I have an x-pole xpert but am renting so can’t damage the ceiling. How could I protect it without knowing where the beam is too? Would putting a wooden board up with a yoga matt attached stop damage and be safe?

You have to find the beam, it can damage the ceiling if you don't and it's not safe. Use a stud finder or knock on the ceiling to find the beams and direction they run. If you find the beam you don't need anything to protect the ceiling. I have rented for years and never had a problem with my xpoles damaging the ceiling.

Thank you! Sorry for the late reply, is my ceiling most likely to have a joist? Being new flats (I’m not on the top floor) just worried about spending money on a joist finder for no reason. Would the lines in the plaster on the ceiling indicate one? Or the walls that come out either side of the room? Thank you!

Just knock on the ceiling it will go from hollow sounding to solid when you find the joist. 😊

I had an interesting situation a few weeks ago from my ceiling. I've been using an Xpert for a few years now and always made it a point to take it down for a day or two every few months to re-lube it, and usually because it was in the living room and people were coming over. I didnt do that over the last several months and when I took it down for Thanksgiving, it revealed a hairline crack. It definitely was on a joist. I live in an area where there's a lot of freeze/thaw and hunidity changes. Do you think there's and reason that because I didnt take it down for awhile to let the ceiling "breathe", that that's why there's cracking? Could that be a thing to keep in mind? There is a happy ending to the story. My husband was pissed and that was the only spot in the living room on a joist that it could be put up, so it prompted him to finally install my permanent mount in the basement! Home studio time!

If you haven't had any luck yet, I would say that where the light fixture is screwed into the ceiling should be a joist, and typically they are 16 or 24 inches apart. You can use a tape measure starting where the light is to see where 16' and 24' would be. From there take a couple thin nails and test to see if you're nailing into wood or drywall. If you dont mind a couple small holes :) saves me from a stud finder although I'll have to invest in one sooner or later for convenience!