downlights

[i=p/u]

morning.

i have a house coming up with 20 odd down lights in kitchen. but when i look at ceiling joists i can see the room goes in a angle and joist go at an angle too.

so i know im going to hit the joists left right and centre and know wont be allowed to cut joists to accomadate down lights.. few tips or tricks in how talking customer round or what you would do in situations like this, thanks if you been there many times and wanna share..

 

[Octopus]

I'm guessing you can't get the floorboards up in the room above? If you could it would make it much easier!

 

[telectrix]

use one of them stud/metal detectors. map out the run of the joists and plan your positions accordingly. if you make a boob and hit a joist, glue the cut-out back in with some filler.

 

[Farmelectrics]

a long thin nail to locate joists easy to fill nail hole in than 54mm hole etc

 

[telectrix]

i'll post him a nail file to do his thumbnail, then. ( seriously, a goood tip. i use a non-insulated 3mm terminal driver.)

 

[Octopus]

Or once you've drilled a 4mm hole use a bit of 1.5 with a right angle bend in it, insert through hole and see if you can rotate it through 360 degrees

 

[telectrix]

Or once you've drilled a 4mm hole use a bit of 1.5 with a right angle bend in it, insert through hole and see if you can rotate it through 360 degrees

cheapskate, i use 2,5mm.

 

[pjcomp]

How are you going to connectthe lights to each other? At some point you need to get the cabling through a joist or two whichever way they run, so whether it's floorboards above or ceiling below, you've got to open up something. Then you'll find where the joists are and you won't have to rely on guesswork or nail holes. Or have I missed the announcement about wireless downlighters?

pj

 

[polo1]

cheapskate, i use 2,5mm.

Cheaper still, I use old wire coathangers bent to the radius of my cutout!

As has been said above, mark out the run of the joists and position your downlights accordingly.

Regards

 

[telectrix]

Cheaper still, I use old wire coathangers bent to the radius of my cutout!

As has been said above, mark out the run of the joists and position your downlights accordingly.

Regards

where do you get your coathangers calibrated. ?

 

[i=p/u]

hahahah you nutters or am i plank.. i can see the joists but they aint gonna go where they are in drawing..... no chance.

so what do you do? do you just leave out downlight where a joist is instead.. does it end up looking bad 3 lights one line four the next

 

[telectrix]

you space them out according to the joists. if the drawing has been done by a designer, then get him back to modify it. explain why. it's called passing the buck and covering your arse.

 

[i=p/u]

thats kind of answer i was looking for. cause they aint going to go by the drawing.

 

[Strima]

you space them out according to the joists. if the drawing has been done by a designer, then get him back to modify it. explain why. it's called passing the buck and covering your arse.

Or get the designer to come in and prove himself by cutting the holes, he may think twice about designing **** poor stuff in the future...

 

[bugsy]

Plot the joists on a drawing , set out the d/l as symetrically as possibe get the client to agree layout and prey your drwgs right!