DO NOT Cover your installed chandelier! Unless...

What is the best way to cover your chandelier while finish work is happening around it?  

If you have to cover a light fixture, disconnect the power first!!  Remove the light bulbs, tape the light switches to the off position, disconnect the wires and put wire nuts on the ends, and turn off the breaker.  Sounds like over kill, but we've heard enough stories over the years (and I heard a new one this morning) to know that folks will try their darndest to turn lights on without thinking about what may be covered.  And, if they succeed, the end result will probably be a fire in your home.  

Whether plastic, paper, or cloth is touching a lit light bulb, it will cause a fire quicker than you would think.  We've repaired numerous light fixtures for customers that were trying to keep sanding dust out of their chandelier and they had a fire.  Some folks had severe damage to their homes.

So, if you have already installed a fixture and want to protect it, the best way is to remove it, seal the wires from the ceiling with wire nuts, and store it away.  If you can't do that, then cut the power to the fixture in all of the ways mentioned above before you cover it. 

From personal experience, I can tell you that dust will find a way.  Sanding dust is the worst and will get through and around any barrier you put up. If you have just purchased a chandelier, we always recommend that you wait until your build or reno is completely finished before installing your new chandelier.  

 Always be safe!

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