Electric hoist in loft

[dampsquid]

I'm not very nimble on ladders and want to mount a hoist for carrying boxes of books into my loft for storage.

Will a roof rafter be a suitable mounting point for an electric hoist or will I pull my roof down?

Its a Hilka electric hoist they are about 100 quid from toolstation.

If roof rafter is a bad idea will the floor of the loft be ok? Hoist is rated for 250kg but doubt I will be lifting more than 100 at a maximum.

 

[JohnD]

People who fit love swings, punchbags and gym equipment are usually advised to fit a large wooden bearer spanning several joists in the loft, so the weight goes on the bearer and it is spread over several joists. My loft water tank has a table-like platform doing the same.

You could do the same with rafters or trusses, but the strength will depend on the dimensions and design of your roof timbers.

Modern trussed rafters ("W" shape) are scientifically designed to use the minimum materials and have just enough strength to hold the roof up.

 

[dampsquid]

Cheers mate. I scrapped the winch off in the end and did more trips. Thanks for the advice.

It's a 90s house so they rafters are probably made out of paper mache.

 

[Why Not Indeed]

I screwed a 2x6 across four trusses to fix a rope+pulley to. It's absolutely solid, takes my weight no problem, no hint of a squeak or creak.