# silly layout



## Bulldog1 (Oct 21, 2011)

Duh......architects are way smarter than us EC's so what you and I see as silly they see as making the plans look like they should cost several grand. :blink:


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

I can't wait to see the strobe light from the fan and the hot spots on the wall. It would have been much nicer to let me design it...


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

Yeah, that's pretty awful. 

I once did a similar job where all the recessed lights were designed for a particular furniture layout. It was the most idiotic layout you have ever seen in your life. Puts yours to shame.


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## Bulldog1 (Oct 21, 2011)

mcclary's electrical said:


> I can't wait to see the strobe light from the fan and the hot spots on the wall. It would have been much nicer to let me design it...



We put up like 100ft of track lighting where the (flaming gay. Not that there is anything wrong with that..:whistling2designer told us it went. HO comes home and flips out. It was supposed to be on the other end of the room. That was a back charge no one wanted to pay for but did. :laughing:

We normally do our lighting design and then customize it to the customers desires. After the lights get roughed in we let the customer look again before proceeding. Works out best most cases.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

I always liked the lights installed a million feet off the ground. :thumbup: It's even better when it's a chandelier where there's no way it's getting relamped without a ladder.

-John


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

I love it when designers think they could put cans on a piece of paper and that's where they end up (joist and ductwork)


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## stuiec (Sep 25, 2010)

What drives me nuts is listening to the 2 hr discussions on how to lay pots out (cans down there?). 9 times out of 10 there is a designer and/or HO that is hell bent focused on the lay out from the point of view of fixture position and symmetry rather than how the actual light will play out. THEY ARE RECESSED FIXTURES! If the _light_ design is good, the _fixtures _will never be noticed! The only reason a recessed fixture is noticed (by those outside of the trade), is when it is in the wrong place giving inadequate light. IMO.


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## crazyboy (Nov 8, 2008)

Big John said:


> I always liked the lights installed a million feet off the ground. :thumbup: It's even better when it's a chandelier where there's no way it's getting relamped without a ladder.
> 
> -John


chandelier lift :whistling2:


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

Yea I agree, ill never understand the need to lay out lights according to furniture. I am starting a job in two weeks where im relocating several high hats because of this...Ill post some pics..
I just finished a job removing 16 3 inch cans because of bad framing that had to be redone.. I explained to the HO how I was going to reinstall them because of the strange layout before and she told me that she wanted to run it by her designer first... needless to say the woman did almost exactly what i said.....buy hey what do i know, im just a wire monkey....


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Wait till the HO has to pay $300.00 to change a light bulb that is on top of the window.. they are never happy.. :no:

I just noticed he will have to remove the fan to get an extension ladder in there.. really bad design..


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## ce2two (Oct 4, 2008)

Big John said:


> I always liked the lights installed a million feet off the ground. :thumbup: It's even better when it's a chandelier where there's no way it's getting relamped without a ladder.
> 
> -John


RELAMPED WITH SISSOR LIFT:thumbsup:


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## Mr. Sparkle (Jan 27, 2009)

This reminds me of a recent encounter I had with a gentleman, in the midst of smalltalk he mentioned he was an EE and I had said something along the lines of "Oh really that's cool, I hold an electrical license here in NJ" as smalltalk and without missing a beat this guy had some smug smirk on his face and he says "Uh, that is a little different than what I do.".

I really wanted to bitch slap him for the remainder of the conversation just for being a smug arrogant prick.


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## Wireman191 (Aug 28, 2011)

Interior decorators...... Pay someone 4000 to design your remodel but only have 2000 to complete the electrical? To top it if, we not only want can lights, we do not have enough light under the counter tops now can you add some lights there for me please?:wallbash: That was my first resiz experience.


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## CTshockhazard (Aug 28, 2009)

Big John said:


> I always liked the lights installed a million feet off the ground. :thumbup:
> 
> -John


Same here, just like the fixtures installed in commercial stairwells over the stairs instead of at the landings.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

Mr. Sparkle said:


> This reminds me of a recent encounter I had with a gentleman, in the midst of smalltalk he mentioned he was an EE and I had said something along the lines of "Oh really that's cool, I hold an electrical license here in NJ" as smalltalk and without missing a beat this guy had some smug smirk on his face and he says "Uh, that is a little different than what I do.".
> 
> I really wanted to bitch slap him for the remainder of the conversation just for being a smug arrogant prick.


I get this image of as soon as he says "I'm an EE", you drop everything, turn in his direction, drop to the floor and bow down before him (the way muslims pray). That would be great sarcasm, but I'm afraid it might be wasted on the EE. He might actually think he is deserving of this adoration. :laughing:


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## Sparky J (May 17, 2011)

Like it's been said before in this forum EEs are EEs some good a lot could not wire their way out of a paper bag let alone their own plans. :laughing:
I had one a few yards ago that argued with me about a motion switch he put in his basement that stopped working. I pulled it out and the connections at the wire nuts were "wet" I was like WTF, he put deox on them (not the ilsco rated for copper) when I asked why he said because of the aluminum wire on the motion switch  he would not believe me that they tinned the wire ends for an easier connection. That was until I cut and restripped a wire end to show him the copper. :001_huh:

As far as design, designer and HOs it kills me that (maybe it's just us trade guys who care) they will him and haw about that $3000.00 chandelier or the idiotic placement of fixtures but don't worry about what's in the walls or think about any kind of future proofing. I find that I suggest things a lot on deaf ears. But like most here I make suggestions when I can and take it or leave it do the work per proposal and sometimes laugh when I cash the checks. Ok who am I kidding with some of these builders/designers sometimes I can't stop laughing! :thumbup:


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## jbaucom86 (Oct 23, 2011)

Nothing like having to replace a ceiling fan on two 6' dr's with a coupler for warranty work. Of course they're going to wobble you've got 12' of rod and a cheap couple between with two set screws


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

I did a job at a bank where all the recessed cans were installed according to the plans in a drop ceiling 25' off the ground. Once the lights were installed all the counters were installed. To this day, I have no idea how they're able to change some of the lamps? :no:


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

grow wings?

