How to Hang a Pot Rack

If you're a budding chef, an accomplished cook or just a homeowner with beautiful pots and pans to show off, a hanging pot rack can be a great accessory. Besides adding visual interest, it provides extra storage and frees space in the cabinets. After choosing the style that fits your décor, you can hang the pot rack yourself. Here's how.

Things You'll Need

• Stud finder (optional)
• Drill
• Ceiling screws

Instructions

1. Look for a place to hang your pots that's within reach (this distance will differ for each homeowner). You don't want to hang the pot rack too high for you to reach. Consider your light sources and make sure you don't block ceiling lights or natural light. Think about whether your kitchen needs a focal point, and if that focal point will block the view into another space, such as a great family room.

2. Locate your joists. You can do this one of two ways: use a stud finder or look for nails or nail heads. A stud finder is very simple, only requiring you to slide it across the ceiling and wait for the beep or flash indicating a solid frame. If you don't have a stud finder, you can check for joists every 16" to 24", looking for nails or nail heads and then tapping the area to find the solid frame.

3. Drill the pilot holes. Once you've located the ceiling joists and decided where along the frame you want your pot rack to hang, measure the distance between the chains, and mark your ceiling. Drill the pilot holes, making sure that the holes are no larger than your ceiling hooks.

4. Secure the chains. After screwing the hooks into the ceiling, you can begin to install the rack. Begin this process by deciding how low you want the rack to hang, and adjust the chains accordingly. Hang the chains on the ceiling hooks, doing so without the rack attached to minimize the weight you're carrying over your head.

5. Attach your rack. Once the chains are hanging at the desired length, you can attach the rack to the chains. After this is done, you can begin to hang your pots and pans.

Tips & Warnings

• You may want to rethink the pot rack if you don't use your pots and pans often. If you don't use them regularly, they'll just collect dust.

• Place your pot rack over a kitchen island if possible and not over the stove. If you place the rack above the stove, the pots and pans will collect all the grease from cooking meals.