Hooks

How to Fit a Coat Hook Rail: A Quick and Easy Guide

Today, we're going to put up one of our more popular coat hook racks up on the wall to help tidy a home gym.

How to Fit a Coat Hook Rail: A Quick and Easy Guide

Today, we're going to fit one of our more popular coat hook racks - this grey block with 4 hooks.

I need to put something up for my wife to hang up a bit of gym gear that would otherwise be left on a windowsill or worse, on the floor!

What you'll need:

  • A pencil to mark the wall
  • A spirit level
  • A drill
  • A screwdriver (or a drill with a screwdriver bit)
  • Wall plugs (included with our coat hook racks)
  • A tape measure or long rule if an exact height is important

Let's get started!

Firstly, choose the right spot: Decide where to put your coat hook. Make sure it's high enough so coats won't drag on the floor, but not so high that you can't reach it. Some of the smaller members of the house might need to be able to reach their coats too!

Check for wires and pipes:

Before you drill, it's important to make sure there are no hidden wires or pipes in the wall. You can use a detector to find them, or gently tap the wall and listen for a hollow sound which might indicate you're drilling into plasterboard or a cavity hiding something important.

Mark the spot:

Hold the coat hook against the wall where you want it, and use a spirit level to make sure it's straight. Mark the position of the screw holes with a pencil.

Something I always do is get an estimate of how deep I'll need to drill by placing the plug, screw and the item itself next to my drill bit.

This gives me a visual indication of how far into the wall I'll need to go to accommodate the wall plugs:

I think it's perfectly OK to make a small mark in marker pen on the drill bit itself - just to give you a visual sense of whether you've gone far enough into the wall. There's nothing worse than your wall plug not sitting flush with the wall when you think you've finished drilling!

Drill the holes:

The standard advice here is to drill holes where you marked the screw holes, making sure they're the right size for your wall plugs. But, I like to cheat a little bit by drilling the first hole, inserting the plug and screwing in the hook rail from one end.

Then, I can get the level correct with my spirit level and make a mark for the second hole like so:

As you can see I've made a small mark where I'll drill my next hole, checking the rail is perfectly level.

I use a small rubber mallet to gently tap the wall plugs into the holes until they're flush with the wall.

Then, it's a simple task of carefully lining up the hook with the holes and screwing it into the wall plugs (or the wall, if you're using a stud wall). Make sure the hook is secure and level, without over tightening the screws.

If you're putting a coat hook on a door.

If you're putting a coat hook on a door, make sure the screws aren't too long, or they might go right through the door.

The screw kit that comes with the hook rails we sell aren't intended for this purpose - and if you are mounting a hook rail to a door, remember that it might not support the same loads we mention in the product specifications. If you're not sure, try an over the door hanger instead.

That's it! You've now got a handy coat hook to keep your things tidy.