~CS~


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

*Led*



Chris1971 said:


> I did a job at a bank where all the recessed cans were installed according to the plans in a drop ceiling 25' off the ground. Once the lights were installed all the counters were installed. To this day, I have no idea how they're able to change some of the lamps? :no:


Those new fangles LED A19's would work good there..


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## That's It? (Aug 31, 2011)

mcclary's electrical said:


> This lighting was designed by someone else and we simply laid it out by the plans. I think it's silly. We're trimming the house out today. Why would you want a light ABOVE the fan?
> 
> The second shows cans placed too close to the wall, the third should have been centered in the arch, and the fourth is ridiculous as far as maintenance goes


 Lighting designer written all over it.



captkirk said:


> Yea I agree, ill never understand the need to lay out lights according to furniture. I am starting a job in two weeks where im relocating several high hats because of this...Ill post some pics..
> I just finished a job removing 16 3 inch cans because of bad framing that had to be redone.. I explained to the HO how I was going to reinstall them because of the strange layout before and she told me that she wanted to run it by her designer first... needless to say the woman did almost exactly what i said.....buy hey what do i know, im just a wire monkey....


 We just redid a house where the "designer" placed the cans towards the center of the room over the dining room table. Then the designer decides to put a fan in the center of the cans. Blades overlapped the lights and made it a disco room.



Chris1971 said:


> I did a job at a bank where all the recessed cans were installed according to the plans in a drop ceiling 25' off the ground. Once the lights were installed all the counters were installed. To this day, I have no idea how they're able to change some of the lamps? :no:


 Spiderman Electric maybe?


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## B W E (May 1, 2011)

Peter D said:


> Yeah, that's pretty awful.
> 
> I once did a similar job where all the recessed lights were designed for a particular furniture layout. It was the most idiotic layout you have ever seen in your life. Puts yours to shame.


What's wrong with laying out based on furniture?


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

B W E said:


> What's wrong with laying out based on furniture?


 
You can't rearrange the room?


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## B W E (May 1, 2011)

mcclary's electrical said:


> You can't rearrange the room?


I guess it's all different in different parts of the country. A guy that I've had the privilege of working with works only in the Beverly hills, Brentwood, Malibu, west Los Angeles area. When those kinds of people move furniture, they have him come move lights.

You CANNOT get the same look by symmetrically flooding a room with lights as you can by purposefully placed recessed lights with the proper lens/trim/bulb combinations. Lights placed in relation to furniture, decorative pieces, whether on the floor or walls, coupled with scene controls are the way to go. Unless, there is a VERY small, make it basic and flood the room, kind of budget.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

B W E said:


> I guess it's all different in different parts of the country. A guy that I've had the privilege of working with works only in the Beverly hills, Brentwood, Malibu, west Los Angeles area. When those kinds of people move furniture, they have him come move lights.
> 
> You CANNOT get the same look by symmetrically flooding a room with lights as you can by purposefully placed recessed lights with the proper lens/trim/bulb combinations. Lights placed in relation to furniture, decorative pieces, whether on the floor or walls, coupled with scene controls are the way to go. Unless, there is a VERY small, make it basic and flood the room, kind of budget.


 
Large rooms, I agree. But I just finished two townhomes and the designer put the ceiling fans at the foot of each bed, instead of the center of the room. I thought that was really silly. First, how does he know that's where they want the bed? Second, how does he know they won't move it later? It seemed odd.


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## B W E (May 1, 2011)

mcclary's electrical said:


> Large rooms, I agree. But I just finished two townhomes and the designer put the ceiling fans at the foot of each bed, instead of the center of the room. I thought that was really silly. First, how does he know that's where they want the bed? Second, how does he know they won't move it later? It seemed odd.


Fans should always be centered in the room IMO. Form follows function. Fans work best to cool down a room when centered. Over the foot of a bed is dumb.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

This thread is a good fit for this picture.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

That's uhhh, fugly!


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

mcclary's electrical said:


> This thread is a good fit for this picture.
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 16888


good golly miss molly


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

What were they smokin to get that artistic thought?


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Shockdoc said:


> What were they smokin to get that artistic thought?


 Whatever it was I want some!


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


> This thread is a good fit for this picture.
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 16888


Did you install them? If so, is that what the customer wanted? Did you get paid? If so, who cares.


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## svh19044 (Jul 1, 2008)

I'm impressed that they managed to miss all the framing/plumbing/mech with that mess.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Chris1971 said:


> Did you install them? If so, is that what the customer wanted? Did you get paid? If so, who cares.


 

Hell no, I'm gonna fix it!


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## MollyHatchet29 (Jan 24, 2012)

mcclary's electrical said:


> Hell no, I'm gonna fix it!


Haha! You have fun with that mess! Jeeeezzzuuusss!


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


>


I'm trying not to cuss. 

-John


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

How much you want to bed that some of the joists in that ceiling were cut and sistered with air? No fricken way they didn't hit framing with that football bat design.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Hope their gutting that ceiling out, that will truly be swiss cheese if not.


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## electric mike (Jun 15, 2009)

Hands down, best picture I've ever seen on here. Should be put in the random pic thread just for more exposure. :thumbsup:


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## MollyHatchet29 (Jan 24, 2012)

You should put this on your website! "For a small fee, you too can have a well-lit kitchen!"


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