How move a chandelier

Picture this: you’ve invested into decorating your home and decided to top it off by mounting a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind chandelier high above your foyer. A grand gesture at the very least. Whether your chandelier is the size of a flower bouquet or as large as a recliner, chandeliers are a unique situation– as in, they hang. The next time you are moving and have a chandelier that needs to come along, here are a few ways you can make sure it’s protected!

Steps to secure your chandelier during take down and moving

The surest way to move a chandelier is to have it encased in a customized box. When you first buy a chandelier, it may, or may not come in separate pieces. Some customized models already come fully assembled with pieces completely fused together. Therefore, it’s likely you’ll be stuck with one hanging piece of glory that can’t be set down or taken apart.

But if it can be taken apart, that would be a good idea. If it’s made of glass, remove the glass pieces, and wrap them individually with something that will provide a ‘cushion’ during the move.

You’ll have to purchase a shipping crate (wood is ideal so you can customize) big enough to leave room for about 4-6 inches on each side. For step by step instructions of how to turn a crate into a transportable chandelier perch, visit this blog.

Staying safe and handling electricity for a chandelier move

Before you remove the chandelier, make sure the lights are off! Find your fuse box and the corresponding breaker so you can turn it off while the chandelier is being taken down AND re-hung. Doing this may turn off other parts of the house’s electricity points at the same time temporarily. So, you’ll want to do the chandelier removal in daylight or have battery operated lights handy. They are available in hardware sections of department stores if you don’t want to go to a hardware store.

You should not be removing your chandelier on your own if it is directly wired to your ceiling wires. You need to hire a professional electrician to do this, as it is a major safety hazard. Sometimes chandeliers or lights may use a plug to connect the wires to the electricity. These are much safer to handle, and wouldn’t require an electrician. Simply unplug and go.

Now, keep in mind: you’ll likely be on a ladder when taking down your chandelier. If you are trying to balance yourself up high, and trying to hold up something heavy at the same time, you’ll need someone to spot you. Or you may consider some safety gear. Think of how the disconnecting of the chandelier will suddenly put a lot of weight on your arms. You’ll want to be prepared for this. If it’s a lot to handle, you could hurt both yourself and the chandelier.  Setting up a hoist to ‘hook’ the chandelier to may be a good idea, so you don’t drop it. This way you could descend it slowly.

Prep your new home and give your chandelier some TLC

You will also want to consult with an electrician in Vancouver before you move. Perhaps special wiring is needing to be installed at your new place, especially if your chandelier was a plug-in formerly. Finding the right spot to hang the chandelier, and getting those wires to that spot, will require new wiring and holes in the ceiling. And, if your new switch has a dimmer, whereas the old house didn’t, you’ll need to take this into consideration to. Dimmers can require special bulbs. Or, if there is no dimmer, and you wanted one, you will need to ask the electrician to set that switch up for you.

The electrician may also help with determining if the mount at your new home can handle the weight of the chandelier. Talk to the previous owners if necessary so you can get a good idea of the sturdiness and age of the ceiling before you mount on it. Generally you’ll want to find a stud to hang it from. But if your studs have been weakened in any way, this should be checked out first (especially if you see water spots on the ceiling).

Also, before you hoist it up in your new home, take the opportunity to give it a good clean. Bonus if you can switch out the bulbs for LED’s– they are safer because they don’t emit heat nor use as much energy! They also don’t come with the mercury dangers of CFLs in case they break.

Ask your local moving company about special arrangements for moving a chandelier

It’s important to let your moving company know of a specialized, fragile item like a chandelier in advance. This is because there might be special packing materials they can offer in addition to your crate, as well as coordinating the lifting of it out of your house and into your new one.

You’ll want to make sure your local movers have had some experience and knowledge about transporting things like a chandelier. In particular, Ferguson Moving has been involved in specialized moving and installations that deal with high value, luxury items. For example, our team of hotel movers in Vancouver managed to outfit the entire Fairmont Pacific Rim flawlessly, and in due time before its grand opening. This project certainly involved its fair share of chandeliers and ornate fixtures!

Hire a moving company that takes great care in any move!

Whether you have a chandelier to move out of your house, or are a hotel needing furnishings moved or installed, we have a trained team to get the job done safely. If you are require hotel movers or a team to tackle your home, call us at 604-922-2212 or click here for an online quote.