Connected Craftsman LLC
Ceiling Fan and Light Fixture Replacement in Thorndale, PA
In a split-level, the two questions are always ceiling height and what the box is attached to. Both get answered before anything is bought.
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The lower level, and downrod clearance
Split-levels were the build of the 1950s and 60s and they are the dominant housing type around Thorndale. The defining feature is three or four half-floors, and the lower level — the one that is half below grade, usually the family room — normally has a lower ceiling than the rest of the house.
That matters for fans. A standard ceiling fan hangs on a downrod, and between the rod and the blades you lose real headroom. In a lower level with a reduced ceiling, a standard fan puts blades at a height where a tall person genuinely has to think about it.
The answer is a hugger or flush-mount fan, which sits tight to the ceiling. They move slightly less air than a fan on a rod, which is a fair trade for not ducking. We measure the ceiling before recommending anything, because arriving with the wrong fan wastes a trip.
What the job includes
- checking the box in the ceiling is fan-rated — a light box will not hold a fan
- replacing the box with a brace where it is not
- high ceilings, sloped ceilings and stairwells
- switch and remote setup, including where one switch has to run two things
- hauling the old fixture away
Sixty-year-old boxes
The other split-level question is what is in the ceiling. A Caln house from the 1950s or 60s has had fixtures changed several times, and what is up there varies: a shallow pancake box, an old metal box on a bar, sometimes something that was adequate for a light in 1962 and is not adequate for a fan today.
A fan needs a fan-rated box on a brace. We check what is there, and where it needs replacing we can nearly always do it from below through the existing hole rather than opening the ceiling.
While the fixture is down is also the moment to see the wiring. In a house this age we sometimes find cloth-insulated wire or no ground at the box. If we find something that needs an electrician, we will tell you and stop. That is not us being cautious for form's sake — it is the line between what a handyman should do and what he should not.
The split-level stairwell
Split-levels have short flights everywhere, and there is usually a fixture over one of them where a ladder will not sit level. That is the fixture with the dead bulb in it. Reaching it safely means a ladder that will stand on a landing or on the stairs themselves, and it is worth adding to the list while we are out.
Often paired with: Deck Repair and Exterior Carpentry
Frequently asked questions
Will a fan fit in my lower level?
Usually, as a hugger or flush-mount. Measure floor to ceiling and tell us the number when you call.
The fixture over the stairs has been out for years. Can you reach it?
Yes. A split-level stairwell needs a ladder that will stand safely on a landing or on the stairs themselves, which is exactly why that bulb has been out for years.
What if the wiring is old?
We will show you what we find. If it needs an electrician we will say so and stop rather than work around it.
Can you do several fixtures in one visit?
Yes, and it is much cheaper per fixture that way.
Serving Chester County
This page covers Thorndale. See all of our ceiling fan installation work, or what we do across Thorndale and the rest of Chester County.