Some home decorating projects can change the whole attire of your house within a snap. One of those projects involves installing a chandelier in your ceiling. However, when it comes to installing a heavy chandelier in your room, this arrangement can be dangerous due to the risk of falling. This is why it is imperative to know how to hang a heavy chandelier securely.
Though the chandeliers look sophisticated and elegant due to their attractive designs, you should properly hang the heavy chandeliers to avoid falling from the ceiling. To do such, you can use a strong chandelier brace along with the usual installation process. Read on more to learn the entire process.
Process Of Hanging A Heavy Chandelier
We’ve already mentioned that you can use a chandelier brace to attach your heavy chandelier to your ceiling. This is because the plaster or drywall of the ceiling is not strong enough to hold a heavy chandelier. Because of having a heavy fixture weight, you must use something which can take the tremendous impact of a heavyweight. Additionally, you’ll be glad to know that only a brace can solve your problem in the simplest way possible.
Usually, a brace can be made using wood, metal, or plastic. Though all of them are capable of holding heavyweights, most people choose metal or wooden braces because of their better sturdiness. While the metal and plastic braces come with an automatic setup, you need to cut a wooden brace according to your desired shape and size. Because, cutting into the exact figure will allow the mount to fit between the ceiling joists.
Installing The Brace
If you’ve already installed a light chandelier in your ceiling, only adding a brace to the previous place is enough for a heavier installment. On the other hand, when you’re thinking about installing a heavy chandelier in an empty ceiling, you must arrange the setup first before hanging it. Let’s have a look at the brace installing process.
- If you already have a chandelier installed in your ceiling, simply detach it from its place. In that case, we prefer a metal or plastic brace to fix in the same place of attachment automatically. Directly screw the brace onto the ceiling and attach the heavy chandelier to that brace.
- When you are installing a new chandelier, you should fix the place of installment first. After selecting the spot, use a stepladder to locate the ceiling joists. To do this, identify the ceiling joists of both sides to get the position of putting an electrical junction box.
- Remember that the edge of the electric box must be away from any nearby ceiling joist for at least two inches. When positioned perfectly with such a setup, use a pencil to trace the outline of the junction box.
- Take a keyhole saw to cut through the outline traced by the pencil. This hole is for placing the junction box. So, you need to climb into the attic to locate that specific hole. At this stage, you should measure the distance between the corresponding joists.
- Now, cut a two by four lumber according to the measured length. And, you need to place the two-by-four wood board between the corresponding joists. That means, the board will fit directly over the center of the junction box hole.
- At the time of installing the lumber, keep enough distance from the bottom surface of the drywall and join it to the two corresponding joists using three-inch wood screws. Not to mention, you can use a power drill when inputting a pair of screws through each joint with the ceiling joists.
- Hold the junction box by keeping the open side down, and place it into the hole, keeping the same direction. In that case, the junction box will be positioned against the brace and recessed a specific distance from the drywall surface.
- In the final stage, you need to use the power drill again to join the junction box with the brace. And, use a pair of three-inch deck screws to push through the mounting holes of the junction box, and the brace setup is now ready to be used.
Hanging The Heavy Chandelier
Once you’ve perfectly set the brace in place, the brace is now ready to hold a heavy chandelier without any issue. So, you can hang your gorgeous chandelier on the ceiling using the mount now. Follow the below steps to complete the hanging process.
- As your brace is already installed on the ceiling, you can arrange your chandelier now. Accordingly, you need to add wiring to the chandelier. If you are not experienced in wiring, hiring an electrician to perform this task is better. Unless you think you can’t do this, always wear protective gear before moving on to such tasks. Besides, don’t forget to cut the power off.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to add the wiring onto the chandelier. Besides, you should keep in mind that you need to maintain some specific regulations or ordinances for wiring a chandelier.
- The brace you’ve already installed must have a hook for hanging the chandelier. When hanging the heavy chandelier, you may need someone’s assistance to handle such a heavy thing. Moreover, you need to ensure the wiring is correct for the hanging position.
- After hanging the chandelier on the hook and brace, you must attach the wire to the junction box on the joist to complete the installation process. Finally, you can check the chandelier to ensure everything is working fine. If you find any issue or the chandelier is not lightening, check for any misconnection of the wiring or setup. Solving such problems should bring back the shine of your heavy chandelier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can A Chandelier Be Too Heavy For A Usual Ceiling?
Regular ceilings cannot support chandeliers that weight much more. Because the ceiling plaster or drywall is not made to withstand heavy weight impacts. Most ceilings cannot hold more than fifteen pounds. Therefore, when hanging chandeliers that weigh more than that, you need to use a secure mounting system like braces to keep them from falling.
How Do You Hang A Heavy Chandelier?
The primary method of hanging a heavy chandelier is to use a brace. From the collections of braces made of wood, metal, or plastic, you can use any of them to hang your heavy chandelier. Usually, you need to set the mount and hook on the ceiling first. Then, you can hang the chandelier by attaching the wiring to the junction box placed with the brace.
Final Words
In short, you need an additional hardware setup to hang a heavy chandelier. Since the ceiling cannot hold heavyweight, you can add a brace to the ceiling to hang a giant chandelier. Even if the brace installation process isn’t so challenging, you should take precautions like wearing safety kits, cutting the power, etc. In the final step, attach the wiring with the brace after attaching it to the chandelier so it can run and shine.
