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Where can I find a tension rod strong enough to hold a chandelier?

I need to find a tension rod strong enough to hold about 30 pounds of chandelier (because I am not able to drill into my apartment ceiling but there is an alcove in the celing that is 38 1/2 inches wide. Any recommendations for a really strong tension rod??? Thanks so much!

Public Comments

1. Good luck with that one. I couldn't even get my tension rod to hold up a pair of tab top panels. It was a better than average one with a heavy duty spring and a screw to hold it in place! I don't think that a tension rod would be very safe at all, anyway. What if it came down on someones head? An alternative would be the type of rod you have in your closets. You have a round bracket in the walls on either side that the rod slides into and sits on. You could fill the holes made by the screws when you take it down. I think I'd use metal brackets. I've had those plastic ones break and dump all my clothes on the floor.
2. I would not trust a tension rod with a 30 lb chandelier. If you can run screws into the walls of the alcove, try getting a strong pole hanger (like in a closet) and then simply use a 1 inch or larger wooden rod inserted in the hanger to hang the chandelier. I would make sure there is something more than sheetrock to screw into. When you move, take it down and fill the screw holes with putty of the same color as the alcove walls.
3. I certainly wouldn't trust a regular tension rod with a chandelier, but I knew I'd seen something once that should work. I just searched "heavy duty tension rods" and found one called a JEB rod from John Sterling company. One site explains how it works, and the site from Doitbest sells them. No one says how much weight it will hold, but you can email and ask. One caution, perhaps, if marring the walls will be an issue. You might want to put a piece of wood on the wall at each end of the rod, to make very sure that the rod won't leave a dent in the wall if you screw it up really tight. Plywood would be best, maybe 6" x 6", sand the edges so they're rounded a bit. Cover it with a bit of fabric or something for looks.
4. A better way would be to install a "swag" hook in the ceiling where you want it, and put a "swag kit" onto the chandelier. The only damage you will have is the hole from the hook. The kit includes an extension cord that can be plugged into the normal outlet. If you haven't seen one, go to a "Mom & Pop" hardware store. They'll explain it to you. NOT HOME DEPOT OR LOWE'S.