Track Lighting Installation Guide And Tips

Although track lighting may be used for dispersed ambient light, its main goal is illuminating the walls or work areas like desk, sink or kitchen island. The layout of track lighting system and the number of light fixtures should be thoroughly planned to achieve the desired lighting effects. Generally the best solution is to place track lighting 1.5 - 3 feet from the wall, still this distance should be increased if the ceiling is higher than usual.

Here is the simple track lighting installation guideline:

• First you should determine an installation area on the ceiling, taking into consideration the room height and distance to the walls. Mark the center of this area, than determine where the ends of the track will be. Use masking tape to mark the installation area on the ceiling.
• Press the junction box of your track lighting system to the ceiling, trace around the box and cut out this area. Be aware to cut any electric wire. Pull the electric cable through the box and attach the box to the ceiling joist so that it would fit in the hole you've made earlier.
• Line your track system up with the masking tape on the ceiling and mark the location of all the butterfly anchors. Then drill holes in the ceiling for butterfly anchors precisely at the marked points.
• Now it's time to attach your track to the ceiling. Remove the masking tape, hold up the track to the ceiling so that the holes for butterfly anchors in the track and the ceiling match exactly. All you have to do now is to place butterfly anchors into their places and tighten each one (not entirely).
• As the track is on its place, you can install the end caps and only after that tighten the butterfly anchors firmly.
• Well, now it's time for the most exciting part of the installation. Snap the light fixtures to their place. Depending on their construction, the lights may be pressed or screwed in. Remember to follow the user's manual to correctly attach the fixtures. Place the lights on the track exactly as you need and point them to the areas you need to illuminate. Don't forget to lock the lights in place after you finish locating and pointing them.

It is very important to stick to the one track lighting manufacturer or at least one of the track standards (read more about track standards in this article Track Lighting Buying Guide) because the components are not interchangeable between different standards. And of course never forget about safety - don't locate your track lighting closer than 6 inches to flammable materials like curtains or drapes.