How to Guide: Installing Pendant lighting

Pendant lighting is the perfect choice for several areas of the home, but they look especially appealing and prominent over a bar or kitchen island. Contrary to what many people believe, installing pendant lighting is really quite simple, and it's one of the easiest upgrades that you can make to your home.
To do the project, you will need:

• Wire cutters
• Drywall saw (if necessary)
• Screwdriver
• Pendant lights and hardware
• Step ladder

Step 1.
Shut off the power supply to the circuit you'll be working on. This can be done a the circuit breaker box located in the garage or other inconspicuous area. Double check that there's no power in the area you're working in, you don't want to experience an electrical shock or worse while you're working.

Step 2.
Remove the existing light fixture from the ceiling hardware, then remove any light bulbs and place the fixture out of harms way.

Step 3.
Disconnect the wiring by removing the wire nuts, and then remove the existing mounting bracket.

Step 4.
At this point, if the junction box is the same size you can go ahead and connect the new mounting bracket to the electrical box, and then reconnect the wires to their corresponding colors; black to black, white to white, and either green to green or copper to copper. You will need to strip the new wire ends before fastening them together using the provided wire nuts.

If you need a larger junction box, then you will need to widen the hole with a drywall saw or drill, remove the existing box, and replace it with the new box. Then attach the mounting bracket and wires.
Always be sure that the junction box is mounted firmly to a beam so that the lights remain firmly in place. Then you can connect the mounting bracket and wires to the new junction box as stated above.

Step 5.
Push all of the wires up and in so that they're nestled neatly inside of the junction box. Attach the light fixture to the mounting bracket using the provided hardware and make sure that it's attached firmly in place before turning the power back on to the area.

Step 6.
Now it's time to turn on the lights and check out your handiwork!

Additional Tips:
Never connect a new light fixture to frayed or old wiring that shows signs of wear, fraying, or burn marks.

Never hang pendant lights so low that people can walk into them, the adjustable pendant lights work best in these situations.