Thread: Ceiling suspended backlights and Command Hook limits?

Tweet

I am decorating one whole room with blacklights and I have a whole bunch of 4 ft blacklights ranging in weight from 3-5 lbs. The big 3M Command Hooks are rated for 7.5 lbs each but that is assuming it's being hung on the wall and the weight is pulling down and not away from the strip. Do you think if I strung a line between 2 or 4 large Command Hooks that I could hang a blacklight from it. I worry about them falling and breaking and I worry about them falling and injuring my guests. Blacklights can be warm so I don't want them uplighting anywhere near my carpet or the visqueen that I am putting on my walls, which is why I chose to put them on the ceiling. Any other ideas from someone who has done something similar? I also don't want to put sheetrock screws and anchors in the ceiling either.

Suggest checking with the manufacturer for suggestions.
Wouldn't want black light fixtures falling on your guests.

I got some of those hooks that are supposed to hold up to 5lbs. Using them to hang some 8X10 photo frames, several of the frames have fallen after a few days of hanging. Granted, I do have textured walls, so that may be a factor, but I would feel very uneasy hanging blacklights from those types of hooks.

Originally Posted by foxall

I got some of those hooks that are supposed to hold up to 5lbs. Using them to hang some 8X10 photo frames, several of the frames have fallen after a few days of hanging. Granted, I do have textured walls, so that may be a factor, but I would feel very uneasy hanging blacklights from those types of hooks.

Thanks! I used some smaller ones for X-mas decorations year before last and had a similar problem but I was told that if you put them on the wall and wait a couple hours before hanging them that that would be okay. I followed that advice and didn't have any falling decor but I have never used the big ones or tried to put up anything more than 2 lb Christmas garland on several hooks. Did you let them sit on the walls before hanging your 8X10s?

Thant being said, this is starting to sound like a worse and worse idea. Anyone have any other suggestions?

Instead of putting sheetrock screws and anchors and getting ugly holes in the plaster, find ways to put nice clean threaded posts into the ceiling (always attach to the studs!) that you can put a cap or painted flat headed screw onto afterwards. This way you can use it year after year.

That would be okay with me but it's not my house.

i'm no pro, but if command hooks aren't the answer then i vote lots and lots of black electrical tape.

The only other thing I can think of is to get some boards that reach from floor to ceiling, paint them the same color as the wall, and make a rectangular frame with them to hold the blacklights up. If it's in a spot that won't be disturbed, have it leaning against the wall. Otherwise use a piano or cinder blocks to make sure it's held up.

I did let the strips sit for a while before hanging the frames, and they still fell. And the frames were under the weight restrictions, so I was disappointed. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what might be strong enough without making holes in the wall/ceiling...

I'm thinking I will use several long push pins at the very top of the wall where the wall meets the ceiling, since this ceiling idea is really scaring me, and just keep all my visqueen 6 inches or so from the top of the wall. Not optimal but you can usually tell right away whether or not something will stay with push pins. If that fails I guess I will have oddly placed backlights in the middle of the walls using existing photo nails that are already in the wall. Thanks everyone!