Installing hanging chairs, indoor swings and climbing ropes

Get into the swing of it

5/24/2020
Waldachtal

Hanging chairs, indoor swings and climbing ropes allow little explorers to play indoors to their heart’s content during bad weather while simultaneously training their sense of balance, motor skills and muscles. This also develops their sense of courage and self-assessment. Swinging furniture provides an ideal distraction for children, giving parents the opportunity to switch off or focus on working from home. And if the little ones tire themselves out, hanging chairs and cocoons are an ideal spot to relax, read and nap. Nest and multi-child swings are also a comfortable choice that provides plenty of space to recline.

A soft floor surface beneath the seat and climbing furniture provides a soft landing in case of a fall. Tiles and stone flooring are a no-go in this case. When it comes to the furniture itself, parents should pay attention to the load-bearing capacity and the information provided on maximum weight while also ensuring that it does not contain any harmful and polluting chemicals. Multi-child swings are often designed to carry loads of more than 100 kilograms, so that grown-ups can also take a seat from time to time.

Any pieces of “swinging furniture” must be firmly anchored in the base. Safe installation is also crucial for other pieces of furniture in children’s’ bedrooms, as little ones are quick to use shelves as a climbing frame. Hanging chairs, indoor swings and climbing ropes can be attached to door frames, the underside of bunk beds, or ceilings. It is important to keep sufficient room for movement, which is why ceiling installation is recommended as it provides plenty of room for swinging, pushing swings and jumping off without getting in the way fragile objects, corners or sharp edges.

Hanging chairs, indoor swings and climbing ropes usually come equipped with professional brackets, and the ends of the ropes often have eyelets which allow them to be suspended. It is especially important to find out beforehand whether the anchoring surface is fit for this purpose. The construction material must be stable enough to be able to carry the weight of the furniture and person in addition to the loads generated by swinging. Attaching seating and climbing facilities to a concrete ceiling is relatively unproblematic, as this surface evenly distributes the load. Parents can therefore freely choose the fastening point. Creating a drill hole is easy using a drill hammer or a good impact drill. The drill hole should be cleaned to ensure maximum safety.

In general, it is recommended that any swinging object should be attached directly to the anchor base. This does not subject the anchor to any bending load. Using an in internal threaded anchor such as the fischer FH II provides a particularly reliable hold when anchoring “dynamic furniture” in concrete and allows high-strength grade 8 eyebolts to be inserted. Ropes can either be attached to these directly or with carabine hooks. Bolt anchors such as the fischer FAZ II are another alternative, in which case it is important that the thread does not protrude over the opening of the ring nut and that it is firmly screwed against the anchor’s nut. Inadvertent loosening should also be prevented, which is why additionally securing the ring eyebolt or nut is recommended.

Seating and climbing facilities can also be attached to wood, particularly to supporting and stable beams. But furniture should not just be attached to boarding, in which case an eyebolt or a wood construction screw such as fischer’s Power-Fast II can be used. The screw should be inserted perpendicular to the grain, not to the front side, until it sits tightly. Masonry is a particularly versatile construction material. Seeking individual professional advice is recommended in this case. Two-component injection mortars such as the fischer FIS V fundamentally provide a firm hold in bricks together with suitable accessories such as anchor rods. Internal threaded anchors can also be used in this case and allow objects to be removed and reattached as often as required. Suspended ceilings made of plasterboard or other materials are too risky, as the construction material can fail under the load, causing the fastening to loosen.

Safely installed “swinging furniture” allows children to explore the skies without suffering a crash landing.

 

Katharina Siegel-Rieck
Press relations Officer fischer fixing systems,
fischer Electronic Solutions
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