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Chandelier Cleaning Season is Here! 0

Yep - it comes in between Halloween and Thanksgiving - time to spruce up the house, polish the silver, get out the good china, and of course, clean the chandelier.  The Holidays are coming!

Some may say all of that sounds like a lot of trouble in this fast paced, disposable world.  But, we think a beautiful table, a great meal prepared with love and fellowship, and a house filled with the people that are most important to us, is truly a blessing. 

And, a clean, sparkly chandelier just adds joy to any occasion.  

If you have questions about cleaning your chandelier, contact us or email us at crystal@chandelier.com.  

Our best cleaning advice is here.

Restoration Files: From Florida 0

We’ve been working hard on restorations – so hard we haven’t taken any before and after photos!

Here is an after:

And, the lovely words from our customer:

Hi Nancy:
We received the chandelier all safe and sound and finally found an electrician to hang it. Best of all we got all the crystals in the right spot, I think… If not, nobody will know and it’s beautiful. You guys did such a great job. We’ve had it crated for over 5 years because we couldn’t find anyone to repair it and we’re so glad we found King’s. It looks beautiful in our home. Thank you so much for doing such an outstanding job!!!

How much chain should show? 1

We hear quite a bit of debate about chain around here.  How much chain is too much chain for my chandelier?  Isn't one link of chain too little chain?  General consensus says that there is a happy medium at around 6" of chain.

However, you have to have the amount of chain that you have to have.  There isn't much you can do - it is easier to adjust the chain than the ceiling height.  And, it is better to pick the chandelier that you like instead of adjusting your tastes to accommodate the exact length of chandelier that you feel you need. 

So, if you have to have 6' of chain - so be it.  There is the option to cover it with a fabric sleeve (make sure to get one that has Velcro the entire length). But, at the end of the day, people don't notice the chain. The only have eyes for your gorgeous chandelier.

Conversely, if you have only 1 link of chain - it doesn't look as short as you think it will.  

This photo is from our showroom (the 8+4 Medium) showing 1 link of chain. Because there is always a loop coming from the chandelier and always a loop coming from the canopy, the one link doesn't look so short.  

As always, call us or email us with specific questions that you may have! We are always happy to help.

This photo shows the 8+4 Medium in our showroom - the ceilings in here are 11', but we have this medallion dropped to represent an 8' ceiling. 

Restoration Files: Spears! 0

Some beautiful spear point prisms came to “The Shop” on this project.  They are a plain spear point prism, full-cut, but with a cut-out of a smaller, spear point prism on one side. They look like two layers of prisms.  Visually so much fun and the kind of prism you would build a chandelier around just to keep.

Like most of our smaller projects, this one was a box of parts dug out of the attic.  This project starts with a frame that needs some polishing and a bit of lacquer. There were only 8 holes drilled in the original for crystal strands, so we didn’t add any more.

The piece apparently had included a crystal bobeche in the center (now missing) and prisms at the top.  The customer requested a single socket, no more, so we just added the one, although as thick as the crystals were at the bottom, 3 would have worked as well.

Our Motto: Keep EVERYTHING

Around King’s Chandelier, we NEVER throw anything away, even if it is chipped or discolored.  You never know what you may need, or what someone may want.

Not sure how old this group of parts are, but that bowl is pretty darn old! The contents of that old bowl provided us with what we needed to match the existing points and stars.

Once they were cleaned up, they were gorgeous and looked original to the fixture.

The finished chandelier was exactly what the customer wanted.  At King’s Chandelier, we are always happy to deliver.

Restoration Files: 16 Lights 0

A long-time customer purchased this lovely lady for his historic register home, and what a mess it was! The first problem was a frame that needed polishing.

The second problem was a box full of unlabeled, unwashed, and barely wrapped crystal. I’m always amazed at how badly sellers can pack crystal. But, nothing was broken, so it could have been so much worse. As it was, it was more like a 3D puzzle. Just a small challenge.

