Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 4/25/2009

Question
I want to install a 100 lb boxing bag in my 3-car garage.  My 2-story house was built by DR Horton in 2004.  The garage is drywall finished.  The instructions for hanging the bag state that using 2 lag screws (included with a bracket) and fastening them into a support beam will be sufficient.  When I located a beam 16" from a wall I marked off the center and drilled 2 pilot holes.  The drill bit did not return any wood shavings.  Instead the bit appeared to punch through some kind of metal framing, which seems to be about 2" wide and maybe 1/16" thick.

My question(s):
Could the ceiling in my garage (which is under my sons bedroom) have some sort of 'drop-ceiling' type of metal framing just for the drywall?  Should I make a hole in the ceiling to see what's up there?

Answer
Hi Don, it's possible that your garage ceiling is stripped with metal furring like a "high hat" or a Z metal called "resilient channel"..the resilient channel is common for areas treated for sound transmission or when the ceiling joists are not perfectly in line with on another, the RC allows the drywall installer to adjust the plane of the drywall so that it will be flat.  The RC or high hat is laid across the joists.  A good electronic stud finder can probably find your joists, they lie beyond the channel.  Or you may need to cut a hole just to see what is going on up there.  Or you can start in an inconspicuous spot and if you know what direction your joists are supposed to be running start a line of nail holes that will cross your joists eventually.  Start with one hole and then do them an inch apart until you find an actual joist.  Once you find a real joist then they should be either 16" apart from that point on or 24" apart.  This hunt and peck method isn't too difficult and you can then patch the nail holes with some white painters caulk.  Once you find your joists and locate the spot to hang your bag you may need to cut out a piece of the drywall the size of your mounting bracket and then furr the ceiling from the joist down with a solid piece of plywood blocking.  This way, any gaps between the drywall and the joist will be solidly blocked and allow for a more solid mounting of the bag.  I hope this information helps feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com