Ceiling Racks a Great Space Saver in a Small Home

Today, Jakob Barry guest posts about how ceiling racks can help save space in a small kitchen:

When the house I grew up in was going to be sold, I was one of the lucky ones who got to clean it out. Among the things that were given to me were a bunch of good quality pots and pans, the kind made to last a lifetime. In a way they already had lasted a good forty years, so I’ll call it two lifetimes!

After packing and shipping my new belongings, the boxes arrived and sat around in my living room for a while till I could figure out what to do with them. It wasn’t that there were so many, but my kitchen in the small home I was living in couldn’t handle the overload.

I probably could have stuffed a few here and there but I generally like to have the abode in reasonable shape, which means as little clutter and extra tchotchkes lying around as possible.

I searched for all kinds of solutions until a friend suggested I was overlooking the obvious to ease my predicament: a kitchen ceiling rack.

I hadn’t thought about using one, but when he described his success in straightening out kitchenware with one of these hanging apparatuses I decided to give it a try.

I learned how kitchen ceiling racks come in all different shapes and sizes which is great for any home, especially small ones that can have odd interior designs.

Furthermore, there’s something about ceiling racks that always provide additional character to a setting. Most professional kitchens use ceiling racks and when one is fitted into a home, the resident comes across a little more chef-like. Their disposition can also add to the décor.

Nevertheless, the most important thing to consider in a ceiling rack for the small home (or any home for that matter) is safety.

No, they don’t bite and aren’t prime targets for thieves, but racks must be secure to the ceiling as the amount of weight they could hold, even in a small home, can be a hazard when falling.

That’s why if you aren’t well versed in DIYing, they should be installed by a handyman who understands what’s behind the walls and ceilings of a home. This includes knowing where joists or studs are for connecting the bolts and chains where the rack hangs. Connecting them to joists will make them sturdy enough to carry their burden.

Two places that aren’t suited for placing your rack:

• Over an oven, as it can be dangerous
• Near a window, as blocking one of the few
  views to the outside world probably won’t enhance the aesthetics.

If you choose to go with a ceiling rack in your small home, it can be a great accessory for the kitchen that won’t get in the way. It will alleviate stress from other areas of the kitchen and best of all you’ll have easy access to some of your favorite pots and pans.

Jakob Barry is a home improvement journalist for Networx.com. He writes about house remodeling for pros across the U.S.

Do you use ceiling racks in your kitchen? What experiences have you had with them? How do you keep dust and pet hair out of your pots and pans?