Where to hang a punching bag?

[bluphysted]

This may sound a wee odd.

I have a furnished basement, which has a suspended ceiling, and a typical foundation support pole in the middle of it.

Would it be bad for me to, uh, kick the daylights out of it? 8)

I was thinking of wrapping some heavy padding around it, and using it as a striking post.

Will this cause a problem with the house?

Sorry if this sounds ridiculous, but I'm serious..

Also, in regards to potentially damaging the joists, floor boards above, etc.. where would be the best place to hang a heavy punching bag? Precautions?

[Goedjn]

Depends on how much headroom you've got. A 4x4 mounted across a series of 6 or so joists, and the bag hung from about a foot of bungie-cord should be ok, but you probably don't have the headroom for that. If you can't do that, I'd look into a pedestal/floor-mount bag, instead of a hanging one.

[hallerb]

punching bags normally hang free, when you punch it it gives, then bounces back.

i doubt you could harm the house support post, but it wouldnt give.

i would hang it from the beam the post supports nearby

[PipeDown]

Depends on how hard you hit it. Obviously if you knock it loose, you will leave some beam unsupported but this would probably not (but could) result in immediate collapse of something (the cieling). At the very least you are inviting the floor above to develop a squeek if you induce settling (this is a risk wherever you stress the basement cieling)

If I were a lawyer I would say no way just to cover my ass but if you can evaluate how the post is tied into the beam and floor, you may be able to justify hitting it some. For example if the bottom is in concrete and the top is secured with a steel bracket, sounds good to me.

Normally these support posts are concrete filled steel pipes and are held in place just by the downward force of the house on top of them, putting a fallen one back in place would probably require a tall jacking device.

If you decide to go with a standard punching bag, secure it at the intersection of a beam and joist (or similar intersection) rather than along the length of a joist, this will reduce vibration in both directions. Then you can chain it to the floor with an eye bolt drilled and epoxied in place. If you are a really heavy hitter, reinforce that wooden intersection with steel plates, braces and angles wherever you can fit them and consider some additional blocking between the adjascent joists to further stiffen the subfloor and reduce vibration (do this if you have to mount in the middle of a joist span too).

[Colbyt]

I think I am going to skip "kicking the post". Seriously if someone failed to do their job properly it might cause problems.

Now the punching bag. I have some serious experience with this one. My, at that time, teen-aged son hung his from the I beam in the basement when we first moved in. The vibrations went through the whole house. When he was punching we all knew about it.

It only took a few days for me to decide a better solution was needed. I built a hanging place for that bag. Too lazy to go to the basement and take a picture tonight. Attached to the wall it worked great. Post back and I will load a couple of pics for you.

[ColdShroom]

Thanks fellas..

I'd like to have enough room to be able to move around it, and kick it.. but I also know what it's like to having the whole house shake. I was thinking of hanging it in my garage, but I can see rattling the bejesus out of my bedroom above it.

I have a tiled floor above my basement as well, and concerned over that.

Guess Ill just have to keep beatin' up the neighbours..

(I would like to see those pics mate.. can you email them to me?)

[I.dont.read.email]

If your marriage is as bad as it sounds, I'd suggest hanging it above your wifes' bed, right over her pillow. Wait till she is asleep and start punching. Be sure to hit it hard and be sure the ceiling plaster supports it. If for some reason the plaster breaks, be assurred that the punching bag will land on her head and no harm will be done to the punching bag, but your old bag of a wife will suffer bruises and possibly require hospitalization. I suggest you check and be sure her health insurance is up to date before you start punching.