Basement Swing Set

Every kid loves to swing on a swing set. So what do you do when summer is over and it starts to snow outside. Well, some diehard kids will swing in the snow, but why do that when you can have a swing set in your basement! (You can use any indoor space you like, but our basement was a natural).

We have a drop ceiling in our basement and if you pop out a tile and slide it to the side you can see the floor joists above. Perfect structure to attach a swing to! Now swinging can happen all year long without having to bundle up for the cold!

Step 1: Get Your Equipment

Get the right equipment. I originally just pounded nails into the side of the floor joists and hung the swing chains on them. DON'T do this! You can see in the photo the blackened area above the hardware on the side of the joist. This is where the chains rubbed as the kids swung band and forth. This arrangement wore the nail and the chain link until they were almost worn through (see photos). Luckily I spotted the problem before there was a hardware failure and a child was injured. Get the right hardware.

Materials:

Swing Hangers for wood (lag bolt style)

S-hooks

Swing Set Chain

Swing Set Seat

Step 2: Open Up Your Ceiling

Check out your drop ceiling. Lift out tiles and see if you have suitable floor joists.

Pick a location where you are sure you have plenty of space for the arc of the swing.

If you don't have a drop ceiling you can still install a swing, you just have to use a stud finder to locate the floor joists. Make sure that you hit the joist dead-on in the center and what you are screwing the swing hanger into is structurally sound and able to carry the weight.

Step 3: Install Your Swing Hangers

Install your swing hangers into the floor joists. Drill a pilot hole and then screw the swing hanger into place. I used a screw driver for leverage. Make sure the swing hangers are installed an appropriate distance apart and swing parallel to each other and 90 degrees to the intended path of the swing.

Step 4: Hang Your Swing

Install your swing set chains over the hanger hooks. Use your s-hooks to connect the seat to the chains and there you have it - An indoor swing set ready for year-round fun!

Enjoy!