First, I would check to see if your home owner's insurance covers house implosions. If so, then you are relatively safe to start your exploratory probing. I prefer to do mine when the wife or significant other is away, and don't worry about dilly, dallying around, just open the drywall ceiling up to see what you've got under there.
Now, my preferred tool of choice for that would be something delicate, say, like a Tim the Toolman Taylor ten pound sledge. Once you smash a hole in the ceiling, if you haven't been eletrocuted, and there are not any broken major water lines, you should be in good shape to inspect the inside of the ceiling for major support beams. And, what ever you do please remember to wear goggles, because it is all fun and games until someone loses and eye.
Now, before we go any further, how does your wife feel about about say 6 to 8, 3/4" diameter lag bolts sticking up about 5 inches through the floor in the living room or kitchen area, in a high traffic walkway. You may have to wrap those with sponge padding, if she has sensative shin bones or walks around a lot barefoot.
Just kidding. :icon_lol:
In all honesty, if you do choose to go with a free standing mount or wall mount, just be sure it will hold your bag high enough, as some cheaper ones won't. If you need to ceiling hang, use a stud finder and mark the location of the floor support rafters, a small exploratory hole or plans where water and electrical lines run would be very helpful. After that, it would probably be best to run two to three shorter 2x6's between the major support beams, and brace and secure them well. Attach a strong metal bracket to those, and do not, I repeat, do not, forget to include a heavy bag spring in the chain length and swivel, between the bag and the mount. Determine how much room the chain will need to swing where it goes through the drywall ceiling, and make and finish your hole accordingly. If you do not want the bag to swing, then it is even easier. That's it.
You can do it, we all have confidence in you, and photos of the completed project are always welcomed.
:icon_chee
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