Mounting a Pot Rack on a Vaulted Ceiling: A Step-by-Step Guide
If your kitchen lacks cabinet space, an overhead pot rack can help store your cookware. Such racks are especially useful in rooms with high or vaulted ceilings, turning that otherwise wasted vertical area into functional storage. However, installing a pot rack overhead calls for some careful planning: the support hooks must be anchored into ceiling joists so that the weight of the pots and pans does not cause the hooks to pull out.
By Elliot Hill6 steps
Pot rack hanging from ceiling above window
When cabinet space in a kitchen is tight, an overhead pot rack offers a practical storage solution for pots and pans. These racks are particularly advantageous in kitchens featuring tall or vaulted ceilings, as they put that often idle overhead area to work. Installing a pot rack on a ceiling does take some preliminary checking: the support hooks need to be driven into ceiling joists so that the weight of the items hung on the rack will not cause the hooks to pull free from the ceiling.
Step 1
Take measurements of the pot rack at the spots where it will be mounted. Using cardboard, cut a template of that size, and clearly indicate the mounting points on it.
Step 2
Set up a tall ladder beneath the spot where the pot rack is to be installed. Hold the cardboard flat against the ceiling and use a pencil to mark where the mounting positions fall. Run a stud finder around or close to each mark, and draw a small X at each ceiling joist you locate.
Step 3
Shift the cardboard so that the mounting positions line up over the ceiling joists, adjusting the pot rack's location accordingly. Mark the new, corrected position.
Step 4
Drive heavy-duty screw eyes into the ceiling joists at the mounting positions. Keep turning the screw eyes until they are fully embedded in the joist and sit tight against the ceiling.
Step 5
Connect a lockable link to each screw eye. This type of link has a screw closure, which lets you attach it to both the screw eye and the chain before tightening the link shut.
Step 6
Hang the pot rack by fastening the chains to the lockable links. Place a level on top of the pot rack to check and adjust its levelness. After the rack is level, screw the locks closed on the links and use a bolt cutter to remove any excess chain.
