INSTALLING
CHANDELIERS-
A carefully selected chandelier adds charm to the decor of a room.
Choose a contemporary or a traditional style to match the furniture,
or mix elements to create an eclectic atmosphere. The trick in chandelier
installation is to determine the amount of weight that the existing
ceiling outlet box can support. Refer to the manufacturer's instructions
regarding the support (in pounds) that the box must provide. To
add support to a pancake box, install an extra screw through the
plate and into the ceiling joist. A flange or bar box may require
that you open up the area between the joists and shore up the bar
feet or other side of the flange box with extra screws or blocking.
Cut a new piece of wallboard to cover the open area around the box.
On plaster ceilings you can still use wallboard to patch with a
spacer between the joists and wallboard to make the patch the same
level as the surrounding ceiling.
-NOTE:
For patching and texturing see Patching Plaster or Drywall Joints.
The
installation and wiring is basically the same as given for small
ceiling fixture. Remove the old fixture. Depending on the style
of the fixture, remove the globe, light diffuser, and bulbs from
the fixture. The canopy, escutcheon, or fixture base is held to
the ceiling electrical box with a locknut or fixture bolts. Remove
these fasteners; turn them counterclockwise. This will expose the
contents of the ceiling box. Disconnect the wiring. Have a helper
hold the white wires from the fixture. If a helper isn't handy,
you can make a hook support from a bent coat hanger to hold up the
fixture. If there are more than two wires in the box, note the configuration
and connections. The other wires should be switch and grounding
wires .
If
the fixture is held by a hickey and nipple or a nut and stud, unscrew
these connectors, releasing the fixture. Install a new fixture.
Have a helper hold up the new fixture or support it with a coat
hanger arrangement while you connect the fixture wires to the circuit
wires. Most fixtures are prewired; remove 3/4" insulation from
the wires for connection. Mate and twist the black wire of the fixture
to the black wire of the circuit; do the same with the white wires
and ground wires, if any. Use wire nuts and tape them.
Mount
the fixture. The fixture is supported by mounting devices in or
on the box. A fixture between 10 to 20 pounds in weight is mounted
on a hickey that is screwed to the stud in the box. The cap nut
only secures the fixture base to the hickey; it doesn't hold the
fixture up. A stud, hickey, and threaded adapter are used to mount
a heavy fixture of over 20 pounds. The necessary parts usually are
packaged with the fixture.
PENDANT
LIGHTS-
Lightweight pendant or swagged fxtures offer several interesting
installation arrangements depending on their style.
For example, an adjustable pendant has a separate hanging block
so it doesn't have to hang directly below the canopy. Other types
of pendant ceiling lights include coiled-cord or counterbalanced
rise-and-fall pendants, which can be lowered to give low-level side
lamp style illumination. To install the wiring, follow the instructions
for small close-to-ceiling fxtures.
