How to Hang a Chandelier in a Two-Story Foyer
When hanging a chandelier in a two-story foyer, often people fail to consider the size of the piece they are hanging, as well as the safety factors involved. It is crucial that one consider these issues before hanging the chandelier itself. If each of these points is considered thoroughly, the chandelier then will likely end up properly installed and wired, providing many years of illumination and style for their home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Another person
- Adjustable wrench
- Lineman's pliers
- 7/16-inch nut driver (depending upon the style)
- Phillips-head and slotted screwdrivers
- Wire stripper
- Close-quarter hacksaw (depending upon the style)
- Stepladder
Instructions
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If you need to take down an existing chandelier, the most crucial thing to remember when you are doing this is to locate the house's main electrical panel and shut down the breaker that controls the room you are working in.
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Your chandelier may have a decorative fan attached to it. If so, you will need to now put in the fan brace. To do this, remove the brace and rotate the hexagon-shaped bar to make it as short as possible. After this step, bring the brace up through the hole and pop the brace through the hole until it is affixed to the ceiling. Make sure that the brace's feet are straight and flat. Then just hand turn the brace until you are sure the prongs are attached to the joist.
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If there is no fan on your chandelier, you can then start prepping the electrical box of the new unit. Once the new electrical box is affixed, you can start wiring your new unit. At this point, you will likely find some chain links on the unit and you will need to remove so that it will hang correctly. After removing the wire housing, you can start attaching the chandelier's wires. , Afterwards, the fixture itself can be mounted onto the electrical bar. Be sure to take proper care when tightening the wire around the grounding screw, as well as making sure that when you attach the wires, you do so corresponding to the proper colors, i.e., white wire to white cable wire, black wire to black cable wire.
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Your new unit likely has a canopy that needs to be affixed next. Just move the canopy up through the unit's chain and hold it tightly to the ceiling. Take good care that there are no wires that are protruding. Once you have seen to this, you can then secure the retaining collar of the new unit.
Earlier when it was mentioned to not over tighten any of the bolts of the unit, this is the reason why. If there are any wires protruding, this is an electrical short waiting to happen. If you need to remove the canopy, you would easily be able to do so.
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Go back to the power box and flip back on the appropriate circuit breaker.
Voila! You should have power and a beautifully-lit space.
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Tips & Warnings
Since two-story foyers tend to have windows over the front door, make sure that the chandelier is hung high enough so that it can be seen.
If the ceiling of your foyer is beyond eighteen feet, be sure that the chandelier you are hanging is larger than four feet. This will pretty much assure that your new chandelier will be appropriately visible.
See that power is shut down before touching the old unit you are replacing. This is probably the most important thing to remember. Many inexperienced folks receive serious electrical shock if this step is omitted.
When working with any electrical unit, be sure to have another person around you. This is not the type of job you want to take on yourself.
