Track Lighting Installation

Track lights are very versatile and they allow you to focus the light over a work of art such as a painting or any other design element. It consists of aluminum or plastic track which has an exposed electrical wiring hidden inside it. This track is mounted on a wall or ceiling with lights that can be slid over the tracks. Track lighting installation is not that hard to do and it can be used to modify the look of any room in your house. It is easier to install track lights where there is an existing ceiling light since there is already a power source and a junction box. Here we will discuss how to install track lights.

How to Install Track Lighting

Here is a step by step instruction for installing modern track lighting. The first step is to shut off all electrical power at the breaker panel. Now use a step ladder to remove the old light fixture from the wall or ceiling. The light fixture comes with a mount for the cover. Remove the mount cover by unscrewing the screws that are present around the outside edge. After removing the mount cover, gently take out the light bulb from the fixture. Now unscrew all the screws and nuts that are holding the fixture base to the ceiling box. Lower the base of the fixture so that it is half hanging from the wiring. Pull out the wires through the ceiling box and remove the electrical tape that is present in the black, white and green wires. Now test the circuit with the help of a voltage tester to test that there is no current passing through it.

The next step is to attach the new mounting plate to the ceiling box with screws and locate the position of the mounting screws on the ceiling. Using the lighting track as a template, transfer the location of the mounting holes into the ceiling. Now you need to drill a hole in the ceiling for mounting the toggle bolts. A toggle bolt is nothing but a simple nut with folding wings. The wings are held together when the toggle is inserted into the hole in the ceiling. When the toggle is pushed upwards, the toggle spring which is inside the ceiling, opens up, preventing the toggle bolt from slipping out of the ceiling. Install the track and secure it with the help of the toggle bolts. The track comes in different lengths and choose a track according to your requirement. To provide a better grip to the track lights, tighten the screws of the toggle bolt. Next pull the wires through the end of the track and attach it to the screw terminals. To conceal the wiring, install a cover plate at the end of the track. Lastly mount the light fixtures by pushing the top of the fixture into the track and aligning its contact blades parallel to it, and rotating its base by 90 degrees to lock it in place.

Track lighting should preferably be positioned between 18 to 36 inches above the object or area to be highlighted. Track lighting can be used as accent lighting for drawing focus to a certain spot on a wall or some other object, such as artwork or modern furniture. But it is not suitable for task oriented lighting as the wattage is quite low. Track lighting can also be used to create a certain atmosphere in your room.