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I've used these command strips around the house to hang pictures on the wall and so on (command strips is the brand name, sorry I don't know the generic name).

I'm thinking of getting a pan hanger in the kitchen and using these strips to attach it to the ceiling (rented accommodation, not allowed to drill holes etc.)

But I wonder whether these things will work as well on the ceiling. They're rated up to 7.2 kg and all the pans together are not that heavy, but they do weigh substantially more than a picture.

Has anyone used them on the ceiling?

Edit: the consensus seems to be against using this. Command's ceiling hooks are only rated up to about 200g, so they're no good. Does anyone else know of another brand which is strong enough to allow hanging 'real' things off the ceiling?

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  • Depending on your location, drilling (reasonably-sized) holes is allowed as a renter. It's typically considered "normal wear-and-tear". Don't necessarily cross screws off your list just because you are renting
    – mmathis
    Mar 13, 2017 at 19:31
  • Does your ceiling have any texture? Ceilings are much more likely than walls to have texture, and that would severely reduce the capacity of the Command Strips.
    – mmathis
    Mar 13, 2017 at 19:33
  • No, the ceiling's smooth, just like the walls
    – Ne Mo
    Mar 13, 2017 at 19:35
  • I have used a different brand with holes for zip ties to suspend some festoon lights on several jobs. Probably 5lbs max on each one. They have not broken loose but I think the longest I have had them up was about 6 weeks. They do hold and will rip paint loose of you just try and pull them down instead of pulling the tab.
    – Ed Beal
    Mar 13, 2017 at 19:36
  • @EdBeal the problem is the person who removes them either is not the installer, or has forgotten how Command strips work. They only remember that they are supposed to be removable. This ends in disaster.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Mar 13, 2017 at 20:44

1 Answer 1

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I would absolutely not use those for hanging cookware from a ceiling, no matter how smooth.

  1. Command strips are designed to carry load in shear, parallel with their mounting surface. Your application would have the load in tension, perpendicular to the adhesive. This would result in detachment with much smaller loads or in a shorter timeframe.

  2. The finished surface of the ceiling will also be subjected to tension stress, which could possibly result in severe damage to the paint or underlying paper (in the case of drywall).

  3. You risk serious damage or injury if (when) it all does let go. If history is any guide, this will happen in the dead of night, possibly triggering a violent, dazed, and comical assault on the "intruder" by your home's occupants.

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  • I realise it's not meant to, just wondering if anyone can share actual experience of it (not) working. Nonetheless, you're probably right, so I'll go down another path.
    – Ne Mo
    Mar 13, 2017 at 19:50
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    Extra up-vote for metal image of night-time clatter...
    – Trevor_G
    Mar 13, 2017 at 19:54
  • The bigger issue is that the paint and drywall layers are rather unlikely to bear the direct tension force of the weight of a pot, and/or the dynamic force of you grabbing one. That's why Command's ceiling strips are only good for 200g.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Mar 13, 2017 at 20:41
  • @NeMo, my answer is based on extensive experience as both a homeowner of 20 years and a carpenter/builder of quite a few as well. I doubt that you'll find anyone willing to admit that they tried hanging pots from a ceiling with removable foam tape even if they have, so this is about the best you can expect. :D
    – isherwood
    Mar 13, 2017 at 21:02
  • Fair enough! I'll find another way
    – Ne Mo
    Mar 13, 2017 at 22:40

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