The Benefits Of Kitchen Ceiling Pot Racks For The Home

This is a guest post by Jakob Barry. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

When designing, redesigning or simply upgrading a kitchen, ceiling pot racks can be a great way to save space on counters and in cupboards. They also relieve stress from trying to find what you need when cooking since pots and pans would be hanging, literally, at your fingertips.

Until recently ceiling pot racks were probably found more often in industrial kitchens than in homes where wall mounted racks, a similar type of contraption, took precedence. This is probably because mounting something to a wall as opposed to a ceiling is generally easier for most people.

However, wall racks have their drawbacks:

• On some racks hanging pot bodies can take up rack space limiting use.
• Pots may make contact with the wall causing marks or scratches on paint or wood.
• Pot bodies can overlap each other limiting accessibility from one pot to the other.
• Wall racks take up wall space. Regardless of the size of a kitchen this can often take away from the aesthetic feel of the room. It also means less space on the wall for other things like a knife magnet or spice rack.

Ceiling racks provide the following:

• Better storage when there is little space.
• Breathing room between pots and pans.
• Good accessibility.
• An opportunity to free up space elsewhere.
• Character to a kitchen.

One of the most important benefits of ceiling pot racks: With wall racks the home chef will never have to empty out a cabinet in culinary frustration again.

Factors to consider when choosing racks:

There are many different factors to consider when choosing a ceiling pot rack. Some of the most important points to check are the following:

1. Kitchen placement:

• It may seem smart to put a ceiling pot rack over a stove-top because the stove is where you use pots and pans but it’s a dangerous situation that could lead to burns from heat generated by the stove below. Also, steam rising from boiling water, food droplets, or other residue may affect the rack and its contents. That’s why for both of these reasons a popular place to hang the ceiling pot rack is over an island counter or a counter by the wall where the cooking prep process usually begins.
• When deciding on where to hang the rack don’t block light fixtures. Some ceiling pot racks come with their own light fixtures or fixtures can be bought as accessories.
• The rack cannot be hung from just anywhere. Once a ceiling spot is found ceiling joints need to be located. Joints are the most secure areas to install the rack bolts and its support chain, which will be holding the weight of the actual rack and all the pots. If you are not sure of how to go about this hire a professional.

2. Size:

• The width and length of your ceiling rack depends on the placement decision. This is important because it needs to fit in the space you have selected and pots and pans need to be able to hang and be accessed easily without hitting walls or cabinets.
• If the ceiling rack is too close to a cabinet, shelf, or wall this may create a problem with pots denting woodwork or chipping paint.
• The expectation of how many pots and pans need to be stored on the rack will also affect the choice of size.

3. Shape:

• Ceiling racks can be rectangular, square, oval, semi oval and other shapes.
• Aesthetically, the shape of a rack may depend on other shapes in the kitchen such as if the room has a squarer or rounder feel.

4. Composition:

• Kitchen ceiling racks are made from any number of materials including stainless steel, metal, wood, or iron. Although some are seemingly stronger than others, if the one you choose is professionally made and installed correctly it will be strong enough to withstand the weight of your cookware.

5. Style:

• When it comes to style what’s most appropriate usually depends on the kind of kitchen and needs of the homeowner. Ceiling pot rack designs can be very traditional and grid-like or vary greatly in presentation. In essence, there is no right or wrong but personal preference without losing sight of getting the most out of the rack you choose is the key.

Conclusion:

Ceiling pot racks are one of the most useful upgrades a kitchen can receive. They will make life in the culinary environment easier and free up space for other items elsewhere. Choosing the right one for you is not difficult and will be the perfect display for top of the line pots and pans. Just remember, if you decide on purchasing one it’s a good idea to make sure it is professionally installed since an improper installation may lead to other problems down the road.

Jakob Barry is a home improvement journalist for Networx.com. He blogs about practical kitchen topics for pros across the U.S. like Salt Lake City, Utah tile contractors.