The Average Hole for a Swag Hook Chandelier

Installation Overview

• Swag lamps or chandeliers are typically suspended by a chain that is hung on a hook, installed in the ceiling. The position of the ceiling is marked and then drilled. A hook is installed in the pilot hole or drywall anchor, which is installed in the ceiling. The chain and lamp wire are hung to the ceiling hook. Instead of being directly connected to your home's central wiring system, the lamp wire is fitted with a pronged plug that is plugged into a nearby electrical outlet.

Ceiling Type

• If you are installing a suspension hook into a solid wood ceiling, a simple screw hook may be used to hold the lamp. In most contemporary homes, however, the ceiling material is a sheet of drywall, nailed to the ceiling joists. To install the swag chandelier or lamp into a hollow portion of the ceiling, you will need to use a toggle-type winged drywall anchor.

Installation Hardware

• A simple screw hook is one of two types of hooks that are typically used to install a swag lamp. A simple screw hook has a curved "C"-shaped portion that the lamp chain hangs on. It has a threaded shank with a pointed end for screwing it into a solid wood ceiling or a ceiling joist. Toggle-type winged anchors are used to install the hook in a hollow part of the ceiling. The wings of the toggle are compressed and then inserted through a hole in the drywall. As the screw hook is tightened, the wings spread and distribute the weight of the hook and lamp over a large area.

Hole Sizes

• Simple screw hooks for hanging a swag lamp on wood are typically 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch in diameter. Pilot holes for installing simple screw hooks are drilled slightly smaller in diameter than the shanks of the screw hooks. Toggle-type winged anchors require a larger hole, about 1/2 inch in diameter, to fit the compressed wings of the anchor.

Ceiling Repair

• If you decide to install and then remove the swag lamp, a hole up to 1/2 inch in diameter will remain in the ceiling. To patch a hole in a wood ceiling, simply fill the hole with matching wood putty. To patch a hole in drywall, fill the hole with drywall compound. Allow the patch to dry, and then touch it up with paint that matches the ceiling.