There is no other chandelier that can offer the classic elegance of a hand blown Murano chandelier. Each has its own individual look and characteristics and offers something special. Now that you've found that perfect chandelier you're going to need to assemble it. Here are some tips to get you going in the right direction.
If you walked into a local lighting store you may have been lucky enough to find that perfect chandelier assembled and ready for install but if you purchased it online or directly from Murano chances are you'll get a box full of intricate pieces that need to be assembled.
Not to worry! Take your time and follow the directions included as well as these tips and you'll be enjoying your new treasure in no time. And just think you'll be all practiced so that the next time you move and want to bring along your chandelier it will be a piece of cake.
First off let's hope the included directions come in English. More often than not they will arrive in Italian and you'll have to use an online translator to sort through them, rely on the diagrams, or just use these tips. If you've got a photograph of the chandelier assembled this can be very helpful!
If your chandelier is custom made just for you, you may need to wire the sockets, but if you purchased a fixture that was already made all the arms and sockets should be wired. You'll want to let them know if you will be using your chandelier in Europe or North America so that the sockets are correct for the size of bulbs you can buy in your area.
If you are buying an antique Murano chandelier you will want to find out what type of sockets it is wired with and what the voltage is. If you are ordering one that will be custom made be sure to take a picture of the sample style provided so that you know how to stack them in the correct order.
When it comes time to for you to start to unpack the package just pay close attention to the order you are taking the pieces out. Make sure your lighting is good and that your pieces are safely displayed where the dog or the cat can't make a mess of your outlay.
Line up the cups, flowers, and arms then look for the metal center post and all your tubes and cup pieces that will cover that center post. Take time to visualize how these pieces would logically go together before you actually start the process. Remember to build from the inside out.
There's a good chance that your chandelier will not only need assembly but cleaning, especially if this is an antique piece that you've purchased from some quaint shop. It's much easier to wash and clean it before you assemble it.
Place a soft cloth in the bottom of your sink just incase you have a dropsy moment. Fill the sink with hot soapy water. Put only one piece in the sink at a time that way if you do accidentally drop a piece it won't land on another piece but instead hit the soft cloth at the bottom.
Use your other sink for rinsing. The hotter the water the less streaking on the glass.
Usually you will have a single multi strand wire that will run from the ceiling down the center chandelier rod and under the metal plate. The individual wires to the lights will feed off this main connection.
There should be a set screw on the top hanging loop. It should thread onto the center rod. You'll need to find the glass pieces that slide onto the metal center rod. They'll likely also be a couple of plastic washers. You need to put one at the top and one at the bottom of the hand blown glass. This will protect the glass where it contacts the metal and also keep it snug.
You'll have to hang your Murano chandelier while you are assembling it so you'll need a nice sturdy latter. Try for the smallest that will work so that it's not bulky and overbearing. In fact one of those small two step household ladders are perfect if you can make the reach with it.
If you have cathedral ceilings and your chandelier is going up up up you'll need to put some thought into the type of ladder you use and the stability of that ladder. You might even have to use scaffolding.
Scaffolding works very well with large chandeliers that need to be hung while you are assembling. If you have many pieces you need to place and no working room something is going to get broken or someone hurt.
The larger the chandelier the more assembly you will need to do once it's hanging. A 10 arm chandelier is going to have to have the cups permanently attached and this can only be done with the it hanging. Where as a smaller chandelier probably won't require the arms to be permanently attached.
You'll need to slip the arm into the larger holes in the round metal plate. The wires will run under the plate and you'll have stripped the end of the main center wires and now you will need to take a wire from each arm and connect on the one side of the stranded wire that runs through the center. You'll secure these wires with a wire nut which should be included.
After you have completed your assembly, it's time to place the beautiful Murano glass shades on, step back, flick the switch and enjoy the work of art that your Murano chandelier truly is!
