How to install a chandelier?

StewartR

StewartR

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Stewart
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So we've bought this new 'chandelier' thing to go in our new extension. One of these:

View attachment 36432

Now it's arrived, though, we've just realised that installing it isn't going to be trivial, to put it mildly. It's 80cm across and it weighs close to 10kg, and of course it's mostly made of glass. The ceiling from which we're going to hang it is about 3.5m high, and the cables from which the biggest ring hangs have a maximum length of about 1m, so that means I need to find some way of suspending the weight safely at least 2.5m off the ground whilst I attach it to the ceiling and connect it to the electrical supply.

Any ideas? How do the professionals do this kind of thing? I'm stumped.
 
A small access/scaffold tower would be a good thing to hire - any local hire shop will have them, or a friendly decorator may too.

Also, make sure your fixings are strong enough or that you can fix into a joist.....
 
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Can't beat an ordinary sweeping brush held by an obliging wife.

Just make sure you have your fixing secured to a ceiling joint first though!
 
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If you are going to be on your own, I would install a temporary hook / ring into the joist near to the fixing point for the chandelier, then either using some rope to temporarily tie the chandelier to the hook or if that might mark the chandelier I would get a sheet of plywood, drill 4 holes near the corners, thread rope though and hang from the hook to make a temporary platform that you can rest the chandelier on before fixing permanently.

I have in the past used the lightweight / adjustable builders props to support items, but this requires an assistant to steady the props / platform.
 
I'm slightly confused - are you trying to hold it up just while you wire it or do you need a permanent solution to hang it? If there's a hook supplied for permanent hanging then I'd fit that first and hang it from that while wiring. If there isn't then you can get punch bag hooks off of eBay. I've fitted one to hold a TRX rig which will take my bodyweight so 10 kilos will be no worries.
 
stevewestern said:
A small access/scaffold tower would be a good thing to hire - any local hire shop will have them, or a friendly decorator may too.
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OK, I can see how that would work. Bit of a faff, but certainly doable. Thanks.
 
lostsoulal2 said:
If you are going to be on your own, I would install a temporary hook / ring into the joist near to the fixing point for the chandelier, then either using some rope to temporarily tie the chandelier to the hook or if that might mark the chandelier I would get a sheet of plywood, drill 4 holes near the corners, thread rope though and hang from the hook to make a temporary platform that you can rest the chandelier on before fixing permanently.
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Thanks. I can see that working, and with a bit of luck it wouldn't require too big a hole in the ceiling to patch up afterwards.
 
JonathanRyan said:
I'm slightly confused - are you trying to hold it up just while you wire it or do you need a permanent solution to hang it?
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Just while I wire it, sort of.

The wires that hold the big light rings up are attached to a large metal 'rose' which has some clever ratchet thingies to allow the wires to be lengthened or shortened. The rose bolts onto a big metal bracket which is screwed into the joist. So the sequence is (1) screw bracket to joist, (2) support chandelier less than 1m below ceiling, (3) connect wiring, (4) bolt rose onto bracket, (5) remove support from chandelier so that it hangs from rose.

I'm trying to work out the easiest way to achieve (2).
 
We have a adjustable height decorating platform ,I find that it makes jobs like this a lot easier than standing on a ladder I.e the wife or a friend could stand the other end supporting it while you do the fiddly bits .it also saves any neck cricking .i would think that bq or wickes should have them ,ours was a aldi special ,worth every penny
 
the black fox said:
We have a adjustable height decorating platform
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Sounds like a good idea. How tall is it? Remember, I need to support the weight of the chandelier at least 2.5m above the ground.
 
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Reminds me of the the Only Fools and Horses sketch when they took one down for cleaning before doing one.....
 
StewartR said:
Sounds like a good idea. How tall is it? Remember, I need to support the weight of the chandelier roughly 3m above the ground.
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You can get one from screwfix. I use our instead of a ladder for the majority of household jobs needing a bit of height. Really helps with your balance too as you aren't on a thin step and leaning on your shins!
 
StewartR said:
I need to find some way of suspending the weight safely at least 2.5m off the ground whilst I attach it to the ceiling and connect it to the electrical supply.
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Call me stupid, but a small platform made up of some "H" frame or similar would be the answer.
 
A scaffold tower would be safer and probably easier to erect. Of course, to keep a comfortable standing height atop the platform while getting the top of the support within a metre of the ceiling might require an H frame or 2 as well as a scaffold tower!

