# Hanging chains from the ceiling?



## avarax (Aug 18, 2010)

Hello all, I have a question for you....


I have some plastic chain that I was thinking about hanging from the ceiling in my hallway, but I'm not really sure what the best way to do this is. I do not want to screw anything into the ceiling and end up with holes in the off season- I guess a little spackle and paint would fix this, but trying to avoid it!

I had originally considered something along the lines of those sticky hooks, hooks with the sticky stuff behind them that you pull out when you're done, but I've had some bad luck with those holding stuff from the ceiling in the past, plus how I'd like to hang the chains, people would have to push them around to walk through the hallway, and I figure they'll just fall when someone inevitably pulls a little bit too hard.


Any ideas?


----------



## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

What kind of ceiling do you have ? how wide and long is the hallway?

I have a wooden ceiling an just used small brass cup hooks that screw into the wood. They seem to blend in during the off season so I just left them there. Generally if people are not looking for something on the ceiling they won't see it. I see them because I put them there. 
You may cause more damage by putting up and taking down what ever you end up using.


----------



## Warrant2000 (Oct 8, 2008)

Get a pullup-bar or expanding shower curtain rod to span the hallway, then hang all sorts of stuff! You can also use the molding of the doorway as a ledge to hold a cross beam. Just be sure it's in snug.


----------



## zombastic (Aug 27, 2012)

Eyebolts. Just leave them in like me and you won't have holes


----------



## The Halloween Lady (Aug 18, 2010)

I use the 3M Command products . They work fairly well. Occasionally I have had to follow up with some repairs afterwords, but not to often. The downside is that they are not inexpensive.


----------



## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Like Warrant2000, I'd be tempted to try one (or more) of those expanding bars in the hallway. Painted white or whatever the ceiling color is, they would allow you to string the chains either from the bars directly or from fishing line or even a cargo net that's stretched between them. You can use shower curtain rings to hold the chains to the rods/bars. If they weren't going to be handled, I'd look at using a patch of painters tape applied to the ceiling then use some duct tape to hold the chains to the painters tape. You can use duct tape to hold the chains directly to the ceiling, then use a heat gun or hair dryer on the tape when you go to peel it off.
The heat relaxes the adhesive so it won't rip the paint away. If you have "cottage cheese"/sprayed acoustic ceiling then you have a different challenge.


----------



## Anda (Jun 20, 2012)

I was thinking about a similar setup myself. DH suggested the adhesive hooks but I love the expanding curtain rod idea. Relatively inexpensive, won't damage the wall, easily stored and could be used for other things during the off-season. :smilekin:

I don't want to hijack the thread, but do you think these ideas would also work on a wider area? Not full-room size, about 2x the width of a hallway.


----------



## [email protected] (Aug 25, 2012)

The 3M Command hooks work great. I hang all sorts of things from the ceiling with them: chains, webs, net lights, bats.... You name it. They come off with no trouble, unless your paint is already cracked and peeling. When I hang chains, I secure the chain onto the hook with a twist tie. It's true that they aren't cheap, but they work like a charm and leave no trace.


----------



## Buzz (Aug 26, 2011)

zombastic said:


> Eyebolts. Just leave them in like me and you won't have holes


...or take them out... spackle is cheap...


----------



## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> The 3M Command hooks work great. I hang all sorts of things from the ceiling with them: chains, webs, net lights, bats.... You name it. They come off with no trouble, unless your paint is already cracked and peeling. When I hang chains, I secure the chain onto the hook with a twist tie. It's true that they aren't cheap, but they work like a charm and leave no trace.


The same idea should work though you may need to look at Load Locks (what truckers use in big rig trailers to lock in the loads they are carrying). They are the same kind of thing as the smaller versions, but on a heavier duty level.


----------



## Lambchop (Jan 28, 2011)

I use the gold cup hooks as well for hanging flame lamps and other props. I too leave them up. Don't notice them much at all. When I do, it gets me excited for halloween!


----------

