How long should a chandelier chain be?

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Determine Chain Length
If your ceiling is less than eight feet high, your dining room chandelier should hang 30" to 34" from the table top to the bottom of the chandelier and be centered over the table. If your ceiling is higher than eight feet high, the recommended clearance is 36 to 40 inches.



Also, how do you make a chandelier chain longer?

Attach one end of the chandelier extension to the end of the chandelier chain, securing it with pliers. Lift the chandelier and connect the chain you added to the chain on the ceiling. Close the link with pliers. Carefully release the chandelier and allow it to hang.

Subsequently, question is, how do I choose the right size chandelier? A simple way to determine a chandelier size is to add the dimensions of the room together in feet and then convert the answer to inches. The answer in inches should equal the diameter of the fixture. So if your room measures 10' x 14' the diameter of the fixture should be about 24".

Regarding this, how big should a chandelier be over a dining room table?

A good rule of thumb is to make sure your chandelier is one-half to three-quarters the width of your table. For the right hanging height, position the bottom of the chandelier about 30-32 inches above the table, adjusting to work with the size of the table and the overall scale of your space.

How do you swag an existing chandelier?

Take your ceiling hook and screw it into the hole where your pin was. Pull down to test the strength. Hang your chandelier onto the hook at the desired height. Rewire your fixture to the electrical box (you can follow my tutorial for installing a light fixture if you need to.)

33 Related Question Answers Found

Can a chandelier be rewired?

When original lighting fixtures flicker and fail, restore them to good working order by rewiring. The author's brass 1920s chandelier flickers no more after an adroit rewiring project. A few of the fixtures had been rewired some 30 years ago, but most still had the original wiring.

How do you extend the length of a pendant light?

How to Lengthen a Hanging Light Fixture
  1. Decide the length at which you want your lighting fixture to hang.
  2. Buy a chain or a downrod and cut it to the desired length.
  3. Turn off the power to the lighting fixture by moving the circuit breaker for that room to the "off" position.

How do you swag a light without a chain?

- Swagging a Pendant Light Without a Chain -
Run the area where you want the loop over the thimble (the u-shaped device that makes the curve). 3. Attach the clamp right below the thimble, and hand tighten it. You don't want it so tight that it impinges on the electrical cord.

How do you rewire an old chandelier?

Rewiring an Old Chandelier is Easy!
  1. Steps to Wiring a Chandelier. Unscrew what needs to be unscrewed to get to your wires up top.
  2. Thread new lamp wire.
  3. Screw in lamp sockets and prep wire.
  4. Wire the chandelier socket.
  5. Wiring the top of the chandelier.
  6. Split and strip wires.
  7. Wire the chandelier.
  8. Cap off the wires.

What do you do with extra chains on a chandelier?


Find a helper to hold the weight of the chandelier or light fixture while you are working.
  1. Turn the power off at the breaker box.
  2. Set up two ladders near the chandelier.
  3. Determine how many links to remove by holding the chandelier up to the preferred height.
  4. Locate the split in one of the links you're removing.

Can a pendant light be shortened?

To shorten the wire to a pendant light, you must take the light down. The wire that supplies power weaves through the pendant light's chain to the electric box in the ceiling, where it connects to power. If the light is too close to a table or chair, you can raise it by shortening the chain.

Can you put a round chandelier over a rectangle table?

A chandelier, pendant/suspension, or non-linear multi-pendant light fixture make sense over a round table. A linear suspension or linear multi-pendant light fixture make sense over a rectangular table. While you wouldn't want a linear light over a round table, you could use two round lights over a rectangular table.

Should chandelier be centered over table?

A chandelier makes as much of a decorative statement as a functional one, setting the tone for the room where it is placed. While a chandelier may be centered over a table, in some situations it may not be over a table at all, such as when used in a foyer.

How big should a light fixture be over a dining room table?

Determine Chain Length
If your ceiling is less than eight feet high, your dining room chandelier should hang 30" to 34" from the table top to the bottom of the chandelier and be centered over the table. If your ceiling is higher than eight feet high, the recommended clearance is 36 to 40 inches.

How big of a light fixture do I need?


A general rule of thumb formula can be used to determine an appropriate diameter for ceiling fixtures. To determine this, measure the length and width of the room. Add those two numbers together and then convert the total into inches. So if your room is 10 feet by 12 feet, the ceiling fixture should be 22 inches wide.

How big should a pendant light be over an island?

Space a pendant every 2 feet or so above a kitchen island and pick the right size of pendant to suit your island length. Small islands (4 to 5 feet long) can handle 1 large or 2 medium pendants. Large islands (6 feet and longer) can handle 2 large or 3 medium pendants.

How wide should a chandelier be over a round table?

For square or round tables you can stick to the lower end, in the case 24 inches; but if you want to go bigger, a good chandelier would be an average of the two ends in size. So for a round table with the same 48 inch diameter, the biggest size you can get would be 30 inches: (24+36)/2= 30 inches.

How big should a chandelier be in a foyer?

A chandelier would be a perfect fit when there is at least 3 feet of space available. To determine the size of chandelier, add the length and width (sq. feet) of the foyer and convert to inches. [For example – a 10 by 12 foot foyer would require a 22 inch wide fixture].

Should bathroom sconces be up or down?

Tubs and showers need general light, and recessed fixtures with white opal diffusers are one solution. Wall sconces or cove lighting will direct light upward and outward, Whitehead explains. No single layer of light can stand alone.

How do I know what size pendant I need?


Lighting Above a Kitchen Island
  1. Measure the length of the island/table in inches. Example: 60" wide.
  2. Determine how many pendants you want and the diameter of each.
  3. Subtract the combined diameter from the length of the island.
  4. Add 1 to the number of pendants.
  5. Divide your subtracted value by the number of pendants.

Can chandelier be wider than table?

A chandelier can be wider than a table, but shouldn't necessarily be. If the chandelier is to be centered over a table, its size relative to the table is important, but so is its size relative to the room.

How do you measure the height of a chandelier?

Regarding chandelier height, we recommend 3" for every foot of space between the floor and ceiling. You can find this number by multiplying the height of your ceiling (in feet) by three. For example, if your ceilings are 8' high, your chandelier should be 24" tall (8 x 3 = 24).