Expert: Alan Kahn - 11/3/2006

Question
Hello,

I am planning to put up a heavy bag in my basement, but I want to make sure that I have a suitable/safe place to hang the bag. My basement has an I-beam running across the ceiling, which has a flange of 3 1/4 inches and the bottom the beam is 7 ft 4 inches from the floor.

I plan to use an I-beam hanger attachment and a heavy bag spring (most likely from Title boxing, the links are below).

http://store.titleboxing.com/hbh-2.html
http://store.titleboxing.com/hbs.html

The bag I plan to hang is TKO's 100 lb canvas heavy bag. I took some pictures of the general area to give you a better idea:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/LoSamPao/ibeam11.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/LoSamPao/ibeam10.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/LoSamPao/ibeam8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/LoSamPao/ibeam6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/LoSamPao/ibeam4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/LoSamPao/ibeam.jpg

I have the following questions before I hang the bag:

i) From your experience, are these types of beams strong enough to safely hang a 100 lb bag without causing damage to the house?

ii) Do you think the beam is high enough to properly use the bag, after considering the space taken up by the spring and chains (I am 5'11")? In your opinion, is a spring necessary when hanging heavy bags?

Any other suggestions before I get started? Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Nate

Answer
HI Nate,

Your home I-beam system certainly looks pretty solid from the pictures. I particularly like the extra metal support beam. as far as question (1), I can't really say if that home I-beam is strong enough to work because I don't have any actual experience hanging a bag on an I-beam system. I have hung bags on wall secured systems and corner cross beams, but never home strength I-beams. I would do what you are trying, and I wouldn't hang the bag directly in the center of the unsupported span. I would start hitting lightly at first to judge the sway and swing amount before I got to aggressive on it.

You might try it with the spring first, but I fear your bag will be too low with it. It should be easy to remove.  

I would suggest that you might even videotape yourself hitting it, watching the I-beam support as you contact the bag, and then have someone on the next floor check to see what it is like above the bag.  If the contact shakes the floor too much, you might want to reconsider. YOu don't want to loosen your floorboards from the shaking. Most club level I-beam bags I have seen didn't shake the location too bad, but that was club level, commercial construction.  

good luck with it and I suggest you proceed with caution. Sorry I could be more help, but I really haven't done a home I-beam system myself.

sincerely,

Alan Kahn
author, The Speed Bag Bible