How to Hang a Hammock

Imagine retreating to a classic rope hammock on your porch or inside your house. If you want to hang a hammock fixed to one place, consider the dimensions and the required hardware needed first.

• When you hang a fabric or a rope hammock to stay fixed in place, you don't want it to break off from the wall mounts.
• The right place to secure your hammock inside is between the wood studs of two walls, two solid wood posts or two ceiling joists. If you live in a building that has metal studs, don’t try to hang a hammock from them. The weight of the hammock can bend metal studs and even cause structural damage. When you’re hanging a hammock from a porch, you need to know if the columns or supports are decorative or functional. Choose supports that are strong enough to support a hammock.
• Use a stud finder to locate two wall studs at a distance of about 14 to 16-feet across from each other. That's how much space most hammocks will need to stretch from end to end with an optimum height and distance from the floor. You don't want the hammock to sag too close to the floor when it's weighed down by people using it.
• Each end of a hammock will need to be mounted higher than the hammock itself and at least 4-feet from the floor.
• A good rule to determine the distance needed from post to post is to add 2 feet to the overall length of the hammock you purchased.
• The more weight you put into the hammock, the closer it will sag toward the floor.
• Some rope or fabric hammocks will stretch more than others. Consider the material your hammock is made with for its stretch potential and the amount of weight you will put on that type of material.

For example, if you have a 12-foot hammock, you will need about 14-feet of space from wall stud to wall stud where you will install the mounting hardware. The farther the distance from one end of the mounting space to the other, the more the hammock will be stretched out horizontally across this space. The more stretched it becomes, the less the hammock's middle portion will sag once you're in it.

When you have picked the right space for your hammock, begin by installing the hardware fasteners it will need to hook onto.

• Locate the wood wall studs or the wood joists in a ceiling.
• Use a stud finder to make sure you have located a wall's wood stud.
• Mark the stud's center at the desired height placement.
• At that center mark, drill a pilot hole for a screw eyes fastener with a general purpose 3/8-inch bit.
• Use heavy-duty carabiners, S-Hooks or short chains to fasten the hammock's ends to the screw eyes hardware.

A hammock can be suspended from a wall stud to a ceiling joist, a wall-to-wall mount or from ceiling joist to ceiling joist. Most rope or fabric hammocks will come with hanging guidelines for the size hammock you purchased. Read the guidelines carefully before choosing a mounting location.

To easily hang and remove a portable hammock outdoors for camping or in a yard, use tree straps or two lengths of rope for each end of the hammock.

Choose two sturdy trees about 14 to 16 feet apart. The trees you choose should be large and healthy. If a tree has any rotten parts or holes in it, don’t attach a hammock to it. Look overhead to check for dead branches or anything else that can fall out of the tree and onto the hammock. Don’t hang up a hammock outside during stormy weather. You could get struck by lightning.

Once you’ve found two healthy trees, tie on the tree straps according to the instructions. Attach the ends of the hammock to the tree straps.

You can also wrap a sturdy rope around two trees to hang a hammock. Rope can damage or even kill trees, however. Ideally, protect the tree from contact with the rope directly. You can use rope covers or part of a garden hose to cover the rope before attaching it to the to tree. You could also place cloth items, like a bandana or socks, on the tree trunk before you tie on the rope. When you're done using the hammock, remove the rope from the trees as soon as possible.

You can also choose a hammock in a stand, which can work outdoors, on a porch or even inside your house. This kind of hammock does not require screwing fasteners into a wall. Instead, it comes with an easy-to-assemble stand that can be moved around as needed.

Outdoor pillows and throws in a variety of colors and fabrics are great hammock accessories that can be changed with the seasons. Decorative touches will make your new hammock space even more appealing.