What device do you use to get a large item to a ceiling?

[ho'ard]

[quote Racer X]

now you need to ask how to attach IT to the ceiling.
The building owner ruled that out for reasons I don't quite recall (it was a hurried discussion).

[OWC Jamie]

[Rain]

Give us a bit more info on the unit you are hanging and what it will be suspended above.

By all means, consider hiring a professional installation company if this will be over workers or customers or your family.

Make sure they are licensed, bonded and insured.

On a weekly basis I am rigging speakers, projectors, and light trusses over places people sit at least once or twice a week - in Church.

Even though a speaker may only weight 40 lb, I will make certain my rigging system has a working load limit of 5x that weight.

To get heavy things up in the air I use Scaffolding, Scissor lifts, Boom Lifts, and just recently, an Electric Articulating Boom Lift.. (had to get 10' up, before we extended 23' out. There were also varying ups and downs for the 7 items we flew and mounted in that sanctuary)

[Paul F.]

If it is not YOUR building, forget every piece of advice about doing it yourself.

Hire someone licensed, bonded, and insured for this, and get a copy of their contractors license and insurance certificate.
Otherwise, in 25 years, when the thing falls and kills someone, an attorney will come knocking at YOUR door.

[ho'ard]

It's unlikely I'll be involved in the actual installation-- just helping track down necessary tools.
Building owner is an engineer, doing his own independent gut job and "green" restoration of a 3-story factory building. He won't let it end up unsafe.
It's an air purifier-- a grey metal box maybe 30"x30"x72"-- lighter than it looks, maybe 100 lbs.

[JoeH]

Does this engineer have practical knowledge of proper mounting and installation methods? That is very important. If not, he might do a theortically good job and still have the unit come crashing down due to a failure in technique.

I base this on something my father, an engineer, told my brothers and me years ago and have found to be all too true. He said we could make a lot of money fixing the results of engineers and their DIY jobs. It was said in the context of DIY car repairs. My brother and his friend became mechanics and made a lot of money fixing botched repair jobs for engineer colleagues of my father. I have seen many other examples in other areas over the years since working for and with engineers. Basically, some actually have practical knowledge of doing things besides designing them to be done by someone else, but many do not. The ones who don't often go beyond what they do know how to do thinking they understand how it should be done. The results I have see have ranged from successful, to partially failing and requiring repairs, and to downright disastrous.

[morlock]