Need to hang a heavy chandelier?

Question

i have prewiring for a ceiling fan in my family room that has 18 ft ceiling height.i need to hang a chandelier in there that weighs 80 pounds.do i need additional braces.

Answer 1

Almost certainly - if you can get to it from the floor above you can fit a plate over or between the joists.

Answer 2

We hung one recently. Make sure the "Box" is metal and not plastic. Makes a big difference. Be on the safe side!

Answer 3

Not only braces but a special electrical box (the standard ceiling fan box can only be used up to 50 pounds per National Electrical Code). You might want to get an electrician for this one.

Answer 4

I don't know what you have to support at the present, but you need some wood blocking between the ceiling joist or on top of them. Then get a metal mounting box (electrical dept) and use several drywall screws to s***w it into your wood blocking. If you have drywall up just cut out a section big enough to allow you to install the blocking, then put your section of drywall back up and patch.

You are going to do this once - You probably have scaffold set up so take 1 hour extra time and do it right.

You'' fell better looking up at it knowing it's not going to go anywhere.

Answer 5

If the pre wiring was done for a ceiling fan, it should have been braced. However, it will not hold 80 pounds safely. Assuming that you 're talking about a room with a vaulted ceiling, you probably can't access the ceiling from the attic. If you can, you need to attach a piece of 2x6 between the two joists above the electrical box with  3"deck deck screws . Run each s***w through the other side of the joist and then into the end of the 2x6. Use three on each side. Then s***w 2 or three 2" deck screws from inside the electrical box into the 2x6 from below. Now you're ready to hang the fixture. If this is too complicated, hire a pro. This is something where someone can be killed if things aren't done properly!