Some helpful information on selecting an Enclume Pot Rack for your kitchen: How to figure out the right rack for your house
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What Should I Know About Buying and Installing a Pot Rack from Enclume?
Before you buy your Enclume pot rack, you need to know the following measurements:
• The height of your ceiling.
• The height of the average person using the rack and what a comfortable reach is for them.
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How to figure out the size of pot rack you need:
Find out the height of your ceiling. In the example to the left, this is 9 ft. high. Reach your arm into the air as if you were reaching for the bottom of a pot or pan. Find out what this height is. Typically, this would add 6-10 inches to your height, depending on the length of your arms. In our example, we’ll assume a 5’6” person. They would want the bottom of their pan to be about 6’ 2” up in the air.
Remember: you do not need to be able to reach the hanging hooks on your pot rack. You only need to reach the bottom of the pan to lift it off the hook. |
If you subtract the reaching height from your ceiling height, there are 34 inches of space left over. This space needs to encompass the height of your rack and the length of your pans.
Calculating if the rack fits
Now you need to find out the height of the rack you like. In the Enclume section of our website the height of each rack is listed. This is from the ceiling to the bottom of the pot rack.
If, in the example, this person wanted a Three Foot Oval, they would have a rack that is 22 inches high. Their pots then need to hang at least 12 inches below here for them to reach, since their reaching height is 6 feet 2 inches and the ceiling is 9 feet tall. A small, 2-cup pot is about 10 inches long; a 12 inches skillet (with handle) is about 21 inches long. Your pots will range from 32 inches to 43 inches below the ceiling. You may have to stretch a bit to reach the little pots, but the rack should fit nicely without any adjustments.
Important note: In our example, the racks are hanging over a kitchen island. Remember in this case you not only need to reach up, but also in. You need six inches of clearance on all sides, so you will need to add to the distance from the ceiling you need your pots hang in order to reach them. See the small pot in the middle of the rack? That will need to hang toward the outside for you reach easily.
How do I make adjustments if my rack is not a perfect fit?
In our example, everything works out well with one exception. The Three Foot Oval has 12 inches hanging holes, and most ceilings have 16 inches joists. The rack fits nicely, but Enclume racks need to be mounted into solid wood. If your joist runs parallel with the rack, you can mount it by drilling two holes in the same joist. If your joists are perpendicular, however, then you will need to find another way to hang it.
The easiest way to solve this problem is to use a ceiling plate. A ceiling plate has two eyebolts. They are attached to a plate that has holes drilled in it at the same distance apart as your joists. The ceiling plate is mounted into the ceiling, and the rack hangs from the plate.
Too high or too low?
A different problem would be having a ceiling that hangs with your pots out of reach (too high) or one where the pots are in your way (too low). Enclume racks are generally designed for a 9-foot ceiling. If your ceiling is lower than this, our low-ceiling racks are your best choice. These rack measure only 8.5 inches high. Or, you can go with a wall-mounted rack, such as the Decor Utensil Rack. |
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If your ceiling is higher than this, the rack will need to be lowered. There are two options for this. One is with chain. The advantage with chain is it is flexible; if you are off in your measurement, you can simply take it up a link to make the chain shorter. The other option is extension hooks, which come in 5 to 15-inch lengths. Please note that chain and extensions hooks are considered accessories and need to be added to your rack purchase.
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