I live in a condo (spackle-covered concrete ceiling) and want to install
a ceiling hook to use to swag a pendant light to centre it over my
dining table.

What's the best way to go about installing the hook so
that it stays securely in the ceiling (the last thing I want is for it
and/or the light to come crashing down on my glass dining table)?

Someone suggested a concrete anchor (the sleeve type that expands when
you insert the screw...is it called a lead anchor?), but I wasn't sure
how well that would work in a ceiling (as opposed to a wall). Another
option I thought of is to use one of those special concrete screws,
though I'm not sure what type of hook I could use in conjunction with
one of those...

Any suggestions for a secure installation would be appreciated.

Thanks!

If you buy a fixture swag kit, you will get hooks and studs with toggle
wings and things called gimlets, which is a screw that is half machine screw
and half wood screw. If you have a drill, you can buy a 3/16 inch carbide
masonry bit to drill the concrete, then use a 3/16 plastic anchor, which
goes in the hole, then you screw the gimlet to the hook and screw the
assembly into the plastic anchor in the ceiling and you're done
"Gita" wrote in message
...
I live in a condo (spackle-covered concrete ceiling) and want to install
a ceiling hook to use to swag a pendant light to centre it over my
dining table.

What's the best way to go about installing the hook so
that it stays securely in the ceiling (the last thing I want is for it
and/or the light to come crashing down on my glass dining table)?

Someone suggested a concrete anchor (the sleeve type that expands when
you insert the screw...is it called a lead anchor?), but I wasn't sure
how well that would work in a ceiling (as opposed to a wall). Another
option I thought of is to use one of those special concrete screws,
though I'm not sure what type of hook I could use in conjunction with
one of those...

Any suggestions for a secure installation would be appreciated.

Thanks!

On Thu, 7 Apr 2005 17:05:45 -0400, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

If you buy a fixture swag kit, you will get hooks and studs with toggle
wings and things called gimlets, which is a screw that is half machine screw
and half wood screw. If you have a drill, you can buy a 3/16 inch carbide
masonry bit to drill the concrete, then use a 3/16 plastic anchor, which
goes in the hole, then you screw the gimlet to the hook and screw the
assembly into the plastic anchor in the ceiling and you're done
"Gita" wrote in message
...
I live in a condo (spackle-covered concrete ceiling) and want to install
a ceiling hook to use to swag a pendant light to centre it over my
dining table.

What's the best way to go about installing the hook so
that it stays securely in the ceiling (the last thing I want is for it
and/or the light to come crashing down on my glass dining table)?

Someone suggested a concrete anchor (the sleeve type that expands when
you insert the screw...is it called a lead anchor?), but I wasn't sure
how well that would work in a ceiling (as opposed to a wall). Another
option I thought of is to use one of those special concrete screws,
though I'm not sure what type of hook I could use in conjunction with
one of those...

Any suggestions for a secure installation would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I would avoid the plastic anchors for this job. Maybe in the wall,
but not in the ceiling to hang a lamp over an expensive glass table.

"Gita" wrote in message
...
I live in a condo (spackle-covered concrete ceiling) and want to install
a ceiling hook to use to swag a pendant light to centre it over my
dining table.

What's the best way to go about installing the hook so
that it stays securely in the ceiling (the last thing I want is for it
and/or the light to come crashing down on my glass dining table)?

You did not specify the weight of the fixture. Most will be under 15 pounds.

A tapcon screw sunk 1" into the concrete and securely tightened (I say
securely because sometime they strip out) will support 15 pounds with no
problems. The problem is finding a hook that can be attached using a tapcon.

All the ceiling hooks that look good that I have seen are the ones sold with
a toggle or machine thread/lag screw combo.The toggle won't work in
concrete. You will have to use the combo screw.

My pesonal experinces have been that the non-conical, fluted plastic
concrete anchors have the same or more holding power than a lead anchor. A
picture link for illusration puposes only:

http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/pro...source=froogle

If you go this route or the lead anchor buy the anchor that is on the low
end of the scale to increase the compressive power. Example: If the anchor
is good for screws size 10-12, use it with a 12 screw.

And here may be more reading than you care to do on the subject:

http://www.chase-pitkin.com/How-To/P...an/masonry.htm



Colbyt











Someone suggested a concrete anchor (the sleeve type that expands when
you insert the screw...is it called a lead anchor?), but I wasn't sure
how well that would work in a ceiling (as opposed to a wall). Another
option I thought of is to use one of those special concrete screws,
though I'm not sure what type of hook I could use in conjunction with
one of those...

Any suggestions for a secure installation would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Gita wrote:

I live in a condo (spackle-covered concrete ceiling) and want to install
a ceiling hook to use to swag a pendant light to centre it over my
dining table.

What's the best way to go about installing the hook so
that it stays securely in the ceiling (the last thing I want is for it
and/or the light to come crashing down on my glass dining table)?

