Out with the Old

Because I track our FedEx shipment on the chandelier like a serial killer stalker, I "encouraged" my husband to take down the old lights so we could prep the ceiling before the chandelier got here.

Here's how this was all suppose to go down:

1. Remove old fluorescent lights.
2. Install new canister or recessed lights.
3. Remove existing ceiling fan.
   
4. Replace light switches.
   
5. Do any ceiling repair on damages done by the old lights.
6. Repaint the whole ceiling.
7. Install the chandelier.
8. And voila! Life is grand and I would have my beautiful dining room put back together.
   

Now, this is how it really went down:

Before:

Clear all the furniture out of the room. Stow everything away. Cover the furniture left securely with a drop cloth. The room was so spacious!


Pull the covers off the lights. Gently turn and remove the fluorescent lights. They break really easily. Just a bump against something hard and they shatter to a bazillion pieces. I put them in a cardboard box for the time being. Later, I'm going to put them into a garbage bag, go outside and break them in the bag before I throw them out. Better me than an unsuspecting sanitation worker ya know?


Then you're left with this. There were really long screws with anchors that held the casing up to the ceiling. The ballast (black box) is somewhat heavy so you need an assistant as you remove these. Using a drill, take the screws out. Pay attention to how it's wired. Ours was wired all funny. More on that later...


Take a break. Pet your dog.

Next: Installing canister or recessed lights.