A chandelier is usually the most expensive light in the house and the heaviest thing hanging from the ceiling. Most standard plastic ceiling roses and light boxes are only designed to carry a light pendant. Hanging a 10–20 kg fitting from one is how ceilings get damaged and fittings fall.
We fit chandeliers in homes, hallways and stairwells across Milton Keynes, Northampton, Bedford and Buckingham. Our attention goes on two things: a fixing that carries the weight properly, and a fitting that looks right in the room.
Fixing into the ceiling, not the plasterboard
We find the joists before anything else. If the joist sits where the light needs to be, a heavy-duty hook or bracket goes straight into it. If it doesn't, we fit a timber noggin between the joists to carry the load. That's easy from a loft and needs a little more care from below. Plasterboard fixings, however strong the packet says they are, aren't suitable for a heavy chandelier.
The electrical connection is made separately from the support, so no weight hangs on the cables or terminals.
Getting the height right
As a guide:
- Over a dining table: the bottom of the fitting roughly 75–90 cm above the tabletop, so people can see each other across it;
- In a room people walk under: at least 2.1 m clearance from the floor;
- In a double-height hallway or stairwell: usually around first-floor level, so it's seen from both floors.
We'll hold it at a couple of heights before we cut the chain or cable, so you can see it in the room first.
Assembly and access
Crystal chandeliers can take longer to assemble than to install. We lay out the parts, check nothing has been damaged in delivery and fit the drops after it's hanging so it's balanced. For stairwells and high ceilings we bring suitable access equipment. Tell us the ceiling height when you get in touch.
Dimming and switching
Most chandeliers look best dimmed. With LED lamps that means a compatible trailing-edge dimmer and dimmable lamps. Large fittings with many lamps can also exceed a dimmer's rating, so we check the total load. If you'd like the chandelier on a separate switch from wall lights or downlights, we can usually arrange that at the same time.