Someone suggested a concrete anchor (the sleeve type that expands when
you insert the screw...is it called a lead anchor?), but I wasn't sure
how well that would work in a ceiling (as opposed to a wall). Another
option I thought of is to use one of those special concrete screws,
though I'm not sure what type of hook I could use in conjunction with
one of those...

Any suggestions for a secure installation would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Molly bolt.

RBM rbm2(remove wrote:
If you buy a fixture swag kit, you will get hooks and studs with toggle
wings and things called gimlets, which is a screw that is half machine screw
and half wood screw. If you have a drill, you can buy a 3/16 inch carbide
masonry bit to drill the concrete, then use a 3/16 plastic anchor, which
goes in the hole, then you screw the gimlet to the hook and screw the
assembly into the plastic anchor in the ceiling and you're done

I did buy one of those kits, but was unconvinced that a plastic anchor would
have sufficient holding capability when used in a vertical orientation.
They seem to work their way out of drywall (horizontal installation) over
time, so I wasn't sure about using them overhead.

Colbyt wrote:

"Gita" wrote in message
...
I live in a condo (spackle-covered concrete ceiling) and want to install
a ceiling hook to use to swag a pendant light to centre it over my
dining table.

You did not specify the weight of the fixture. Most will be under 15 pounds.

I'd guess that the fixture is at most 7 lbs.

A tapcon screw sunk 1" into the concrete and securely tightened (I say
securely because sometime they strip out) will support 15 pounds with no
problems. The problem is finding a hook that can be attached using a tapcon.

All the ceiling hooks that look good that I have seen are the ones sold with
a toggle or machine thread/lag screw combo.The toggle won't work in
concrete. You will have to use the combo screw.

That's what I bought. The previous condo owner had also swagged her light
(but was not kind enough to leave the hook!)...I'm not sure what she used,
but it left a huge hole (much larger than the combo screw and the space I'd
imagine the anchor would occupy). I plan to drill a new hole and spackle
over the old one anyway...probably the safer than recycling the hole, right?

My pesonal experinces have been that the non-conical, fluted plastic
concrete anchors have the same or more holding power than a lead anchor. A
picture link for illusration puposes only:

http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/pro...source=froogle

Ah, NON-CONICAL. I hadn't seen one of those before. Perhaps that's what
RBM was referring to in their reply.

Ron Tock's reply and the pictures from the Chase-Pitkin website made me
realize I was thinking of a molly bolt and not a lead anchor...

Thanks - I will try some of the suggestions and see what happens!

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gita"
Newsgroups: alt.home.repair
Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 10:30 AM
Subject: Installing a ceiling hook


Colbyt wrote:

That's what I bought. The previous condo owner had also swagged her light
(but was not kind enough to leave the hook!)...I'm not sure what she used,
but it left a huge hole (much larger than the combo screw and the space
I'd
imagine the anchor would occupy). I plan to drill a new hole and spackle
over the old one anyway...probably the safer than recycling the hole,
right?

If the hole is close to the right size for the toggle and located where you
want it, by all means use it. Takes a pretty large hole to push the toggle
through.

Rich256 wrote:
I'd
imagine the anchor would occupy). I plan to drill a new hole and spackle
over the old one anyway...probably the safer than recycling the hole,
right?

If the hole is close to the right size for the toggle and located where you
want it, by all means use it. Takes a pretty large hole to push the toggle
through.

It's a concrete ceiling...I can't use a toggle (assuming you mean
those spring-loaded wing type toggles) unless I want to drill
through my upstairs neighbor's floor.

snipped

"Gita" wrote in message
...
You did not specify the weight of the fixture. Most will be under 15
pounds.

I'd guess that the fixture is at most 7 lbs.


http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/pro...source=froogle

Ah, NON-CONICAL. I hadn't seen one of those before.

At 7 pounds of weight, I think you will be fine using the plastic anchor
above. Take the combo screw that came with your hook kit to the hardware
store. Find the correct size anchor and then buy a combo screw that has the
wood screw threads as long as the anchor. I recall that there is only about
an inch of coarse threads on the one that comes in the kit and that the
anchors when you get up to that size are about 1.5". If it was on a wall I
would use the shorten one.

For best results use a hammer drill to drill a clean hole. If can't use a
hammer drill, consider down sizing you bit one size then after the wobble
effect you will be about right.

Colbyt

On 8 Apr 2005 20:04:28 GMT, Gita wrote:

Rich256 wrote:
I'd
imagine the anchor would occupy). I plan to drill a new hole and spackle
over the old one anyway...probably the safer than recycling the hole,
right?

If the hole is close to the right size for the toggle and located where you
want it, by all means use it. Takes a pretty large hole to push the toggle
through.

It's a concrete ceiling...I can't use a toggle (assuming you mean
those spring-loaded wing type toggles) unless I want to drill
through my upstairs neighbor's floor.

If the hole she left is round and the concrete is not crumbling, I'd
sure use it if it is the correct size or can be drilled out to a
correct size. So much easier.......