Chandeliers are one of the most important elements in any interior. The chandelier will be the final touch in the process of creating the atmosphere of an apartment or house. Designers offer complex and intricate solutions that are striking in their appearance. But to choose and buy the option you like is only the first step. This will be followed by the assembly and installation of the chandelier. Let's see how to perform these operations with your own hands.
Assembly
The most difficult moment in the assembly process is a possible confusion with parts and wires. Attentiveness and unhurriedness are important here.
It is best to work on the floor or at a large table - you need to conveniently decompose all the elements and the necessary tool. Especially important is the space when you need to assemble a crystal chandelier - in the set of such products there is a mass of fragile decorative details.
Of the tools you may need a knife, a set of screwdrivers, wrenches of suitable sizes.
Be sure to read the instructions in detail. Often working on intuition and experience, you can make ridiculous mistakes. If the chandelier is expensive, then these mistakes can be expensive.
The assembly process is usually conducted from the center of the product to the shades. Do not neglect washers where the manufacturer recommends installing them. Plafonds and lamps are installed the very last, after the installation of the chandelier and its connection to electricity are completed. Without shades it will be easier to work under the ceiling. When mounting them, do not tighten the fasteners much. There is a risk that the cover will simply burst.
Wire connection
There are two ways to install the chandelier. It can be connected to a single switch or to a double. How the switch is connected depends on how the wires connect. In the first case there will be two groups of wires, in the second - three. Cables are divided by color. Blue wires are always zero, and brown wires are phase wires.
Connection for single-key switch
There will be two groups of conductors - these are phase and zero. For double switches - three groups. Zero wires in the first group, in the second - phase (connected to one key). In the third group - phase conductors. They go to the second key.
Two wires come out of each horn. Their color can be any. First, they work with wires of one color, and then group the cords of another.
In the case of a single-key switch, all phase wires are interconnected. Next, connect the zero cords. So, we got wires combined in two groups. After that, the cables are connected to the main supply wire - it can be found in the chandelier shaft. One of its ends approaches a decorative plate and there it connects with wires on the ceiling when installing a chandelier. The other end of the cable goes inside the chandelier. Phase wires are connected to one wire, and zero wires to the other. Manufacturers complete the products with special mounting connecting caps. The ends of the wires are stripped, twisted together and then a connector is screwed onto them. Now the contact point is well protected.
Choosing a mounting method
Before fixing the chandelier to the ceiling, you must determine which method is best for installation. How to install the chandelier on the ceiling with your own hands? This operation provides two mounting methods - on the mounting plate or on the hook. The choice of method depends on the design of the lighting device and the type of ceiling.
Modern models of fixtures are equipped with a mounting bracket. But some products (especially those made in Europe) are designed for hook mounting. Those people whose chandelier used to hang on a hook should better buy a new one of the same type. But you need to consider the hook material. Previously, chandeliers were made of plastic. And modern models can even be made of crystal, and it is heavy.
The ceiling itself also affects the mounting method. So, when working with concrete, both the first and second method will do. If the ceiling is false, then only a hook, if you need to do the work in a short time and efficiently. It is also necessary to take into account the features of a particular chandelier. Chinese models with a remote control on LEDs (namely, they are most often bought for mounting on a suspended ceiling) are mounted on a mounting rail in the shape of a cross.
Mounting on a concrete ceiling
Let's see how the installation of the chandelier with your own hands on ordinary concrete ceilings is carried out. They have sufficient strength - even heavy chandeliers can be safely hung on them. The installation method depends on what type of fastener the manufacturer has provided. It is important to determine where the wires go so as not to accidentally damage them.
Bracket mounting
The first thing they do is marking under the mounting plate. It is best to install it so that it is perpendicular to the wire. If the last lamp hung on a hook, then it is carefully bent to the side. It is not necessary to saw it - it can come in handy if you want to replace the lamp in the future. In marked areas, drill holes and dowels with screws to fix the bar.
After the bar is installed, check the absence of electricity and connect the lighting device. There are protruding elements on the bar. The base of the chandelier is mounted on them. Nuts are then screwed onto these elements so that the plate snuggles against the plane of the ceiling.
Hook mounting
This approach is advisable when installing chandeliers and lamps of large sizes and masses. In houses of the old construction there are still such hooks - you just need to make sure of their strength. For testing, it is enough to hang on the hook a load exceeding the weight of the chandelier. If there is no swinging over time, then the element will withstand the lamp. In new homes, the hooks are screwed by hand.
For fasteners of this type, it is better to use anchor bolts. They set the spacer hook. Its design is such that it literally sticks into the material of the ceiling and tightly holds there. The drill is selected so that the bolt enters the hole tightly. The bolt is screwed up to the stop, due to which it bursts along its entire length. The hook should be insulated carefully.
After that, you can hang and connect the lamp. To hide the installation site, the lamp has a decorative element.
Stretch ceiling
If you hang the lamp on a hook, then the following scheme applies. The installation rules are the same as for concrete, but there are nuances. So, first form a hole in the base. The diameter is selected a little more than the anchor, but less than the head of the hook. Next, the base is drilled under the anchor. The fixture is screwed in such a way that its top is on the same level with the tense fishing lines.
Then, when the canvas will be installed, a special thermal ring is glued at the place of installation of the chandelier. It eliminates the creep of the film. Inside the ring, make a hole for the hook. If the canvas is already stretched, then first you need to glue the ring, and then form a hole. Next, the hook is mounted in the base ceiling.
But how to do it yourself with your own hands installing chandeliers on a stretch ceiling with a bar. Since the canvas is soft, they carry out certain preparatory measures. A plank of wood is glued to the base ceiling. Its thickness should correspond to the distance between the base ceiling and the PVC sheet. This is easily done with self-tapping screws and dowels. In the bar provide holes for the wiring of the chandelier.
Then pull the canvas. In the place where the lamp will be installed, install a thermal ring. A hole is made inside the ring. After that, the mounting plate is mounted. It is mounted on a bar within the thermal ring and not through the canvas - the material of the ceiling can creep. It remains only to connect the chandelier and install decorative elements on it.
For the assembly and installation of large fixtures and chandeliers having a large wide base, a cross bar is used. How can I do that?
So, from a sheet of plywood make a platform that will correspond to the size of the cross. It makes holes for wires. In the corners of the plywood platform, metal strips are mounted. They are needed in order to fix the structure on the base ceiling.
When the canvas is installed, thermal rings are fixed at the points of the fasteners of the crosspiece and holes are made. Then the crosspiece of the chandelier is attached to the plywood platform. Next, perform the assembly and installation of the chandelier. It is important to ensure that the base of the light is parallel to the ceiling.
Conclusion
So you can install any chandelier with your own hands. As you can see, this is not difficult, and anyone with a minimal set of tools can perform this operation.