I intend to install about 12 halogen lights in the ceiling of two adjacent
rooms. Each room has at present a single ceiling light fitting.
Can anyone tell me the best way to deal with beams in the void. I am unable
to lift the floor above so I have to work from below. I already know that
there is no way to get all the lights in place without dealing with beams in
the ceiling void.
How do you drill a hole in a beam through the small access hole for a
fish-eye halogen light?

On Thu, 22 Jul 2004 00:58:58 GMT, "symon miller"
strung together this:

How do you drill a hole in a beam through the small access hole for a
fish-eye halogen light?

With great difficulty\you can't. You could use a long drill bit, can't
say I've ever tried though. If you do manage it, it only works if
you're having a light between every joist.
I think the question you are trying to ask is "can I install recessed
lighting into a room without damaging any finished decor". The answer
is no, unless you can get the floor up in the room above.
If you could manage to repair the ceiling when you've finished, I
would cut a notch in the underside of the joists and then patch up
with filler\plaster.
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd

symon miller wrote:

I intend to install about 12 halogen lights in the ceiling of two adjacent
rooms. Each room has at present a single ceiling light fitting.
Can anyone tell me the best way to deal with beams in the void. I am unable
to lift the floor above so I have to work from below. I already know that
there is no way to get all the lights in place without dealing with beams in
the ceiling void.
How do you drill a hole in a beam through the small access hole for a
fish-eye halogen light?

The short answer is "with difficulty" ;-)

The longer answer depends on few factors like beam spacing, proximity of
hole to beam, and size of hole (which will be governed by you light
fitting).

Several options:

If the light fitting hole is large(ish), and can be positioned next to
the beam you need to drill, and you have/can get/hire/borrow an angle
drill, you might be able to insert the drill into the hole and then
drill through the beam. Possible - but tricky. You could alternatively
drill through at a steeper angle using an ordinary straight drill.

If the light fitting can be positioned a fair distance from the beam to
be drilled, then you could use a long (say 400mm or more) drill bit at a
shallow angle through the light mounting hole. Sometimes a 19mm spade
bit on the end of a 300mm extension (or two) can work well with a
smallish cordless drill on the other end. The difficult thing is having
got your hole, then threading the wires through it at a distance -
especially if you can't get a hand in through the hole for the light!

Finally a fail safe method which is simpler to carry out, but will
require some making good after: work out where the beam you want to
cross is, and then drill a series of partially overlapping holes *up*
through the ceiling into the bottom of the beam. If you use a wide spade
bit (say 25mm) then three holes will usually be enough to cross the
beam. You only need drill 10mm or so into the underside of the beam - so
that will be enough depth to leave a channel across the underside of the
beam, but above the ceiling. once the wire is in place you can fill the
holes in the ceiling.



--
Cheers,

John.

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\================================================= ================/

In message ,
Lurch wrote:

On Thu, 22 Jul 2004 00:58:58 GMT, "symon miller"
strung together this:

How do you drill a hole in a beam through the small access hole for a
fish-eye halogen light?

With great difficulty\you can't. You could use a long drill bit, can't
say I've ever tried though. If you do manage it, it only works if
you're having a light between every joist.
I think the question you are trying to ask is "can I install recessed
lighting into a room without damaging any finished decor". The answer
is no, unless you can get the floor up in the room above.
If you could manage to repair the ceiling when you've finished, I
would cut a notch in the underside of the joists and then patch up
with filler\plaster.

The problem with this though is that it breaks the OSG 50mm rule and so
*should* be mechanically protected to stop someone banging a nail
through it at some future date.

On a different related topic, remember to check the spacing &
ventillation requirements of the lamps - it can get very tricky to
ensure (e.g.) 100mm clearance all around a fitting if there are other
wires in the same void.

Hwyl!

M.

--
Martin Angove: http://www.tridwr.demon.co.uk/
Two free issues: http://www.livtech.co.uk/ Living With Technology
.... The characters are confused, the motivations obscure...USGOVT.

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 14:42:36 +0100, Martin Angove
strung together this:

The problem with this though is that it breaks the OSG 50mm rule and so
*should* be mechanically protected to stop someone banging a nail
through it at some future date.

Which bit? I assume you mean the notching the underside of the joists,
I meant do it properly with mechanical protection of some sort over
it, (or should that be under it?), sorry for not clarifying.
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd

In message ,
Lurch wrote:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 14:42:36 +0100, Martin Angove
strung together this:

The problem with this though is that it breaks the OSG 50mm rule and so
*should* be mechanically protected to stop someone banging a nail
through it at some future date.

Which bit? I assume you mean the notching the underside of the joists,
I meant do it properly with mechanical protection of some sort over
it, (or should that be under it?), sorry for not clarifying.

Yes, sorry, the notching. As a matter of interest, what would you use
for protection? The only thing I've found which is anything like useful
is a galvanised plate from TLC. The main problem with this is that it
obviously has a thickness and sometimes it can be tricky making good
afterwards if it sticks out from the joist (or whatever).

On the whole I find drilling the more satisfying option, but sometimes
(possibly as here) it just isn't practical.

Hwyl!

M.

--
Martin Angove: http://www.tridwr.demon.co.uk/
Two free issues: http://www.livtech.co.uk/ Living With Technology
.... Oh no not again. That Holodeck is always breaking down. - Picard.

On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 12:53:01 +0100, Martin Angove
strung together this:

As a matter of interest, what would you use
for protection?

Remove smutty comments
I usually use a piece of galv channel hammered flat then screw a small
piece of plasterboard over the top of that.

On the whole I find drilling the more satisfying option, but sometimes
(possibly as here) it just isn't practical.

Yep me too, but sometimes innovative techniques need to be applied, it
also saves getting bored doing the same things all the time!
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd