If you truly love houseplants, you’ve probably noticed that the flat surfaces of your place are getting full of decorative foliage in various shapes and sizes.
If you need to grow or store plants and are running out of space, the only place to go is up!
Hanging plants from your ceiling will save space, but it also looks aesthetically pleasing (and keeps your plants out of reach of children or pets)!
To hang plants from a ceiling correctly takes the right hardware.
What to Anticipate? In this article, we will cover some fundamental elements behind selecting the right ceiling hooks for hanging plants and how to hang the plants securely from your ceiling.
Why is the right ceiling hook important?
If your plan is simply to use Gorilla glue or duct tape and just hope for the best, stop and think.
The way you hang your plant from your ceiling needs to be very secure and able to support the weight of the plant and pot, or you will damage the ceiling and your plant when it falls to the floor.
The hook also needs to sink into your ceiling material and have a good hold, which is sometimes not straightforward.
You can easily and safely hang your plants with the right tools for the job.
Here are some suitable ceiling hooks for hanging plants
These are standard choices for ceiling hooks for your deck/patio hanging baskets and containers.
The hook size, type, and diameter will determine the weight of your installation.
Pick from these four options.
Option 1: The hook screw
Hook screws or screw hooks are very basic, reliable, and quick to install.
Hook screws are the most used solution for hanging plants from your ceiling. In fact, some screw hooks can hold 50 lbs.
A hook screw is just a metal hook with a threaded shank where you can screw it into the stud or joist of the ceiling after you make a guide hole with the drill.
Here are some examples of hook screws you can find for sale online.
Option 2: The toggle-bolt
A toggle bolt, also known as a butterfly anchor, is an option for installing your ceiling hook in drywall or suspended ceiling.
These lighter ceilings will support less weight per hook, usually around 15 pounds to 25 pounds.
A toggle bolt has a hook, bolt, and spring-loaded wings that go through a small drilled hole and open on the inside of the ceiling.
The hook is then able to support its load by distributing the weight with a wide grip on the inside of the ceiling.
Here are a couple of toggle bolts you can buy online.
Option 3: The S-hook
The S hook is a convenient drill-free solution if you have something to hang your planter on.
One side of the S hook slides over available beams or pipes, and you use the other side as a hook for your planter.
There are many different types of S hooks you can purchase online. Here are a few examples:
Option 4: Drop ceiling hooks
Some excellent modern designs offer a dependable no-drill option for drop ceilings.
These hooks clip onto the suspended ceiling frame without penetrating the ceiling tiles.
Here is a sample of drop ceiling hooks that can be found online.
Option 5: Heavy-duty ceiling hooks
Heavy-duty ceiling hooks are your typical ceiling hook with a circular metal plate that the hook extends out of.
This type of hook can hold a maximum weight of 50 pounds.
You can attach the metal plate to the ceiling joist through three or more holes on the metal plate.
Here are just a few examples of heavy-duty ceiling hooks that you can buy online.
How to hang plants from your ceiling
Creating a lovely hanging display with hanging planters, hanging plants, and the proper ceiling hook is easy to do.
Let’s walk through the steps for hanging plants from your ceiling.
First up, here’s the tools you’ll need:
- A plant hanger (if you are a macrame fanatic, this is the time to put your skills to good use)
- A ceiling hook that is suitable for the job
- A stud locator to help you find the ceiling stud and joist
- A power drill
- Pencil
- A step ladder
Step 1: Choose the planter(s) for the plant(s) you want to hang
There are a lot of styles for hanging planters such as rope, geometric, metal, and plastic hanging planter pots.
Make sure that the planter is equipped with a solution for draining or select a self-watering planter.
Additionally, there is a greater variety of shapes including rectangular or novelty shapes that may require more than one ceiling hook.
It will all depend upon the plant you select for hanging.
Step 2: Select a suitable location on your ceiling
Similar to a wall with a picture on it, you need access to a part of a ceiling that has sufficient structural strength support, accessibility to the underside for watering and growing the plants.
You also need is a ceiling material that is not too hard, too soft, or crumbling. Of course, there is no access to lighting, wires, and pipes in close proximity.
Step 3: Choose a suitable ceiling hook
Use the guide above to choose the correct ceiling hook for the job.
The type of hook that will work best to hang a planter will primarily depend on 3 factors: the size and weight of your planter, plus plant, and the type of ceiling you have.
If you want your plants to live and thrive, avoid using the quick solution of plastic hooks or self-adhesive hooks to hang plants from the ceiling.
Step 4: Install your ceiling hook
Collect your materials and hardware, including a way to access the ceiling hook, for instance, a stepladder.
Using a pencil, mark the location for the ceiling hook.
For a ceiling hook, the strongest location to screw in is immediately into a joist or stud in the ceiling. Use the stud finder and look for the nails or screws in the joist before you screw in the ceiling hook.
Drill pilot holes for the skank of your hook or the screw holes for your ceiling hook. Pilot holes should always be appreciably smaller than the diameter of the screw threads.
It is just to get the point of the hook or screw into the celing.
Feed the screw or shank of your hook into the hole you drilled and manually screw it into the hole until the base of the screw is flush with your ceiling.
Alternative 1: Installing a toggle bolt in drywall ceilings
If you have a drywall ceiling, without a solid beam or stud to secure your ceiling hook, you can use a toggle bolt to provide the hold you need:
- Find a hollow spot in your ceiling and mark it with a pencil.
- Using your drill, drill a ½ inch hole, about the size of the closed toggle-bolt.
- Take the toggle bolt in hand, and with your fingers, close its wings and push the bolt through the hole.
- Once the wings are fully through the hole and opened in space, tighten the bolt of the toggle for a secure fit.
Alternative 2: Installing an S-hook on an exposed pipe or beams
If accessing an accessible ceiling support with a hook or beam is an option, you are in luck as you can easily hang your plants with a hook that does not require any drilling!
All you need is an S-hook to hang your plants.
The S-hook simply slips over the pipe, leaving a curved hook in position for hanging the plants.
Step 5: You’re ready to hang your plant!
Now that you have a foolproof hook in place, it’s time to move your plant to its new apartment in the sky!
The fact that you put the time and effort into properly installing your hook means you can trust that gravity won’t have its way with it.
Rounding up
You have absolute nothing to worry about when it comes to suspending your own indoor hanging garden.
Provided you have the right hardware and installation methods, you could easily suspend a small tree from your ceiling!
Always make sure to check the weight capacity of the hook you choose to suspend your plants so you can rest assured they are totally safe there.
The only thing to worry about now is keeping your new friend watered!