# 18' chandelier hanging



## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Best bet lep which i learned from some older city guys is if attic space exist, lay a couple of kindorf strips over joist. Drop some 1/4 threaded rod into box. Use a 3/8 fixture knuckle with the threaded rod supporting it. Use the old style cast fixture hickey to pass your zipcord. A lot revolves around the right hardware in which a SH will not have but a old fashion lighting store will. Good luck and charge accordingly. I made a quick $500 in the disconnection and lowering of a valuable Crystal chandelier that wieghed a good 80 lbs. I had two of the GCs guys at my disposal and had them build the shipping frame before the ladder even came off the truck. Manpower is key also.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

What do you mean by rated box? How heavy is the fixture? What means do you have to get up 18'? Do you have a 12' ladder?


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## Bootss (Dec 30, 2011)

Dennis Alwon said:


> What do you mean by rated box? How heavy is the fixture? What means do you have to get up 18'? Do you have a 12' ladder?



well I'm hoping ceiling fan box will do the trick but maybe I need something heavier.

I think I'm going to have to get a lift if possible .I think it's going to be a multiple man job to hang the chandelier.I don't really like the idea of one man doing it by himself


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Never send one man for these type of jobs. Two if not three make these jobs profitable rather than liable. Figure yourself in 3 to 4 hours labor in 2 or 3 men if assembled and ready for install. Your first hour is getting box set to hold wieght. Second hour moving and mounting, third hour details and clean up.


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## Bootss (Dec 30, 2011)

Shockdoc said:


> Never send one man for these type of jobs. Two if not three make these jobs profitable rather than liable. Figure yourself in 3 to 4 hours labor in 2 or 3 men if assembled and ready for install. Your first hour is getting box set to hold wieght. Second hour moving and mounting, third hour details and clean up.


I was thinking (one man ) 4 to 6 hours to set up lift,rig the box, etc.

Then add whatever amount of hours to hang the chandelier 2-3 guys 2-4 hrs.ea.I've read some threads here that some of these guys hanging chandeliers ended up taking them a lot of extra time.

Maybe I should note on the invoice that there is a great potential for project to take extra time.


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## Bootss (Dec 30, 2011)

$900-$1100 plus lift, materials, 10-20 % profit
especially for Silicon Valley
I don't think its worth it for me to even do it for much less than that


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## Bootss (Dec 30, 2011)

I think in one of these chandelier hanging threads somebody made drawings up of their rig for hanging the chandelier


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Most chandeliers I have hung are not that heavy. I believe we did one that was very heavy and we definitely needed 3 of us working from ladders. Most take 2 people for comfort but I have done them by myself.

We have a 12' step ladder so at 18' I can usually work off that but I have had to stand on the top rung.... Now

Now we setup up 2 saw horses that are braced very well. We run 2 2x10 across them and then set the 12' ontop. We brace the ladder feet by setting screws so the ladder cannot walk back or forth, left or right. Osha would die but IMO, it is very safe

Doing it this way we can usually hang the light in under 2 hours with 2 men


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

Dennis Alwon said:


> We have a 12' step ladder so at 18' I can usually work off that but I have had to stand on the top rung....


I actually don't find standing on top of a ladder too odd. I stand atop of my 4 foot all the time. At least I did last year.


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## pete87 (Oct 22, 2012)

Lep said:


> View attachment 48145
> 
> 
> 18' ceiling need to install rated box(apparently some sort of box is there now) then hang this chandelier.Any guesses on man hours and any tips of the day will be appreciated....:



That one looks like an Antique . Only 2 bulbs ? 

Anyway I have hung heavy chandeliers and all ways supported indepently with rod and wood to beef it up . One trick is when no ceiling access , i might place a rosset , if that is what its called , over the rough patch . 
People like that with antique look .


Pete


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

pete87 said:


> That one looks like an Antique . Only 2 bulbs ?
> 
> Anyway I have hung heavy chandeliers and all ways supported indepently with rod and wood to beef it up . One trick is when no ceiling access , i might place a rosset , if that is what its called , over the rough patch .
> People like that with antique look .
> ...



I think we know them as a Medallion !


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

daveEM said:


> I actually don't find standing on top of a ladder too odd. I stand atop of my 4 foot all the time. At least I did last year.


Standing atop a 4' ladder is much different than standing atop a 12'. It shouldn't be but it is.


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## Bootss (Dec 30, 2011)

one of my associates is going to handle it he's going to do it a bit cheaper than what I would prefer.I think I'll have him hand out some flyers around the neighborhood post a lawn sign get more business in that neighborhood.

supposably its a high end neighborhood.
:whistling2:


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

standing on top of the ladder might work for you when it works for you,  but you are going to find out at the worst possible moment that it wasn't a good idea to start with, and then besides the hospital bills, you will be fined from your dear gov't. do yourself a favor - use the right size ladder, scaffold, or lift.


