Sometimes you may think that a fixed stem like an electrical box isn’t enough for hanging your chandelier. Instead, you want to hang your chandelier on the chain or the cord. This way, a hook or a swag system holds the total weight of your chandelier. But, it’s not possible to perform a swag without knowing how to swag a chandelier on the ceiling. So, our topic of discussion today is the process of swagging a chandelier in a simple way.
Process Of Swaging A Chandelier
For swaging a chandelier, there are two types of cords: chained and chainless. Identically, both cords come with a unique structure and don’t fit in a shared process. So, we’ll explain the process of swaging for both cord types. In both cases, you need to turn off the electricity first. Because you need to work near the junction box of the chandelier. As a result, there is always a risk of getting into an accident when electricity flows freely.
For A Chain Cord
If your chandelier comes with a chain cord, the method of swaging is simpler compared to the chainless cord. In that case, you can simply use a hook to swag the chandelier and change its hanging position. In this method, the hook will carry the entire weight of the chandelier. So, you must get a suitable hook that has the ability to hold more weight than your chandelier.
- First, measure the length of your required height for hanging your chandelier. We hope it’s the same level as the existing chandelier.
- After getting the measurement, fix the spot where you want to swag your chandelier. And, mark that spot using a pencil.
- Now, measure the distance between the previous spot and the new spot. Here, note down the measurement after adding one or two inches to the calculation. This is because the chain should be looped into that place when swaging the chandelier.
- Thereafter, measure the same length from the top of the chandelier chain to the bottom. And, mark the lower spot of the measurement.
- At this point, hang the chandelier using your hand to check if the chandelier is leveled into your desired height. If not, then add more links into the chandelier chain until you get your expected height.
- When all the required links are added to the chain, attach the hook into the ceiling’s marked spot. Not to mention, you can use a power drill to create a hole in that spot. Then, install the high-quality hook into the hole through proper crewing.
- As your hook is now ready, grab the marked spot of the chandelier chain and attach that specific link to the hook. And, you’ve completed the swaging of your chandelier into your selected hanging position.
For A Chainless Cord
When your chandelier doesn’t have a chain in its cord, you cannot use a hook to swag it. Instead, you’ll have to use a different swag system. As a matter of fact, you can use a ceiling mount for this project. But, always make sure that your bought ceiling mount can hang chandeliers with a higher weight than yours.
- In the first place, mark the spot where you want to swag your old chandelier. Use a pencil to create a trace line into that spot.
- Then, hang the chandelier from that spot manually to check if there is enough cord left on the chandelier. When testing the hanging, make sure there is a loose loop between the junction box and the new spot.
- In most cases, you will get some extra cord on the chandelier packed inside the ceiling through the electrical box. That means, you can get to the required height quickly after hanging from the new spot. All you need to do is to release the extra cord from the ceiling using the junction box.
- Since you have enough cord in your hand now, attach the ceiling mount into the marked spot. Here, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to install the ceiling mount into the ceiling. Remember that the ceiling mount needs to hold the whole chandelier weight. So, get one with a higher weight capacity.
- After adjusting the mount, attach the cord to it, creating a loop between the two hanging positions. At last, release the chandelier from your hand to see if it’s hanging in the right position. This way, your chandelier swaging is now completed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I Swag A Chandelier Without A Chain?
Yes, it is possible. Actually, we’ve described the entire swaging process above. If you don’t have a chain in your chandelier cord, the hook method won’t work in any way. So, you’ll need an additional ceiling mount that can hold the same weight as your chandelier. Using that mount, you can easily swag the chandelier into the ceiling.
How To Move A Chandelier Over A Few Inches?
Swaging is the best way to move the chandelier location. Not only this, you can move your chandelier one or two feet away from the current location using the swaging method. Though you can remove your existing junction box and install it in the new position, it requires more time and effort. Besides, changing the location of the electric box repeatedly makes the task more critical. However, follow this method when you are looking for a permanent solution.
Can I Swag Any Chandelier?
In most cases, you can. Anyway, let’s talk about the ceiling attached chandeliers. These chandeliers are directly attached to the ceiling without hanging. In this case, you cannot separate the chandeliers from the ceiling. So, swaging is not possible here. If you exclude this type only, all other types can be swaged without any issue. And, a better cord allows better swag for a chandelier.
Conclusion
In the long run, you may not like the position of the chandelier anymore because of being off-centered. For this reason, your chandelier should come with a high-quality cord to fix the position through swaging. Here, the chandelier cord is the central element to be used for hanging the chandelier. If your chandelier has a chain cord, use a hook to swag it. Otherwise, use a sturdy ceiling mount to hold the chandelier after performing the swaging process. In both cases, swaging refers to the change of the chandelier’s hanging position.
