dp

"damian penney"

19/04/2006 12:13 PM

OT: Installing a troffer light

Quick question, I have a troffer light that I think is designed to lay
in a tbar grid. How can I install this if I don't actually have a
suspended ceiling? My first pass was to screw blocks to the ceiling
joists that the little hangers could latch onto but wondering if there
is a better way to do it.


This topic has 11 replies

LP

"Laurel Penney"

in reply to "damian penney" on 19/04/2006 12:13 PM

19/04/2006 9:46 PM


Doug Miller wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, "damian penney" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >Quick question, I have a troffer light that I think is designed to lay
> >in a tbar grid. How can I install this if I don't actually have a
> >suspended ceiling? My first pass was to screw blocks to the ceiling
> >joists that the little hangers could latch onto but wondering if there
> >is a better way to do it.
> >
> Any reason you can't screw it directly to the joists?
>
> --

Hmm, well the joists are 13" apart, and the troffer is 12" but I
suppose I could do that... Just wondering if there was a 'right' way to
do this.

dp

"damian penney"

in reply to "damian penney" on 19/04/2006 12:13 PM

21/04/2006 6:36 AM


Oleg Lego wrote:
> The Gooey TARBALLS entity posted thusly:
>
> >If the fixture referenced is one that was designed to fit inside the
> >suspended ceiling rails and styles (for lack of the exact term for those 't'
> >shaped parts that are suspended from wires), ...
>
> <snip>
>
> OK, I'll finally bite. What the heck is a 'troffer light'? Brand name?
> Generic term?

I'm not sure of the exact definition but I think Troffer refers to a
recessed fixture, so instead of dangling down from the ceiling it's
installed flush and are typically used in suspended ceiling type
situations.

dp

"damian penney"

in reply to "damian penney" on 19/04/2006 12:13 PM

21/04/2006 6:47 AM


Gooey TARBALLS wrote:
> If the fixture referenced is one that was designed to fit inside the
> suspended ceiling rails and styles (for lack of the exact term for those 't'
> shaped parts that are suspended from wires), I would say that 1. you
> certainly could fasten them in with screws, and 2, you might gain a better
> finished appearance were you to design a frame it would drop into and fix
> that to the joists or rafters as the case may be.
>

Well I finally managed to get this thing hung, I had blocks screwed to
the joists that the little hangers snagged onto, and then I drilled a
few more holes in it and screwed it directly to the joists. I think for
the second one instead of blocks I'll use something more along the
lines of cleats. Finished appearence looks great because the roof is
drywalled and I went troffer because


> But, when I did my shop lighting, I installed duplex outlets along the
> ceiling and used simple, cheap two-bulb shoplights that hang from chains and
> plug in to my ceiling-mounted duplex outlets. The ballast replacement is
> more expensive than replacing the entire fixture so it seemed better to have
> easily replaceable fixtures hanging about in the shop.
>

I didn't want to sacrifice ceiling height (I've already take out a few
of the shoplights with big sheets) The shop is definitely coming along
though, just finished putting double outlets every four feet and have a
retractable extension cord coming down from the ceiling. Once the
lights are in I can start putting some decent storage/worksurfaces in
and I'll be all set.

Bb

Bruce

in reply to "damian penney" on 19/04/2006 12:13 PM

21/04/2006 6:16 PM

On Thu, 20 Apr 2006 05:44:28 -0600, Doug Miller wrote
(in article <[email protected]>):

> In article <[email protected]>, "Laurel
> Penney" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> So attach it *across* the joists -- or install 2x4 cleats between the joists,

> and attach it to the cleats.
>
>
That's what I did. works fine

-Bruce

sD

[email protected] (Doug Miller)

in reply to "damian penney" on 19/04/2006 12:13 PM

19/04/2006 9:22 PM

In article <[email protected]>, "damian penney" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Quick question, I have a troffer light that I think is designed to lay
>in a tbar grid. How can I install this if I don't actually have a
>suspended ceiling? My first pass was to screw blocks to the ceiling
>joists that the little hangers could latch onto but wondering if there
>is a better way to do it.
>
Any reason you can't screw it directly to the joists?

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

DP

Doug Payne

in reply to "damian penney" on 19/04/2006 12:13 PM

24/04/2006 1:25 PM

>>> OK, I'll finally bite. What the heck is a 'troffer light'? Brand name?
>>> Generic term?
>> I'm not sure of the exact definition but I think Troffer refers to a
>> recessed fixture, so instead of dangling down from the ceiling it's
>> installed flush and are typically used in suspended ceiling type
>> situations.
>
> Ahh. Perhaps a corruption of 'trough'?

