Replacing a 32-Foot-High Chandelier in an Alpharetta Home

Replacing a chandelier sounds straightforward until the fixture is hanging 32 feet above the floor and weighs more than 120 pounds.

That was the challenge on a recent Fuse Crew Electrical project in Alpharetta, Georgia.

The homeowner wanted an existing chandelier removed from a two-story foyer and a new multi-pendant fixture installed in its place. The electrical work was only part of the project. Before we could disconnect a single wire, we had to figure out how to safely reach the fixture, remove something that heavy from more than 30 feet in the air, and install the new chandelier without damaging the home.

Why a 30-Foot Chandelier Replacement Is Different

In a typical room, changing a light fixture might require a ladder and a couple of hours of work.

A two-story foyer is different.

At approximately 32 feet, we weren't going to try to solve the problem with an oversized ladder. We needed a stable working platform where the fixture could be disconnected and, just as importantly, where a 120+ pound chandelier could be safely controlled as it came down.

One option for high-ceiling electrical work is a scissor lift. There are situations where that makes sense, but bringing a large piece of equipment into a finished home creates its own challenges.

For this Alpharetta project, scaffolding made more sense.

Building Scaffolding Inside the Foyer

Before the chandelier could come down, we built a scaffold system inside the foyer.

That meant protecting the finished areas of the home and creating a working platform high enough for us to safely reach the ceiling box and chandelier.

The photos from this project really tell the story. By the time you're standing on the upper level of scaffolding looking across at second-story windows, you realize just how high 32 feet actually is.

Once we had safe access, we could begin the electrical work.

Removing a Chandelier Weighing More Than 120 Pounds

The original fixture wasn't just high. It was heavy.

Removing a chandelier weighing more than 120 pounds requires planning because disconnecting the wiring is only one part of the job. The fixture still has to be supported, detached and safely brought down from the ceiling.

With the scaffolding in place, we were able to work directly underneath the chandelier and carefully remove the existing fixture.

Then we could turn our attention to the replacement.

Installing the New Multi-Pendant Chandelier

The new fixture had a completely different look.

Instead of one large traditional chandelier, the replacement uses more than a dozen individual pendant lights suspended from a large ceiling canopy.

That created another part of the installation people don't necessarily think about.

Each pendant hangs independently, so the individual cord lengths have to be adjusted to create the finished arrangement. With a fixture like this, getting power to it isn't the end of the installation. The spacing and hanging heights are what make the fixture look right when you're standing downstairs looking up into the foyer.

Once everything was connected, positioned and tested, the result completely changed the space.

Can You Replace a Chandelier in a 20, 25 or 30-Foot Ceiling?

Yes. The bigger question is how you're going to safely reach it.

We've found that high-ceiling lighting projects have to be evaluated individually. Depending on the home, fixture and available access, that may mean scaffolding or another method of reaching the ceiling safely.

And that's why homeowners with two-story foyers shouldn't necessarily look at these projects as ordinary fixture replacements.

The height of the ceiling, weight and design of the chandelier, accessibility of the foyer, existing electrical box and mounting requirements all matter.

In this Alpharetta home, scaffolding was the right solution.

High-Ceiling Chandelier Installation in Alpharetta, GA

This was a tough day on the job, but it's also exactly the type of project we like.

The homeowner had a chandelier more than 30 feet in the air. We figured out how to safely reach it, removed the 120+ pound existing fixture, installed the new multi-pendant chandelier and left them with a completely different look in the foyer.

If you have a chandelier, pendant fixture or other lighting that seems almost impossible to reach, Fuse Crew Electrical provides residential lighting installation and electrical services in Alpharetta and throughout the North Atlanta area.

Sometimes making the electrical connection is the easy part.

Getting there safely is the real job.