It is clearly important that your Chandelier is fitted properly to the ceiling securely both for reasons of personal safety and also as it would normally be destroyed if it fell to the ground leaving a pile of broken crystal!!  If you are in any doubt then get a competent tradesman but there are a few guidelines here that may be of use.  In simple terms the chandelier just needs a hook to hang from but this needs to be of sufficient strength to hold the chandelier without bending and must not come loose from its mounting. So firstly select a good plate hook, which clearly will need to be larger for heavy chandeliers and if in doubt get one that is over designed so it won’t break or pull out. You can purchase lighting plate hooks from us or alternatively from an alternative  reputable  source. Do check that the hook is load rated and ideally tested!

If a hook already exists in the ceiling it will need to be checked that it is appropriate for your chandelier because invariably chandeliers are much heavier than traditional light fitments due to the mass of the crystal.

The next step is to select where you want your chandelier to hang and then find a strong fitment point which is in the correct location. The majority of ceilings are either plaster board or lath and plaster for old buildings which is suspended from wooded ceiling joists. So you will need to locate a joist of sufficient strength to screw your hook into.
Make sure that you use a lighting plate hook that is load rated and strong enough for the job. If you are in any doubt fit one that is too big as you do not want your precious chandelier to fall and be a pile of broken crystal! If you can get to above the mounting point, say in the loft or by lifting a floorboard, then this is the best way to locate the joists. Alternatively you can start with an electronic joist detector, purchased from a merchant or DIY store,  to find the joists and then mark both sides. It is generally then good practise to put in a very small drill, say 1 or 1.5mm, to check that you have accurately found the joists.

Once located then take your hook and drill  pilot holes of the correct diameter for the hook  screws in to the correct depth near the centre of the joist. Then route the electrical cable down the side of the joist at a angle so it comes out close to the hook and you are ready to go. You often can get plate hooks where you can route the wiring straight through the base which may be preferable for your installation.

Now sometimes it is not that simple because you need to hang your chandelier in a position between two joists to get the correct positioning in the room. In this case then it is necessary to fit a piece of bracing timber between the two joists from above in order to have a strong mounting  point for your hook. To put this in you will invariably need access from above and ensure that you securely attach the bracing timber at both ends.

So that’s all,  but before you hang your chandelier then check that the hook is strong often done by hanging from it or applying a force much higher than the chandelier weight.