Hanging light frame

[ColdOceanReef]

Greetings,

I hope all is well. I hope I can find some confidence about hanging this light frame. This weights about ~35# after everything said and done. I am having trouble locating the studs where I wanted them to be. I like to use a single hook, one on each side to hang this like a V.
I am wonder if anyone has experience hanging lights without studs.


Thank you

 

[kyleinpdx]

Find the studs. Its easy to find fasteners that say they will support X pounds but the 1/2" drywall on your ceiling probably wont for long. I hate stud finders, instead I use a magnet to find where they nailed the drywall to the studs and map them out that way. If you cant get the fixture centered on the studs use a small piece of wood (paint it something appealing) to bridge between the studs and anchor the fixture to that.

How old is the house? Are you sure its drywall + studs and not lath and plaster?

There will be people that come after me that say its fine, heres the thing. Do you really want to trust that small bit of wallboard? Lets say in 6months the stress finally gets to it and one side pulls free, causing the light to drop and go swinging into your beautiful glass tank. Will it crack it? Will the mercury vapors from the T5's contaminate the water? Will the light fixture be repairable afterwards? -- You can save yourself from all of the outcomes with a little bit of extra planning upfront.

 

[kyleinpdx]

@ColdOceanReef any chance you have a powerhead that is held onto the glass with a magnet? My "go to" stud finder is the magnet from the back of my RP-M powerhead. I run it in a circular pattern on the wall/ceiling until I feel the "pull" of the magnet. Its strong enough to stick directly to the nail once I'm close to it.

 

[ColdOceanReef]

Yes. I used the stud finder and it found metal studs. I confirmed it with the magnet trick. I am just not too sure on the thickness.

Thank you

 

[kyleinpdx]

Yes. I used the stud finder and it found metal studs. I confirmed it with the magnet trick. I am just not too sure on the thickness.

Thank you

Metal studs eh, that might be problematic. When was the house built? Single family or multifamily (apartment, condo, townhouse with a shared wall, etc)?

Whats above the ceiling? Is it the attic? If so life will be good, if its finished (a bedroom or similar) then life will be a little more complicated.

 

[rgulrich]

...and adding to the above, if the studs are "off center" of where you wish to hang the lights, cut a piece of 2x4, finish to your desired level of sanding, painting, staining, etc. and securely mount that to the studs. Then mount the light to the 2x4.

Oh, and don't forget to double check the magnetic stud finder to ensure you're not just hitting nails. Or something else...
Cheers,
Ray

 

[ColdOceanReef]

Single family built 1994.
After further investigation, I found they are metal, but very thin. I can drill thru it. With the lenght that runs parallel entire ceiling. it can withheld the weight.

 

[kyleinpdx]

Single family built 1994.
After further investigation, I found they are metal, but very thin. I can drill thru it. With the lenght that runs parallel entire ceiling. it can withheld the weight.

Interesting. I'm not a home builder by any stretch but I'm in "the industry" and its surprising that a single family from 24yrs ago would feature metal framing and floor joists. Not that its an issue, its just that a wooden stud/joist is more "forgiving." You'll want to use snap toggles or something similar to mount to those joists but as long as you can locate them you should be good to go. GL!