Installing Your Chandelier (using an electrician)

Hiring an Electrician to Install Your Magnificent Chandelier

You're excited about your new exquisite chandelier purchase at the lighting bazaar. It's still wrapped up in a box and you need to assemble it. You're like a kid at Christmas; you can't wait to tear into it Then you realize it. You realize that a chandelier uses electricity.

Electricity, if you haven't figured it out lately, can be lethal if you are not careful. It's a fairly common way to die among electricians. There are a kazillion volts of electricity running through hundreds of wires all over the house. You know not to touch any of them unless you have a really reason. Even then you have someone at the fuse box to turn all the juice off just in case something goes awry.

So rather than paying an overpriced electrician $100 to come in and ease some of your burden, you play macho and try to download something online that would walk you step by step through your installation process. So you say to yourself, "how hard could it be? A few wires, a few snips, and then bingo, instance elegance!"

You can do that but I wouldn't recommend it. First, unless you're a trained and experiencd electrician, you could really hurt yourself. No, I mean really really hurt yourself.

Secondly, I have always operated under the principle of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." In other words, if you do mess up any of the electrical connections and circuitry in your house, think of how much you would spend to have a qualified electrician come and undo your damage. Probably more than $100.

Lastly, get the job done right the first time. Period. If he (or she) screws up, you bring him back to fix it. Simple. The electrician should have some sort of 30 day or 60 day guarantee. It's standard.

So, how do you find a good electrician? Ask your friends if they know someone. It's not necessary to get a union shop to take care of you, though that guy will probably know what he's doing because of all the training and experience he has. It'll cost you but it's probably worth it. Asking around will probably get you in contact with one or two. Otherwise, let your fingers do the walking or let your mouse do it for you.

Installing your new chandelier shouldn't cause you mental angst. But if you want the job done right, hire someone who will get it right the first time. You want to be able to enjoy your chandelier a bit.

Ah! The Chandelier

You need to buy a chandelier. That's all there is to it. You need it in a bad way!

There's no denying it, even the most inexpensive chandelier will add grace and beauty where there was little of each. Think about it: wouldn't you rather spend a few hundred dollars now for an inexpensive crystal chandelier than being stuck with that silly four-light fixture under a a tacky confines of a ceiling fan (isn't that what air conditioners are for)? The noble chandelier more than pays for itself almost immediately in the wonderful comments that people will have when they see that you took the time and expense to install one in your dining room.

It used to be said that purchasing a chandelier was only for the so-called "hotty totty" or the upper class elitists. Not so, definitely not so. Middle income residents are now seeing the benefits and rise in social status when they introduce a chandelier into the home.

A chandelier is elegant; it commands your visitors' attention; and it remains the number one attention piece in any room (with the possible exception of a grand piano, but who needs to pay upwards of $30,000 - what you might pay for an "inexpensive" grand piano-for a chandelier). No other furnishing has that type of reaction on others. However, selecting the best kind of chandelier for the dining room is not exactly as easy as you think. You have to be able to match the size of the table with the amount of illumination you need.

But the good news is that when you have the right guidance and the right store, shopping for a chandelier is easy. If you are totally thumbs when it comes to installation, you'll probably want to hire somebody from the store to install it. You may be able to negotiate the chandelier based on whether someone from the store can provide the installation services.

You will not be disappointed when you purchase even a low budget chandelier. You'll enjoy it for as long as you live in your home.

The chandelier adds dignity and class to any dining room.