How to store kayaks in a garage?

[nixybrown]

I have a couple of hardshell kayaks I need to store in my new garage. I have a couple of bike hoists I was think of adding some webbing to and using for the job. The plan is the hang the kayaks from the ceiling over where the car is so I can just lower and raise them from the roof racks. My house has a metal frame.  What would be the best way, best fittings, to use to attach the hoists to the metal frame in the ceiling to take the weight? Or would I be better off getting into the cavity and putting some timber across the top of the frame and attaching the hoists through into that?

[EricL]

Hello @nixybrown 

I suggest having a quick look at this discussion - How to mount canoes in shed? by @dondon23. The average weight of a kayak starts from 15 kg all the way up to 30kg depending on the model. The steel frame in your ceiling has been designed to carry the weight of the ceiling covers and the parts that come with it. 

Placing a stationary weight on a single point in the ceiling frame is something that is not accounted for. It might bend or buckle the steel frame. The steel material itself might tear loose and the bike hoist anchoring point might fail due to the thin steel.

I highly advise you to create a written plan initially to get a clear understanding of the available space you can utilize. It's essential to consider whether you have a tilt or roller door and ensure there is sufficient room for their proper operation without any interference from the kayak. Please keep in mind that the bike hoist itself will be occupying space as well.

Putting timber across the frame as the main weight bearer would be a good alternative. But it's important that the timber must not be too heavy and must be strong enough to carry the weight of the kayak.

Let me call on our experienced members @Brad, @Dave-1 and @TedBear for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[nixybrown]

I have a sectional door and will mount the hoists clear of the open door. The hoists have two points that are mounted to the ceiling each with four fixing points. So the weight will be distributed between the two points. I was thinking of attaching to the roof trusses not the battens. I have some framing timber I could run between the trusses which would mean the weight would be distributed between four points on top of the trusses. The heaviest kayak is 18kg. The other is a smaller junior kayak. 

[Dave-1]

Good Morning @nixybrown 

Any chance of a couple of photos of the areas you are thinking of using? There was another question like this in the past few weeks. From memory there were a bunch of solutions offered, will just have a squiz. Just found it here How to mount canoes in shed

I like the idea of a few pulleys type deal so the weight can be distributed across the frames. I know Bunnings sells a whole bunch of pulleys and have stood there looking at them. 

What is the span of your garage? As in a single carport or double? And do you have a ceiling to it before the trusses? From the sound of your second message it looks like you are going the way of hoists. I would love to see a pic once you have done it as this question is popular and everyone has the same wants.

Dave

[MitchellMc]

I'm keen to see those images, too, @nixybrown. Let me know if you need a hand uploading them.

Using the roof trusses is likely a better idea than the battens, but as my colleague has suggested, it's hard to let you know what will and won't work for your metal frame. This is likely a question best posed to the manufacturer of the metal frames as they would be aware of the tolerances for their product. I would hazard a guess to say that they would caution against hanging items from their roofing system as it isn't designed to carry any additional load than the roof structure and sheeting. This isn't to say that what you've suggested won't work; it's just that the roof trusses are not designed for the purpose you suggest.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell