Hi. I’m making a craftsman-style box chandelier for my relatives, and I can’t figure out how they should install the wide ceiling panel to allow for expansion and contraction. The ceiling panel is simply 11″ wide cherry; it holds two crossbars that hold leather straps that hold the fixture below. I can allow for expansion/contraction under the crossbars by using some sort of slotted washer inset into the back of the ceiling panel over slots for a hanger-bolt from the crosspiece (gotta better idea?); but how should the panel itself be mounted to the ceiling? I don’t know if it will be attached to studs or not; I expect they’ll drill visable holes, so I’ll send plugs.
Any help would be appreciated! Thanks.
Replies
The Electrical Box.
You will have to have an electrical box located above the sheet rock to make your electrical connections. That box is generally what holds up the electrical fixtures. They mount chandlers and electrical fans to these so one would think they would hold your fixture. The electrical box will have bars that support it between the joists. You might want to ask an electrical contractor about what they use and how much weight it can carry. Perhaps you can even find information on the web.
Peter
Ceiling mount fixture
Thanks for your thoughts. The box is already there, holding a different fixture. The ceiling panel is about 11" wide, and 34" long -- even if the box takes most the weight, seems like the panel will have to be fastened to the ceiling closer to the ends. The cross pieces that have straps down to the fixture are close to the ends of the ceiling piece, about 25 inches apart. I need to keep the ceiling panel snug to the ceiling and flat; but if it is just put up with several screws, I'm afraid the panel will expand or contract and split. .?
are you lucky.
If you're lucky your plate cross several joist. and the ends of the plate will be close to the joists. I don't think a couple of screws, you probably only need one at each end is going to cause the board to split. If you are unlucky and the joist run parallel to your plate you will have to use some sort of fastener, to secure it to the gyp board, with a butterfly fastener or a rube goldberg fix of cutting a hole at each end, slipping in a cross member through it above the gyp board and screwing you plate to sandwich the gypsum board in between. They make fasteners for gyp board that can support grab bars in toilets so I think you should be able to work something out.
Finally you could incorporate into your design rails on the plate that provide the stiffness along the plate...very much a craftsman period solution.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled