Tiffany Lamps are known for being unique, ornate, colorful and beautiful. Deciding he wanted to do something unique with stained glass, Louis Tiffany started his lamp making business in the late 1800s. Handcrafting the lamps himself and incorporating colorful designs on the shades, Tiffany's business grew incredibly popular. Today his lamps are still sought after. Hanging your Tiffany lamp can be done simply and relatively quickly.
Taking Down the Old Fixture
Tiffany lamps are beautiful but can be fragile. Always handle the lamps (specifically the shades) with extreme caution as to not break or crack the glass. Before you can enjoy your Tiffany lamp, you must first remove the old light fixture in the foyer. Remove the canopy of the old fixture first by unscrewing its screws on either side of the canopy. The canopy is typically a circular, decorative "plate" that rests on top of the ceiling to cover the wires and electrical box inside the ceiling. Once you pull the canopy down, you'll have access to the crossbar and the electrical box in the ceiling. Unscrew the screws connecting the crossbar to the electrical box to remove the old fixture. Disconnect any wires from the old fixture to the electrical box. The old fixture can be placed aside or thrown away if desired.
Hanging the Tiffany Lamp
Start by "making" ground wire. Twist the end of a copper wire around a ground screw. The screw is then fed into the electrical box's threaded hole and tightened. Place the Tiffany's canopy up to the ceiling and align it with the crossbar. If you need to adjust the height of the lamp, simply use a wrench to pry open a few chains from the lamp's chain link. Screw the crossbar back into the electrical box using a screwdriver. Connect the neutral wires from the Tiffany lamp (white) to the neutral wire from the electrical box. Fold all of the wires into the electrical box so they cannot be seen coming through the ceiling. Place the canopy back up to ceiling and screw it in using the screws given with the lamp.
Staying Safe
Before starting any electrical projects, always turn the room's main power off at the circuit breaker. If the power is on, you run the risk of electrocution. You will most likely need to use a ladder for this project. If so, always have someone to work along side you. This way, they can hand you the tools you need, grab the old fixture as you pull it down and hand you the new fixture when you're ready to put it up. This will help prevent you from walking up and down the ladder with tools and large materials. That extra person can also help steady the ladder while you are working on it.
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