I am installing a series of pull-up bars all the way down my hallway, kind of like really spaced out monkey bars, and would like some advice on my proposed design, b/c I have zero experience with construction, and I want to make sure this is safe.
These bars will need to hold the forces of an 82kg (180lb) person swinging on them and between them.
So far, I have attached a 2×6 Spruce-pine-fir (SPF) board to each side of the hallway, using long deck screws driven into the studs:
This seems to hold really well and supports my weight comfortably.
Next I need to figure out how to attach these flanges to the wood:
Those are 0.25" holes in the base of that flange. These flanges will be holding the steel tubes that will span the width of the hallway.
I guess the most obvious idea is to use lag screws to attach the flanges into the the wood, so something like this:
https://www.lowes.ca/screws/classic-railing-brown-lag-screws-2-12-in-24-count_g2437448.html
Or like this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-4-in-x-2-in-Galvanized-Lag-Screw-25-Pack-803720/204282531
My concern is that I cannot find definitive info about the shearing force the lag screws can withstand when used with the 2×6 SPF lumber, and I am concerned that there's only 1-3/8" of wood that will be holding the screws. There'll be 4 screws per side, but this still seems a little sketchy to me, considering that I plan to swing on these bars.
My best idea so far is to use 1 long lag screw, and 3 short ones per flange. The long one goes into the stud in the top hole, so the existing deck screw above it shouldn't interfere with the strength of the lag screw (which is likely not true for the bottom hole, where the deck screw would be right under the lag screw, right?).
My secondary idea is to use small 2×6 sections to double-up the wood where the bars attach, thus giving the lag screws 2-3/4" of wood to bite into, but I'm not sure whether this is necessary?
What do you think? Will this hold? Any advice would be much appreciated!
Best Answer
4-each on each end of 1-1/2"x #12 screw is plenty to hold the body weight of a hefty adult male. No need for second layer of lumber. No need to extend through the 2x6 into the stud. Your 2x6 needs to be secured to every stud, 16" on center, with at least 3" construction screws; not sheet rock screws.
The screws you show from Lowe's would be a good choice for the flanges. They don't need to be that long. Predrill your holes to the size of the screw shaft, not the thread diameter. With predrilling the screws will hold with more strength.