Holds on a ceiling?

The family room in my basement is a combination home gym and playroom. The other day I was looking at the ceiling and thinking I should throw some climbing holds up there for general dicking around purposes. This video is the room in question. Not much of a look at the ceiling but it gives you an idea of the space.



There isn't the space to build a real indoor wall, and traversing the ceiling seems like it would be fun. What would you recommend for some nice juggy holds that I could screw right into the joists?

Yea that's obvious and works. Or bolt a ladder up there. I had a big ceiling in my gym and often enjoyed the ladder more than jugs.

Not sure on the actual holds. We have a ceiling in the climbing room in the basement that has a mix of metolious seconds from a local shop and holds from cheap holds. Got them a long time ago so not up to date on what's available.

I'm not sure putting holds directly into the joists is going to be very effective. With a 1.5" joist the holds are only going to be able to be screwed in in one direction as I think some of the big jugs that are screw in have 2 holes for screws. May or may not be comfortable. If you can find large holds with a single screw attachment that would give more possibilities.

Better solution is either the ladder as mentioned or put a strip of plywood down the center of the room with tee nuts on a 6 to 8 inch grid. This will spread the load out and reduce the risk of cracking the Sheetrock. We turned a 10x10x7.5 room in the basement into a gear storage/climbing cave. Used plywood and tee nuts at 6". Gives lots of options for hold placements so we can quickly reset routes.

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Originally Posted by Flounder

This will spread the load out and reduce the risk of cracking the Sheetrock.

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Heh, this is not a concern. The ceiling is a piece of shit as it is.

I think I'd go for the traverse wall. Fir strips and 3/4 ply with t-nuts (or screw-ins) along the wall. If you're determined to get on the ceiling, I'd do a similar thing and possibly step up to 1" depending on the load. A hold pulling through on a roof is bad-news for the climber.

There's too much stuff along the walls for a traverse wall to work (couch, spin bike, shelving, window, squat rack just out of view in the video). Putting ply strips along the joists and then mounting holds to the strips is a good idea. Do you have any suggestions for holds to buy?

is that your kid? Because holy crap your kid had grown since I picked up those skis! Is this what getting old feels like?

I'd second the plywood or frame. That way you don't have holds just where the joists are and can play around with the spacing a bit. The point about the large holds having multiple screws is a good one. I think climbing gyms have to retire holds at some point. My friends had a shed converted into a bouldering chamber when I was in salt lake. I can see if I can find out where they got the holds

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Originally Posted by abraham

is that your kid? Because holy crap your kid had grown since I picked up those skis! Is this what getting old feels like?

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Yep, just turned 5 a few weeks ago. They simultaneously make you feel old and keep you young.

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Originally Posted by Dantheman

Do you have any suggestions for holds to buy?

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Like Abe said, check the local gym for retirees. Then Craigslist/Ebay. If you go new, these guys have the best bang for the buck. https://www.atomikclimbingholds.com/

Pretty sure theses were metolious. Too lazy to walk to the other side of the basement to get an Allen wrench and pull one off.

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You'd think the big honkin holds would make it easy to traverse. Not so much.

Here's some of mrs flounders humor

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+1 for metolious. We had them back in 2006 and they had rings and big jugs

You said basement. So you have big floor joists over your head. Lots of options spaced every 16 inches think there is any space between the drywall and the floor joists? I’m not sure

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Originally Posted by shalishkhan

seems like you have felt it deep.

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Excellent first post jong.

A drywall ceiling usually has strapping going opposite the joists. So make sure you are bolting into the joists. Strapping ain’t gonna hold ya.

HI!