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What do I
need to know to choose a rack that will work in my home?
You need to know the following measurements:
A)
the height of your ceiling; and
B)
the height of the person using the rack and what a comfortable reach is for
them.
How to figure out the size rack you need:
Find out the height of your ceiling. In the example above, this is 9 ft.
high (see
A).
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 (see
B1).
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 (see
B2).
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 (see
C
above). 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 your Enclume
catalog, the height of the rack is listed. This is from the ceiling to the
bottom of the pot hook.
If, in our example, this person wanted a Three Foot Oval (PR16b), they would
have a rack that is 22" high (see
D
above). Their pots then need to hang
at least
12 inches below here
for them to reach, since their reaching height is 6’2” and the ceiling is 9’
tall. (see
E
above). A small, 2-cup pot is about 10” long; a 12” skillet (with handle) is
about 21” long. Your pots will range from 32” to 43” below the ceiling (F).
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 is hanging over a kitchen
islands. Remember in this case you need to reach not only up, but in. You
need six inches of clearance on all sides, so you’ll need to add to the
distance down you need your pots to hang for you to reach them (see
H
above). See the small pot in the middle of the rack? That will need to hang
toward the outside for you to reach it 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” hanging holes, and most ceilings have 16” joists
(including our example - see
G).
The rack fits nicely, but with Enclume racks needing 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 we 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 eye bolts. They are attached to a plate that has holes drilled
in it at the distance apart that your joists are. 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 options (PR12 and PR13). They
measure only 8.5” high.
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. Chain is sold in 1 foot segments but will be
cut to meet your specifications. The other option is extension hooks, which
come in 5”, 7”, 10” and 15” lengths. Please note that chain and extension
hooks are considered accessories and need to be added to your rack purchase.
Where would I put a rack?
Hanging racks most commonly go over kitchen islands or peninsulas. Other
common places are over a sink or counter. Racks do not have to actually hang
over anything, although a higher ceiling may be needed in order to ensure
adequate clearance of racks in the open.
Wall racks are terrific between cabinets or below a cabinet between two
longer cabinets. Utensil bars are often mounted over stoves or on top of
open space where utensils or pots can hang.
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