How to hang a ceiling light on a hook

Cathy
by Cathy
I have a sunroom with a metal pan style ceiling. How can I put a hook into the ceiling safely to hang a small chandelier. Does not need to be wired, just a hook to hang.
  4 answers
  • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Nov 16, 2014
    If you can find a stud or support in the ceiling, this is where the hook could be safely anchored. There are devices called stud finders that you can get for cheap at the hardware store.
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    • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Nov 16, 2014
      @Cathy I didn't know what you meant. Thought it might be a metal finishing like old tin ceilings! LOL Are the junction pieces visible? Would it be possible to use one of these or it the fixture too heavy. A problem indeed.
  • Tina Kilgore Anchondo Tina Kilgore Anchondo on Nov 22, 2014
    They make drill bits for metal ,
  • Adrianne C Adrianne C on Nov 22, 2014
    The tin would be attached to the rafters. A stud finder may have difficulty finding them due to the metal. They should be 16" on center, but the older homes sometimes didn't follow that. Predrilling would be advisable. Tapping on the ceiling may indicate where the rafters are by the tone.
  • Cinn Cinn on Nov 25, 2014
    It doesn't sound as though just the ceiling is strong enough to support a light fixture. Is the ceiling a solid piece, or are there individual tiles that fit into the connector pieces? If there are tiles that pop out, you could take out the one where you want to hang the chandelier, and pass a wire over the roof strut above. If the roof strut is wood ("stick built" I think is the term the Florida builders use), you could drill into the side of a strut to put a large hook. If the roof struts are metal, maybe you can wind one piece of wire around a strut and hang another wire from it. You could use an "S" hook to hook onto the wire on one side and the chandelier on the other. You'd have to put a small hole in the ceiling tile to pass a loop of wire through. Be sure to tie the wire, if you just wind it around itself, the weight of the chandelier would cause it to slowly unravel over time. Good luck!