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=troffer
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/troffer

OL

Oleg Lego

in reply to "damian penney" on 19/04/2006 12:13 PM

24/04/2006 11:05 AM

The damian penney entity posted thusly:

>
>Oleg Lego wrote:
>> The Gooey TARBALLS entity posted thusly:
>>
>> >If the fixture referenced is one that was designed to fit inside the
>> >suspended ceiling rails and styles (for lack of the exact term for those 't'
>> >shaped parts that are suspended from wires), ...
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>> OK, I'll finally bite. What the heck is a 'troffer light'? Brand name?
>> Generic term?
>
>I'm not sure of the exact definition but I think Troffer refers to a
>recessed fixture, so instead of dangling down from the ceiling it's
>installed flush and are typically used in suspended ceiling type
>situations.

Ahh. Perhaps a corruption of 'trough'?

Thanks.

GT

"Gooey TARBALLS"

in reply to "damian penney" on 19/04/2006 12:13 PM

20/04/2006 6:37 PM

If the fixture referenced is one that was designed to fit inside the
suspended ceiling rails and styles (for lack of the exact term for those 't'
shaped parts that are suspended from wires), I would say that 1. you
certainly could fasten them in with screws, and 2, you might gain a better
finished appearance were you to design a frame it would drop into and fix
that to the joists or rafters as the case may be.

I copped a few of those out of a dumpster years ago and constructed a simple
frame that held the fixture while allowing the "door" to swing down to
access the bulbs and change or clean the plastic lens.

But, when I did my shop lighting, I installed duplex outlets along the
ceiling and used simple, cheap two-bulb shoplights that hang from chains and
plug in to my ceiling-mounted duplex outlets. The ballast replacement is
more expensive than replacing the entire fixture so it seemed better to have
easily replaceable fixtures hanging about in the shop.

Hope that helps

"Laurel Penney" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Doug Miller wrote:
>> In article <[email protected]>,
>> "damian penney" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >Quick question, I have a troffer light that I think is designed to lay
>> >in a tbar grid. How can I install this if I don't actually have a
>> >suspended ceiling? My first pass was to screw blocks to the ceiling
>> >joists that the little hangers could latch onto but wondering if there
>> >is a better way to do it.
>> >
>> Any reason you can't screw it directly to the joists?
>>
>> --
>
> Hmm, well the joists are 13" apart, and the troffer is 12" but I
> suppose I could do that... Just wondering if there was a 'right' way to
> do this.
>

OL

Oleg Lego

in reply to "damian penney" on 19/04/2006 12:13 PM

24/04/2006 11:55 AM

The Doug Payne entity posted thusly:

>>>> OK, I'll finally bite. What the heck is a 'troffer light'? Brand name?
>>>> Generic term?
>>> I'm not sure of the exact definition but I think Troffer refers to a
>>> recessed fixture, so instead of dangling down from the ceiling it's
>>> installed flush and are typically used in suspended ceiling type
>>> situations.
>>
>> Ahh. Perhaps a corruption of 'trough'?
>
>http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=troffer
>http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/troffer

Who'da thunk it's a real word?

Thanks.

OL

Oleg Lego

in reply to "damian penney" on 19/04/2006 12:13 PM

20/04/2006 10:49 PM

The Gooey TARBALLS entity posted thusly:

>If the fixture referenced is one that was designed to fit inside the
>suspended ceiling rails and styles (for lack of the exact term for those 't'
>shaped parts that are suspended from wires), ...

<snip>

OK, I'll finally bite. What the heck is a 'troffer light'? Brand name?
Generic term?

sD

[email protected] (Doug Miller)

in reply to "damian penney" on 19/04/2006 12:13 PM

20/04/2006 11:44 AM

In article <[email protected]>, "Laurel Penney" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>Doug Miller wrote:
>> In article <[email protected]>, "damian
> penney" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >Quick question, I have a troffer light that I think is designed to lay
>> >in a tbar grid. How can I install this if I don't actually have a
>> >suspended ceiling? My first pass was to screw blocks to the ceiling
>> >joists that the little hangers could latch onto but wondering if there
>> >is a better way to do it.
>> >
>> Any reason you can't screw it directly to the joists?
>
>Hmm, well the joists are 13" apart, and the troffer is 12" but I
>suppose I could do that... Just wondering if there was a 'right' way to
>do this.

So attach it *across* the joists -- or install 2x4 cleats between the joists,
and attach it to the cleats.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.


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