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## pete87 (Oct 22, 2012)

wildleg said:


> standing on top of the ladder might work for you when it works for you, but you are going to find out at the worst possible moment that it wasn't a good idea to start with, and then besides the hospital bills, you will be fined from your dear gov't. do yourself a favor - use the right size ladder, scaffold, or lift.




That is called a " Oh Sh*t Moment "




Pete


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

I don't allow my guys to stop on the top. I did it when I was young and bold. I look out for the guys and we decided using the folding saw horse was the best method when the 12' didn't reach


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## 3DDesign (Oct 25, 2014)

1. Did you notice the fixture is rated 220-240 Volts?
Check the lamp holders and make sure 120 volt bulbs will work.

2. You must wear clean white cloth gloves when handling the fixture and crystals. - it's in the directions you posted.

3. The ceiling fan boxes we use are rated 150 lbs for a fixture. Check the weight but I doubt yours is heavier than that.

4. We use a double sided, 16 ft fiberglas step ladder. Standing on the top of a 12 ft ladder is dangerous and against all safety rules & laws. A 14 ft step ladder would also work.

5. Check the fixture, many of these need assembled. That alone could take a couple of hours.

6. Some of these to not come with a bar hanger and are expected to hang from threaded rod. 

7. Look at the canopy, make sure it's large enough to cover the box. Sometimes, an antique, European fixture comes with a very small canopy.

8. Have the owners consider installing an Aladdin light lift.


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

Dennis Alwon said:


> Standing atop a 4' ladder is much different than standing atop a 12'. It shouldn't be but it is.


You aren't kidding. :laughing:

Them tightrope walkers probably learn how to walk on that thing when she is 6 inches off the ground.

Then, as the mind allows, the rope is raised. Some of those folks have no mind (brains?) at all and that same rope can moved up to the top of buildings, crazy stuff like that.

My limit is the four foot. Always has been.


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

3DDesign said:


> 2. You must wear clean white cloth gloves when handling the fixture and crystals. - it's in the directions you posted.


If that's an antique, break one crystal and there goes all your profit and labor.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Lep said:


> View attachment 48145
> 
> 
> 18' ceiling need to install rated box(apparently some sort of box is there now) then hang this chandelier.Any guesses on man hours and any tips of the day will be appreciated.
> ...


$1,500 plus, $25 X the length of the driveway.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

> Falls remain a leading cause of unintentional injury mortality nationwide, and 43% of fatal falls in the last decade have involved a ladder (1). Among workers, approximately 20% of fall injuries involve ladders (2–4). Among construction workers, an estimated 81% of fall injuries treated in U.S. emergency departments (EDs) involve a ladder (5). To fully characterize fatal and nonfatal injuries associated with ladder falls among workers in the United States, CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) analyzed data across multiple surveillance systems: 1) the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), 2) the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), and 3) the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System–occupational supplement (NEISS-Work). In 2011, work-related ladder fall injuries (LFIs) resulted in 113 fatalities (0.09 per 100,000 full-time equivalent* [FTE] workers), an estimated 15,460 nonfatal injuries reported by employers that involved ≥1 days away from work (DAFW), and an estimated 34,000 nonfatal injuries treated in EDs. Rates for nonfatal, work-related, ED-treated LFIs were higher (2.6 per 10,000 FTE) than those for such injuries reported by employers (1.2 per 10,000 FTE). LFIs represent a substantial public health burden of preventable injuries for workers. Because falls are the leading cause of work-related injuries and deaths in construction, NIOSH, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Center for Construction Research and Training are promoting a national campaign to prevent workplace falls (2). NIOSH is also developing innovative technologies to complement safe ladder use (6).




http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6316a2.htm


in this study by harvard in 2010, 


> The average fall height among the injured workers was 7.5 feet; only 5% of cases fell from heights greater than 20 feet. When categorized, 36% of falls were ≤ 4 feet, 35% from 5-9 feet, and 29% from heights of 10 feet or greater. The greatest proportion of falls from the highest levels occurred when using extension or straight ladders (57%). The figures on this below and the next describe the body parts injured, the diagnosis, and the mechanism of ladder fall. These results were discussed in detail with the participants to provide a clear picture of the health consequences of ladder falls directly reported by people who have been injured.












http://elcosh.org/document/2079/d001094/preventing-falls-from-ladders-in-construction%253A-a-guide-to-training-site-supervisors.html


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## awidolff (Feb 17, 2015)

I've done quite a few of these. 2 guys are a must but you really only need em for a second while you actually hang the fixture. A 15' ladder for this is a must. Don't forget to add an extra hour for hanging the crystal which is actually the most time consuming part. The fixtures I have worked with aren't that heavy and a regular fan rated box is sufficient. Be safe.


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