sort of scheme to prevent swaying. You could have brackets of the required length welded up from steel tubing or angle iron, with something like knee braces on them to prevent swaying. You could build a wood frame, and then use all-thread rods on the diagonals to stiffen the frame. You could hang the all-threads, then run some sort of diagonal stiffeners (eg, angle iron) from near the lower ceiling up to the upper ceiling. You might be able to get away with using a piece of large-diameter (4-6 inches) plastic drain pipe (or maybe lightweight steel conduit) around the all-thread, held in compression against the upper ceiling by a nut and mega-sized "washer" on the bottom.
Faced the same issues in commercial settings, hanging moving loads from a non-structural ceiling without making it a eyesore if things change.
Typical solution is a structural rack fixed above the ceiling and a small hook or eye projecting through the ceiling. Unistut, an industrial version of an Erector Set, usually figures prominently. This system can be welded or bolted together. There is a wide variety of rails, brackets and various fittings available at most good electrical supply houses. The rack needs to be triangulated so that both horizontal and vertical forces are accommodated without the hooks ore eyes moving more than the barest fraction of an inch.
I have helped hang machine tools, ventilation equipment and transformers weighing in the thousands of pounds. Some form of this system and virtually any load can be supported with a good design well done.
The hooks or eyes are removable and once removed leave only a mall hole. Typically less than an inch so it/they are easy to patch. Any ceiling tile would usually be replaced so spares are stored above the ceiling for ready use. Bag them to avoid dust and wear if they are shifted.
UniStrut. This is what I was thinking also.
3/8" all-thread seems to be the optimum size for working with UniStrut. For attaching to the wood rafters, there are things called "Sammies". These have a wood screw thread on one end and a hollow 3/8" machine threaded nut on the other. Use an impact driver to drive the wood thread part into the rafters or joists [with 5/8" socket] and screw your all-thread into the other end.
There are 45º brackets available. Look in the electrical section of Home Depot. UniStrut is beautiful like a cyclone fence.
~Peter
If you take the allthread up through the 1*4 it should take out the swing. Pick up a long masonary bit to run all the way up through the plaster ceiling.
excellent graphics - clean and simple. Not my posting, but, thanks a lot anyway, for the effort!cheers
***I'm a contractor - but I'm trying to go straight!***