Mount A Ceiling Fan To A Vaulted Ceiling

Mount a Ceiling Fan to a Vaulted Ceiling

Mounting a ceiling fan to a vaulted ceiling isn't all that different from mounting one to a level ceiling. The big difference is that you have to take the slope of the ceiling into account and install a downrod extender long enough to allow the fan blades to turn without striking the ceiling. With a tall step ladder and a helper, you can finish this project in a day.

Instructions

Measure Ceiling Slope

1. Mark 12 inches from the end of a carpenter's level with a pencil or piece of tape.

2. Hold that end of the level against the ceiling, then pivot the level until the bubble shows that the level is parallel to the floor.

3. Holding the level in position, use a tape measure to measure the vertical distance from the 12-inch mark on the level to the ceiling. This figure is the "rise" of the ceiling. If the rise is 7 inches or more, then the angle of the ceiling is greater than 30 degrees; in this case you will need to buy an angled-ceiling adapter for your ceiling fan. Every major fan manufacturer makes such an adapter.

4. Buy a downrod extender of the appropriate length. The lengths listed below are just the minimums. If you want your fan to hang lower, feel free to buy a longer extender.

- If the rise is 4 inches or less, buy a 12-inch downrod extender.

- For a 5 to 6-inch rise, buy an 18-inch extender.

- For 7 to 8 inches, buy a 24-inch extender.

- For 9 to 12 inches, buy a 36-inch extender.

If the rise is greater than 12 inches, then the ceiling angle is more than 45 degrees, which is too steep for a ceiling fan.

Installing the Fan

5. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for unpacking the ceiling fan, including removal of the motor screws.

6. Attach the fan mounting bracket to the electrical box in the ceiling. Pull the electrical wires from the box through the center hole of the bracket.

7. Screw the downrod extender onto the short, stubby downrod that came with your fan.

8. Insert the downrod assembly through the center hole in the fan canopy, with the "ball" end facing toward the ceiling. The canopy is the domelike part that installs against the ceiling. If you purchased an adapter, it will have a special canopy; use that one.

9. Thread the wires down through the rod and pull them out the end.

10. Attach the canopy to the mounting bracket. The downrod should be hanging straight down from the ceiling with the wires sticking out.

11. Install the fan to the rod according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Tags: downrod extender, against ceiling, center hole, extender inches, extender rise, greater than, level ceiling