1. Mounting A Pot Rack To A Ceiling
Take a Look at - Rogar
I recently bought a ceiling mounted pot-rack for my kitchen. I researched the Internet and other
resources to find a mounting procedure. The pot rack I bought has installation and assembly
instructions, as do most pot-racks. However, the directions do not explain how to physically mount
the pot-rack to the ceiling, or specifically recommend a junction box that can handle the load of the
pot-rack.
Normally I would not be that concerned about this, such as, I have a fan in my kitchen that is
mounted to a ceiling junction box and I have had no problems with the installation. That is, it has
not shown any signs of failing. Moreover, I replaced the fan about every 6 years and never had a
problem,
But a pot-rack weighs significantly more than a fan, and I was concerned that the junction box for
the fan would not hold a pot-rack. I asked the salesman in the store from where I bought it how do I
mount the pot rack to the ceiling, they told me they weren't sure. I asked several electrical
contractors about what they would do, one electrical contractor was very helpful and gave the help I
needed.
He suggested I use a special mounting bracket that has an adjustable rod that fits between two joists,
the rod has threads in it and when the rod is turn it will expand or contract to fit between joists 16 to
24 in apart. There are claw like ends on the rod, as the rod expands the claws grab on the joists.
Please use appropriate instructions. In my case I have 16" spacing. He said that these are available
at home improvement stores located in the fan section. The nice thing about these mounting
brackets is that you don't need to go up in an attic to install it, provided that power is available and
accessible.
I found several models of this type. Some looked stronger than others. The prices ranged from 10
-20 dollars. The important thing to look for is the weight capacity of the mounting bracket. The
average weight of a hanging pot rack is about 34- 80 pounds. Check the manufacturer for the actual
weight. Usually the box that the pot-rack came in will not show the weight. My pot rack weighed
35.7 pounds, the rating on the mounting bracket was 120 pounds with a ceiling joist of 16 inches.
Locating where to hang the pot rack: Place the pot-rack center over the center of the area of where it
will hang. Place some masking tape on a counter where the center of the pot-rack is to hang and
make mark on the tape. Use a plumb bob to find the spot on the ceiling that lined up with the mark
on the counter. This point on the ceiling will be the center the junction box.
Making the hole in the ceiling: Prior the making a whole for mounting bracket verify that the joists
are in a position such that it would not interfere with center position of the pot rack and the bracket.
Otherwise the center point will need to be moved to another location. Find an acceptable location,
cut a 4 inch diameter hole in the ceiling using the marked point on the ceiling as the center point.