The arms on this fixture are hollow, squared pipe – not as sturdy as one would think. That, combined with the ridges in the pipe, dictated that everything had to be polished by hand, which looks better in the end – a nice, satin finish is usually the result. After the entire fixture was disassembled, Richie polished the brass frame by hand, added new electrical components, cleaned the crystal breaks, and reassembled the fixture.

Next, we tackled the crystal trimmings. There were a total of eight different styles of prisms – some of which looked original to the fixture and were quite striking. Some soaking, polishing, and re-pinning and they were all beautiful again.

The origin of this chandelier is a bit unclear. It definitely retains some original gas elements, but the upper candles were added, perhaps when the fixture was originally wired. You can see the drilled holes in the lower and the upper arms – with the electrical running on the outside of the scrolled portion of the upper arms. The stem had been modified as well, with the crystal breaks being a more modern addition. Like many affordable antiques, it is a mixture of periods. Eclectic and lovely.

More About Candle Covers aka Candle Sleeves 15

Are you searching for new chandelier candle sleeves?

I’m guessing your candle sleeves (aka covers) have become brittle and are breaking.  Or, they have turned an uneven and unsightly yellow.  Or, they’ve burned around the edges.  All of these occurrences are good reason to buy new candle covers.  So, how do you figure out what to buy?

Sizing – How to determine the proper size of your candle cover.

You will need to know how long they are – top to bottom.  Chandelier manufacturers use many different sizes – there is no standard.  Some are easy to cut with scissors or a serrated  knife, but others require a ban saw to cut. We are always happy to cut to size.

Next, you will need to measure the diameter.  Here are the most common diameters:

European Base - 15/16" inside

The European Base (for E14 220 sockets) is almost 1″.  These are not standard in the USA, but if you have imported a chandelier from Europe and are using bulb adapters, the above cover could be what you need.  We do have these available – but not on the web site.  Give us a call.

Candelabra Base is 7/8″ inside

The Candelabra Base, above, is most common.  These are for the small, E12 sockets, and the covers are 7/8″ diameter.

Medium Base is 1 3/8″ inside

The Medium Base socket cover is 1 3/8″.  This size is more commonly used on lamps these days, but prior to the 1950’s, it was quite common to see these on a chandelier.

Safety

For safety sake, don’t put higher than the recommended wattage in any socket, but most especially if you don’t want to ruin your candle sleeve.  A high wattage bulb will turn the edges dark or can even create a fire hazard.

Make sure that the cardboard insulator is slightly above the edge of the cover – this protects the cover from the heat of the light bulb.

Quick Tip

If the edges of your cover are brown, simply remove your light bulb, slip the covers off and turn them upside down.  Slip them right back on the socket so that the burnt edges are on the bottom and hidden.

Material

Candle covers are made of so many materials, but the most common is plastic.  Some plastic is heavy walled and opaque.  Some is not – so make sure to purchase quality plastic. Polymers are also common and frequently used to create the covers that look like wax drip candles. Cardboard is also available – a bit more like the old styles.  And, there are wax covers – which is beautiful, but make sure to follow the recommended wattage maximums so that they don’t melt.  Some more modern fixtures have metal covers, but these don’t generally need to be replaced.

Color

This is a matter of preference – there is no advantage in choosing one color over another.

As always, if we have missed any piece of information that you are curious about, send us an email or ask us here!

UPDATE to answer Elizabeth's question in our comment section:  

To extend a socket, you will have to change the socket out to a taller one or raise the existing one with a pipe under the socket. Either of these methods will require the wire to be longer to reach the higher contact points.  Sometimes there is enough slack in the wire to meet a higher point, but most likely the arms will need to have new wire pulled through. 

If you are lucky, your existing socket will be adjustable and set at the lowest point.  If so, you can loosen the screw holding the socket at the level it is and then slide it taller. Carefully.  Remember, the existing wire may not be long enough. 

Always turn your electricity off when working with your chandelier sockets!