Good luck and stay safe, Stewart.
 
StewartR said:
Just while I wire it, sort of.

The wires that hold the big light rings up are attached to a large metal 'rose' which has some clever ratchet thingies to allow the wires to be lengthened or shortened. The rose bolts onto a big metal bracket which is screwed into the joist. So the sequence is (1) screw bracket to joist, (2) support chandelier less than 1m below ceiling, (3) connect wiring, (4) bolt rose onto bracket, (5) remove support from chandelier so that it hangs from rose.

I'm trying to work out the easiest way to achieve (2).
Click to expand...

Ah got you. Could you run some strong nylon cord from the bracket to the chandelier? So it uses the permanent support but 1m lower. If that would work, you could haul it up while an assitant supported it then tie it off.
 
Came in to say that I'd get a platform ladder to rest the chandelier on and go up a normal step ladder next to it to reach it, but been beaten to it

so just posting to say that that chandelier is amazing!
 
the one we got from aldi is a hell of a lot bigger than that screw fix one and is height adjustable about 4 foot maximum table height ,and if i stand on it thats a 10 foot ceiling reach .they must be available from somewhere but if your anywhere near chester i could bring ours over and help you to do the job
 
StewartR said:
That would be perfect. I just need to get 6 of them and stack them vertically on top of one another to get the height I need.
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Yep, I missed that crucial point ! But I was more showing you the type of thing I need (you can get bigger ones!)

Options seem to be

You can get two step ladders and put a scaffolding plank between or
hire a platform for half a day or
get a man in

We'll need a photo once installed two (y)
 
Buck said:
You can get two step ladders and put a scaffolding plank between
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We have one very similar to this - link. Think it came from B&Q.

Edited to add another link with better pictures of the options.
 
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Does it have to go up all in one piece or could you do one ring at a time?
 
JonathanRyan said:
Could you run some strong nylon cord from the bracket to the chandelier? So it uses the permanent support but 1m lower. If that would work, you could haul it up while an assitant supported it then tie it off.
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That's a good idea, Jonathan. Somewhat like the idea from @lostsoulal2 earlier, but without having to make a separate hole in the ceiling.

I don't think it would work, unfortunately. Firstly I can't see how to attach a cord to the bracket, but secondly and most importantly the big metal rose fits over the bracket when it's in place (so the bracket is no longer visible), so I'd have to remove the cord before fitting the rose. It might have worked to support the weight whilst I wire it up, but I also need to support the weight whilst I bolt the rose into place.
 
Bythesea said:
We have one very similar to this - link. Think it came from B&Q.

Edited to add another link with better pictures of the options.
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Thanks. I've looked at these sorts of things but I'm struggling to find one that's really suitable. The "trouble" with these platform things is that they're really designed for people to stand on, so they usually have a sort of safety handrail about 1m higher than the platform. But I need to position the platform less than 1m below the ceiling, and that means there isn't room for the handrail.
 
the black fox said:
the one we got from aldi is a hell of a lot bigger than that screw fix one and is height adjustable about 4 foot maximum table height ,and if i stand on it thats a 10 foot ceiling reach .they must be available from somewhere but if your anywhere near chester i could bring ours over and help you to do the job
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That's a very kind offer. The 4 foot table height would be OK to stand on to do the work, but I would still need one with a 9 foot table height to support the weight of the chandelier, and that's what I'm struggling to find.

I'm nowhere near Chester, unfortunately. Thanks all the same.
 
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Steep said:
Does it have to go up all in one piece or could you do one ring at a time?
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Unfortunately it has to go up all in one piece, because each of the rings has an electrical connection to the terminal block inside the rose. So all three rings have to be attached to the rose before the rose can be installed.
 
StewartR said:
That's a good idea, Jonathan. Somewhat like the idea from @lostsoulal2 earlier, but without having to make a separate hole in the ceiling.

I don't think it would work, unfortunately. Firstly I can't see how to attach a cord to the bracket, but secondly and most importantly the big metal rose fits over the bracket when it's in place (so the bracket is no longer visible), so I'd have to remove the cord before fitting the rose. It might have worked to support the weight whilst I wire it up, but I also need to support the weight whilst I bolt the rose into place.
Click to expand...

Time for HireAHubby.com ;)
 
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